SPASA Victoria Bulletin August 2015

If you are exhibiting at the Winter Spa & Pool Expo on 8 & 9 August, you already know that there is the potential for a good return on investment - but only if you know how to grab the interest of the passing traffic.

Making the most of your exhibition stand involves focusing on two key things; attracting visitors to your stand and interacting with them positively once they’re there. Here are some tips and advice to ensure that you can enhance your overall exhibition experience.

1. Never go alone - Every 5 minutes that your stand is unattended, your investment in the event will not be making you money.

2. Dress appropriately - A fabulous product display can so easily be ruined by scruffy stand-staff. Present as a professional.

3. Spectacular Stand Design - A stand with spectacular design features can be more attractive than any gimmick. You will have your own ideas about what works best for you and what doesn’t.

5. Don't pounce - Some visitors will know exactly what they are looking for, and if you don’t frighten them away, they will tell you in their own good time.

6. Qualify your visitors - Some visitors may only be time-wasters, although you can never be too sure.

8. Prepare for the follow-up - This is when the ‘real work’ starts, converting all those precious qualified leads into sales. Prepare your standard follow-up contact-messages and literature and be ready to go.

Exhibitions can deliver huge rewards, maximise the opportunity. So be sure to think carefully about how you are going to attract visitors, engage them and follow-up with them afterwards.

The Serious Stuff …

Both Victorian pool and spa consumer events are owned by SPASA Victoria. Your association strives to enhance the consumer experience at our events. For the benefit of members, SPASA Victoria also works to continually improve the reputation of our industry. As such we remind all exhibitors of the following policies -

Code of Ethics

We ask exhibitors to familiarise themselves with the SPASA Code of Ethics (available from spasavic.com.au). This code forms part of the event terms and conditions and is mandatory for all association members. Adherence to the code ensures that the event is a positive experience for visitors and exhibitors alike. Please ensure that staff working on your stand are also briefed on our ethical priorities.

Stand Participation – Members Only

Only financial SPASA members are permitted to benefit from association events. In particular, non-member Pool Builders working on consumer event stands is strictly forbidden.

SPASA Restricted Builder members are also not permitted to participate in association events. SPASA Pool Builder members make a significant financial contribution to this association and have undergone detailed probity investigations – non-member Pool Builders are not entitled to participate.   

No Owner Builder Promotion

No fibreglass pool kit (defined as: where in-ground installation is essential to maintain the structural integrity of the shell) can be promoted, or sold, at any SPASA Victoria consumer event.

The association's consumer protection responsibility determines that the risks involved in consumers installing fibreglass pool kits to be unsatisfactory. This policy specifically excludes pre-manufactured/portable products and products designed for above-ground use.

Barriers

All exhibitors and their staff must make themselves aware of current Victorian safety barrier regulations - ignorance is no excuse. Non-Victorian regulations must not be communicated to consumers. Lockable covers are not acceptable for Victorian portable spas. If you are uncertain, you are obliged to seek advice from the VBA at vba.vic.gov.au.  Every new pool and spa (portable, above & below ground) in Victoria requires a compliant four-sided barrier – every barrier requires a permit to construct.

Mystery Shopper

As a means of maintaining accountability and exhibitor integrity, SPASA will again be employing a “mystery shopper” to randomly visit stands. Your association - and its members - are keen to promote the highest levels of professionalism. We take this opportunity to remind all exhibitors – and non-exhibiting members alike – that action will be taken against members that do not uphold our code. Sell the positives of your product and services, not the perceived negatives of the opposition.

Giving consumers great experiences ensures the future of our industry.

We thank you for your co-operation, if exhibitors have questions in relation to any of the above please contact Brendan Watkins on 03 9510 2040.

We wish you every success in the forthcoming exhibition.

For a full list of exhibitors click here.

Tickets are selling fast for the SPASA Australia National Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner.

The Awards program gives recognition to SPASA Australia members who have demonstrated the highest degree of competency and professionalism in the pool and spa industry.

The 2015 National Awards of Excellence will be announced at a Gala Dinner held at Sydney Showground, Olympic Park on Tuesday 25th August 2015.

Tickets for this Black Tie event are available for $155 and can be purchased individually or as a table of 10. You can book your tickets at our Convention website. Go to www.spasaconvention.org.au.

Last year tickets sold out well before the event so we encourage you to purchase your tickets early so you don’t miss out.

Only a few stands remain available for Suppliers to showcase their products and services at the National Convention, this year’s only industry event.

If you are a supplier to the industry and you want to increase your market share, exhibiting at this year’s only free industry Expo is a must so act quickly and register to take a stand now.

Accommodation
Accommodation is available at one of 3 hotels nearby the Showgrounds, The Pullman, Novotel and Ibis. Special rates have been negotiated for attendees of the Gala Dinner and bookings can be made through by contacting Phil Stromei on 0433 145 781 or www.riasmarketing.com

For more information about the National Awards of Excellence program contact Gary Nye on 03 8588 1195 or gary@spasa.com.au  

About the National Convention…
The inaugural SPASA Australia National Convention, Supplier Expo and Annual Awards of Excellence for 2015 will be held in Sydney at the Olympic Park Showground on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th of August.

