The Water Quality Association (WQA) and Amsterdam RAI welcomed the industry’s growing support of WQA Aquatech USA, following a successful show from March 27-31, 2007, in Orlando, Florida.

The Water Quality Association (WQA) and Amsterdam RAI welcomed the industry’s growing support of WQA Aquatech USA, following a successful show from March 27-31, 2007, in Orlando, Florida.

The annual conference and trade show garnered positive reactions from attendees and exhibitors alike, indicating WQA Aquatech USA continues to gain momentum. 2007 marks the third year of the WQA and Amsterdam RAI partnership, and both organizations said they were encouraged to see the event continue to flourish.

In addition to increased exhibitor participation, added booth spaces, and multiple networking and business opportunities, attendees enjoyed varied educational options. Sessions ranged from expert-led discussions on the trade show floor, to hands-on equipment training, and detailed courses covering all aspects of water treatment.

For the first time, the show expanded educational opportunities through Saturday, with a full program geared toward dealer education. Attendees could attend “WQA Business Training: Tools to Run and Grow a Water Treatment Business,” or “Hands-On Product Training.” Both options were well-received by participants. Business training addressed topics from tax tips and cash flow strategies to structuring interviews, business planning, marketing, and developing customer loyalty. Hands-on training allowed attendees to work with varied product lines, and learn how to operate, service, maintain, and install different equipment.

“The Saturday education was fantastic,” said Larry Cunning, CWS-VI, CI, of Missouri-based CVB Inc., dba Water Doctor. “If I had realized how beneficial this all would have been, I would have brought my entire team from Kansas City. I think that those manufacturers and dealers who were not in Orlando, truly missed out on an opportunity,” he added.

“Along with the trade show, the expanded educational sessions definitely drove the opportunity for many dealers to strengthen their technical and marketing skills,” said Sam Karge, WQA Convention Task Force Chair and Global Director of Marketing & Sales for GE Water & Process Technologies.

Education is a major component of WQA Aquatech USA. In addition to sessions presented by WQA experts, 2007 educational contributors included the International Bottled Water Association, International Ultraviolet Association, and the International Water Conference. In addition, three groups co-located their own conventions in conjunction with WQA Aquatech USA this year: the American Filtration & Separations Society, Association of Water Technologies, and the International Ozone Association.

Attendance was high at the five-day conference and exhibition. This year, close to 5,000 attendees were on-hand. In addition, the 2007 trade show was up 18 percent over last year’s participation, with 345 businesses exhibiting, including 83 new companies. Total booth space also increased by 14 percent for the year.

“We saw another trade show record this year, bringing together large numbers of high-quality dealers, manufacturers, and consultants,” said Karge.

“We are on track with our strategies to expand the show,” said WQA Executive Director Peter J. Censky. “Our attendance target is the water expert who’s involved with residential, commercial, and industrial treatment and service,” he said.

Don’t miss upcoming shows in Las Vegas and Amsterdam

Next year’s WQA Aquatech USA is March 25-29, 2008, at the MandalayBayConvention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. See www.wqa-aquatech.com or www.wqa.org for more information. Aquatech Amsterdam 2008 and the WQA Pavilion is September 30 – October 3, 2008, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

About the organizers

WQA is the not-for-profit international trade association representing the residential, commercial, industrial, and small system water treatment industry. The Amsterdam RAI organizes and hosts trade fairs, conventions and other events, including Aquatech Amsterdam, at which WQA hosts the WQA Pavilion.

Aquatech is a portfolio of the world’s leading trade exhibitions of process, drinking and waste water technology. The exhibition programme provides an extensive overview of the latest developments in the fields of water treatment, transport and storage, process control and process automation, and point of use. Aquatech is intended for professionals from all parts of the water industry and attracts policy-makers, specialists and those who apply the technology in practice. More information can be found at www.aquatechtrade.com.

The next editions of Aquatech are:

· WQA Aquatech 2008: 25 – 29 March 2008, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

· Aquatech Amsterdam 2008: 30 September-03 October 2008, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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