Beclecto

The Pool Spa Patio Expo in Las Vegas, held this past November 2 through 4th was small but mighty. I can remember in days of old taking 2 full days to get through all of the exhibits, specially chatting with friends and vendors along the way. This show, after 5 hours we'd walked it through. Not that we'd done all of the business we came to do, but the entire exhibit area had been covered in an amazing initial swoop and we headed for a bar.

The attendees seemed actively engaged in negotiations with various vendors and everyone was looking for" the" new thing that they could bring home to their stores. Outdoor kitchens and fire pits were definitely present on the scene as well as a nice sprinkling of spas, saunas, chemicals, accessories, fiberglass pools, and perhaps a few of the elusive "it" products.

Leisure Concepts occupied the most real estate on the floor, showing off not only their popular Covermate spa cover lifters, steps, rails and umbrellas, but also , a new line of very sturdy steps for swim spas. The big product though, and their reason for the real estate purchase was their brand new Spa Cover Line The Smartop, a completely new product in the spa cover market. Made from foam sandwiched between PVC decking with a molded radius. it IS  a pretty product.  The Smartop is priced about double the cost of a vinyl "walk-on" type cover and is not completely customizable as a typical vinyl walk-on or vinyl/foam cover either. For the high end market of customers seeking a heavy duty durable cover, in the sizes it's available,  it fits the bill.

For customers seeking new hot tub line, the hot tubs were there and in force.  Bullfrog, Sunrise, Premium Leisure, Viking, Coast, Caldera, and more. Mona Lisa from China brought over an amazingly huge, impressive swim spa.  Of all the hot tub lines, and it's hard to put this diplomatically, but once you saw the Coast Spas Cascade line,  the others just seemed anticlimactic.   Coast with their innovative and patented negative edge spas, with waterfalls that really seem luxurious,  are just the slickest hot tubs out there folks!  I've loved Coast Spa since the first time I layed eyes on them over 10 years ago.  It's a beautiful product and it's a shame there are not more Florida Coast Spa dealers, but their factory is on the opposite end of the country so freight must be huge.  Of the absent spa manufacturers, Jacuzzi was the most conspicuous.  While Watkins was there with their Caldera line, there was not a Hot Spring spa on the floor. Cal Spas didn't make the trip either.

A busy booth was the Lava Heat booth.. They manufacture a spectacular patio heater with a shooting flame that can be dialed in 4 foot high.  I"m sure it's a popular item for outdoor restaurants, and any commercial area that needs outdoor heat.  For private patios and poolside when one want to make a  warm blazing  statement, consumers can't go wrong with this choice!    Remote controlled with 3 different heights the shooting flame is safely behind a clear tube which also protects it from wind. It is an awesome spectacle and a great improvement on the gas patio heaters from even a couple of years ago.  Retail on the Lava Heat patio heater is in the neighborhood of 1700 bucks.  To see it in action, visit the LAVA HEAT website

Next year the Pool Spa Patio Expo will depart with it's recent tradition of holding all trade show events in Las Vegas and is bound for New Orleans, a good change.

Too see an exhibitor list from the recent Las Vegas show, Visit the Pool Spa Patio Expo Website