The key figures discussed at Piscine Connect 2021

For the second time, the digital event Piscine Connect provided a meeting place for the host of pool and spa professionals, who took the plunge into webinars. You didn’t see these virtual events? From home automation to recruitment, the key figures highlighted during these discussions are summarized below.

How far will the trend to home automation go?

Very certainly a long, long way as Warmpac pointed out during its “Ez Pool: connect, simplify, save” webinar. Positioned as the products of the future with a significant market share connected objects are booming. Warmpac stated that:

• Currently there are 35.82 billion connected objects;
• It is estimated that they will be 46 billion by the end of 2021;
• and 75.44 billion by 2025;
• with 57 million connected objects foreseen in industry in France alone.

Private individuals demand applications to control their heat pump or water treatment system remotely, and professionals find it good business too!

How to sell pool automation to your customers

The ABC of pool automation benefits for pool builders and service providers

Videos are “must” marketing tools

Much more than a fashion, videos have become THE communications media. Since YouTube, videos now invade all the social networks and are even favored by their algorithms. Eurospapoolnews digital consultant Guillaume Dossin, in the webinar called “Uses and measurements of the effectiveness of videos in the digital communications”, taught us in particular that:

• The French spend 1.01 hours a day watching videos on the web;
• 1/3 of Google searches now relate to videos or graphics;
• Click rates increase by 300% if there is a video in an e-mail.

This is why pool and spa professionals must develop video marketing strategies. Check out our summary of this webinar to build your own strategy!

The Spanish pool market is in line with global trends

If the French market for private pools never seems to stop growing, other countries are booming too. Despite a slight slowdown due to Covid-19, the pool market in Spain is a money-maker. Just look at the figures:

• 28,500 swimming pools were built in 2020 vs. 26,000 in 2019, for a total of 1.2 million private pools in Spain;
• 1.254 million Euros of sales in 2020;
• 2,500 companies with 70,000 employees in the pool sector.

A major market trend is a passion for above-ground pools, easier and quicker to build and less expensive—all big arguments for private Spanish home owners who on average spend less than their French counterparts.

Overview of the international post-Covid market for swimming pools

Recruitment is a major problem

With 200,000 pools installed in France in 2020, the sector is more dynamic than ever. So much so that there is a manpower shortage! For the Federation of Pool Professionals, recruitment and training are the top priorities. What you need to know:

• 9 out of 10 pool builders are going to recruit in 2022;
• 70% of sector job offers are for pool technicians;
• 40% of job offers are for pool builders and layers;
• 80% of pool companies have difficulties recruiting.

Among the recruitment difficulties encountered, companies list the absence of replies to offers, the shortage of qualified personnel, the inexperience of candidates and the total ignorance of pool trades available.
 

After this second edition of Piscine Connect, we are impressed by the fact that pool and spa professionals are always ready to share their invaluable knowledge with colleagues so the whole sector can progress. We will all meet again at Piscine Global Europe 2022, the next “must” sector get-together!

The leading swimming pool and wellness event in Europe

© Photo credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi / Adobe Stock