From November 17 to 20, Piscina Barcelona 2025 will transform Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via venue into a business, knowledge, and trend analysis center for the pool, wellness, and outdoor industry. The show, organized by Fira de Barcelona with the support of the ASOFAP employers' association, will bring together more than 400 exhibitors from 30 countries, consolidating itself as the most international event on the European trade fair calendar for the sector.
A few days before its celebration, we are received by Eloi Planes, president of the show's Organizing Committee and executive president of Fluidra.
--- This year you are presenting a "bigger and more international" edition. Is this a reflection of the current state of the sector?
--- The growth of Piscina Barcelona 2025 marks a milestone for the fair and for the entire pool sector, both nationally and internationally. This edition, which grows by 22% in exhibition space, reflects the dynamism of an expanding market and consolidates the event as the main European meeting point for professionals in the sector. With more than 400 exhibitors from 30 countries and an international offering representing 70% of the total, Piscina Barcelona 2025 is positioned as the most international show in the sector in Europe. This global dimension not only expands business and collaboration opportunities between companies but also reinforces Spain's leadership as a benchmark in innovation, sustainability, and energy efficiency in the field of swimming pools.
--- What is the economic and international dimension of the congress this year?
--- We expect to exceed 15,000 visitors, with 60% of them international, a fact that confirms the fair's attractiveness as a strategic platform. In addition, the more than 30 programmed activities will allow for discussion of immediate challenges and exploration of new opportunities in a context marked by digital transformation, modernization of facilities, and the growing demand for sustainable solutions. This momentum coincides with a particularly favorable moment for the sector in Spain, which grew by 5.2% during the first half of 2025 and expects to exceed 1.6 billion euros in turnover this year.
--- Explain the commitment you have made this year to outdoor.
--- The pool is no longer an isolated element, but the heart of an environment that combines comfort, landscape, and functionality. Outdoor design transforms the aquatic and wellness experience. The incorporation of the outdoor sector as the third strategic axis of Piscina Barcelona 2025 represents a natural and coherent evolution with current market trends. In a context where well-being, outdoor leisure, and the design of outdoor spaces are increasingly gaining prominence, this commitment expands the fair's scope and strengthens its positioning.
"Piscina Barcelona 2025 is positioned as the most international fair in the sector in Europe"--- How is it reinforced?
--- The space dedicated to outdoor design doubles in this edition, with the participation of more than 40 specialized companies. Also, through the new Outdoor & Wellness Experience, an immersive showroom that recreates a fully functional wellness center in the middle of a Mediterranean garden. This space combines the latest trends in interior and exterior design, and demonstrates how the pool, wellness and the outdoor environment can coexist in harmony to create complete experiences of comfort, health and enjoyment.
--- What weight does Catalonia have in the international pool market?
--- The sector in Spain, and especially in Catalonia, is characterized by being solid, mature and with a clear export vocation. In fact, Spain is the fourth country in the world and the second in Europe in number of pools, and Catalonia plays a prominent role as an industrial and logistics hub. Catalonia not only has an important weight within the Spanish market, but also plays a key role as an international benchmark in the pool and wellness sector, thanks to its industrial, innovative and export capacity. And we are talking, as we said, about a growing sector: the prospects are good. Annual growth of around 5% is expected to be maintained in the next two years, driven by investment in sustainability and efficiency in both residential and public pools. This dynamism is also supported by hotel renovation and the revaluation of well-being and outdoor leisure.
--- How is AI and technology breaking into the pool and wellness sector?
--- Artificial intelligence and advanced technology are marking a before and after in our sector. What recently seemed unthinkable —like a pool that self-manages, adapts to user needs and optimizes its energy consumption— is now a tangible reality.
--- And how is this reality reflected at the fair?
--- At Piscina Barcelona 2025, this transformation is evident through the Innovation Zone, where the latest solutions combining AI, automation and total connectivity are displayed. Artificial intelligence is redefining the future of pools and wellness, creating smarter, more sustainable and more connected spaces with people. And this future, at Piscina Barcelona 2025, can already be seen, touched and experienced.
--- In the Innovation Zone you will present the most disruptive products. Could you give us any spoilers?
--- Piscina Barcelona 2025 focuses on innovation with solutions that transform the management and experience of aquatic facilities. Highlights include autonomous robotic pool cleaners for the cleaning and maintenance of swimming pools and wellness spaces, artificial vision systems and 3D sensors, centralized control platforms and total connectivity, smart heat pumps that adjust their operation according to environmental conditions, sustainable water treatment systems that reduce the use of chemical products, and control platforms that centralize pool maintenance from a mobile phone.
"Piscina Barcelona 2025 is not just a fair, it is the leading European meeting point for professionals in the sector"--- What recommendation would you give to the congress visitor? What can they expect?
--- To come with an open mind and a desire to discover how the pool and wellness sector is evolving towards a smarter, more sustainable future connected with people. Here you will find the largest commercial offer in the European market, the most cutting-edge solutions, and the possibility to connect with professionals from the sector from all over the world to share information and experiences. In addition, I recommend participating in some of the more than 30 scheduled activities and taking advantage of networking opportunities such as the 7th International Business Meeting Hospitality Design & Wellness.
--- How is the way we enjoy water transforming? And how will this transformation be perceived at the show?
--- The way we enjoy water is experiencing a true revolution. The pool is no longer just a space for swimming; it is something more experiential, with a positive impact on the health and personal and collective well-being of people. Today we talk about pools that are respectful of the environment, efficient in the use of energy and water, and connected with people. In this sense, we must also be able to make visible the social, educational, and cultural value that pools have.
--- The Piscina Barcelona show also applies sustainability criteria in its organization. What actions have been implemented?
--- This year we use reused water, from the Bernat Picornell Pools, to fill the pools and spas exhibited at the show. It is a pioneering measure that demonstrates that circularity is possible even in large-scale events. We also minimize waste generation, use recycled carpet, reuse materials and furniture, and donate food surpluses to NGOs such as Nutrición Sin Fronteras. And to offset the carbon footprint, we will plant 400 trees in the Doñana Natural Park in collaboration with Plant for the Planet.