aquanale and FSB 2023 trade fairs highlight sustainability

October 31, 2023

After four days at the Koelnmesse/Cologne Trade Fair venue, the co-located events aquanale and FSB drew to a successful close on last Friday.

The two leading International Trade Fairs for swimming pools and wellness and for public spaces, sport and leisure facilities attracted an audience of around 25,000 trade visitors from 123 countries to the city of Cologne while 824 exhibitors from 45 countries presented pioneering products, technologies and concepts from 24th to 27th October.

Catching the spirit of the times, the trade fairs’ clear focus on sustainability generated an enthusiastic response from attendees, reflected in the impressive figures.

After a successful relaunch under challenging circumstances in 2021, this year, the trade fairs returned to the level of the strong results achieved in 2019.

As Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, explained “we’re delighted that aquanale and FSB are able to build on the successes we achieved before the pandemic.

“Both trade fairs have impressively consolidated their leading positions as international industry platforms.

“At the same time, we’re proud to keep on driving the future development of these sectors forward as a crucial market partner. Issues such as sustainability, energy efficiency and resource conservation are a bigger concern for industry participants than ever before and need to be discussed as a matter of urgency. aquanale and FSB have a responsibility to provide a forum for this dialogue, and the co-located events have fulfilled this mission completely.”

Trade fair duo returns to its pre-corona levels
Compared to the previous edition, the co-located events once again reported significant growth in their visitor numbers. Taking estimates for the last day of the trade fairs into account, around 25,000 visitors from 123 countries attended aquanale and FSB. This represents a rise in visitor numbers of 56% compared to 2021, putting them on a par with the results achieved in 2019. Both events also strengthened the international profile of their trade audience, with visitors from outside Germany accounting for approximately 60%. Alongside Germany, the countries with the highest numbers of visitors were the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.

aquanale reveal new paths in the construction of swimming pool and wellness facilities
As it marked its 20th edition, aquanale once again attracted almost the entire line-up of the German and international market leaders. Around 272 exhibitors from 31 countries presented new products and designs for constructing modern, sustainable and innovative swimming pool and wellness facilities. From energy efficiency and water management to digitalisation and the shortage of skilled workers, the trade fair responded to the latest topics and trends, and impressed visitors with a diverse event program.

Central to the program was the 10th International Swimming Pool and Wellness Forum, at which issues such as sustainability, the new EU energy standard and the shortage of skilled workers were discussed. As part of the forum, aquanale’s partner country Switzerland also shared interesting insights into how it is tackling current challenges. The highlight of the first day of the trade fair was the presentation of the 2023 EUSA Awards. In cooperation with industry partner Sauna from Finland, visitors were able to learn about saunas and enjoy a first-hand introduction through workshops, tours and live sauna experiences.

FSB shines a light on sustainability
With 552 exhibitors from 42 countries, FSB offered a comprehensive overview of products from the public spaces, playground equipment, outdoor fitness, sports equipment, sports flooring and stadium infrastructure segments. This year’s edition took a holistic view of the issue of sustainability and shone a light on the topic from every angle – environmental, economic and social. “As in previous years, FSB 2023 set the course for a sustainable and successful future for the industry. The quality of the conversations and discussions was again at the usual high level. This dialogue between countries and continents makes the event the place to be for all decision makers in the international sports and leisure facilities industry,” summed up Dr Stefan Kannewischer, President of the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS), FSB’s conceptual sponsor.

The IAKS Congress once again lived up to its reputation as the most important international forum for the planning, construction, financing and management of sports and leisure facilities. Around 500 people attended this 28th edition to learn about the latest trends and innovations.

Highlights of the wide-ranging event and congress program included the 2nd German Sports Facilities Day, the plannerFORUM and SPORTNETZWERK.FSB. The IOC IPC IAKS Architecture Prizes were also awarded once again. On day three, the final event of the trade fair was the NEW LIFE Climate School Day, where participants came together to discuss climate protection and schools.

In 2025, aquanale and FSB will return to the Koelnmesse fairgrounds from 28th to 31th October.

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