With the show still five months away, the 2012 International Pool/Spa/Patio Expo is off to a great start, as evidenced by the return of the big three companies: Pentair, Hayward, and Zodiac. The Expo will be held on November 6–8, 2012, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the educational conference taking place on November 3–8.

The participating companies, combined with other companies that made their choices in the early space draw, created the show’s most successful space draw since 2008; 322 companies were assigned 1,175 booths, taking 117,500 net square feet, or 82% of the total show floor.

Exhibiting companies that were assigned booth space include Master Spas, Latham International, Leisure Concepts, Pleatco, King Technology, BioLab, Bullfrog Spas, Strong Spas, Bull Outdoor Products, Fire Magic, Loop- Loc, Caldera Spas/Watkins Manufacturing, Paramount Pool and Spa Systems, Astral Pool, Century, Nidec Motor Corp., Doughboy Recreational, Cornelius, and Finnleo, with inquiries and booth reservations continuing.

Exhibitors returning to the show after an absence of a year or more include Cal Spas, Marquis Spas, Waterway Plastics, Maax Spas, Dynasty Spas, Haviland Consumer Products, Imperial Pools Saratoga Spas, United Chemical Corp., and Rayner Covering Systems, among others.