Members should be aware that domestic building insurance policies issued by VMIA/QBE, effective from 1 July 2015 will include a fourth trigger for claims.

As well as the death, disappearance or insolvency of the builder a claim by clients will be possible if the builder has failed to comply with a VCAT or Court order.

Members also need to be aware that for all policies issued from 1 July 2015 information about whether a policy has been issued in respect of a property will be available on the VMIA website. That information will include the name of the builder whose works are insured.

 The VMIA website now also includes a search function so that clients and potential clients can find out if the builder is eligible to obtain home owner warranty insurance. Members who are sole traders or in a partnership and currently in the building business, must be aware that their details will only be available on this website if they have consented, or have applied for a policy since 1 July 2015.

Check out SPASA’s new membership flyer! With Membership numbers continuing to grow, and our list of benefits increasing, the SPASA Membership flyer was designed to define benefits in an easy to read and understand format.

This is a great opportunity to ensure you are taking advantage of benefits associated with your Membership category. Angela Smith - Membership and Sponsorship Manager is happy to discuss how these benefits can be utilised to assist with your business needs.

 If you know a business that is trading fairly and ethically, who would benefit from SPASA Membership? We would love to hear from you!

For more information on becoming a SPASA member visit www.spasavic.com.au or view the flyer here.

Contact Marita on 03 9501 2040, Mobile 0419 588 085 or email membership@spasavic.com.au.

As SPASA members we strongly encourage you to fly the flag and display your member logo at every opportunity, including your website, social media presence, magazine features and other print advertisements - but we ask that you ensure correct use of the logo.

Note that all members must use their SPASA Member category logo and not the main SPASA logo (pictured top right).

In addition - please be reminded that if you are a Gold winner in the Awards of Excellence you must only display the specific logo stating the name of the award as per Terms & Conditions of Entry - 'Award winners are encouraged to advertise the winning of an award utilising the official SPASA winner logos. NB: The category that the Award was won in must be stated on all advertising and promotional materials'.

We can provide the required logo/s in several formats to suit all needs including zipped high-res versions for professional print advertisements through to low-res and inverse logos for website use. Contact angela@spasavic.com.au.

Please check your marketing material to ensure that you are SPASA logo compliant. Here are some examples of member category logos.

Did you know that the SPASA training space is available for use by members?

SPASA offers a training room and a large boardroom ideal for business focused presentations, seminars and events. 

These flexible spaces can cater for large groups and come with a range of AV options, kitchen facilities, a choice of quality caterers and ample parking.

 Best of all, it's FREE to you - our members. (During business hours)

If you are interested in using the facility for your own training, product launches, meetings, etc. call Rowena on 9501 2040 or email rowena@spasavic.com.au.

In this editorial, Steve Darnley from the WorkSafe Victoria construction team writes about the incident notification requirements in Victoria. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) requires notification to WorkSafe regarding serious workplace incidents.  

The duty to notify applies to: an employer who has management and control of the workplace, or a self-employed person who has management and control of the workplace.

The OHS Act requires an employer or a self-employed person to immediately notify WorkSafe after becoming aware of an incident at their workplace.

Notifiable incidents include:

• the death of a person
• a person requiring treatment by a medical practitioner within 48 hours of exposure to a substance
• a person requiring immediate medical treatment as an in-patent in a hospital
• a person requiring immediate medical treatment for a serious injury (e.g. amputation or serious laceration)
• various incidents where a person was exposed to an immediate risk, such as:
• collapse or failure of an excavation
• implosion, explosion or fire
• collapse or partial collapse of a building or structure.

It is important to note that the duty-holder responsible to notify WorkSafe may or may not be the direct employer of the person injured or exposed to the immediate risk.  For example, on a construction site, the builder who has management and control of the site would typically be the responsible duty-holder for notifying WorkSafe. When the incident involves a sub-contractor’s employee, the sub-contractor may also have a concurrent duty to notify.  

To avoid any doubt, a sub-contractor should also notify WorkSafe.  

For more information see the WorkSafe Guide to incident notification. 

Following a notifiable incident, the employer or self-employed person who has the duty to notify must ensure that the site is not disturbed until a WorkSafe inspector attends or permits it, except to:

• protect the health and safety of a person, or  
• provide aid to the injured person, or  
• take essential action to make the site safe, or
• prevent a further occurrence of the incident.

The employer or self-employed person who has the duty to notify must also provide WorkSafe with a written record of the incident within 48 hours.

Incidents can be notified to WorkSafe by phone on 132 360 and the written incident report can be completed and lodged online through the WorkSafe website -  www.worksafe.vic.gov.au.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has released a guide on competition law compliance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Designed by business for smaller businesses, this guide aims to ensure that SMEs and their employees understand why complying with competition law makes good business sense.

The toolkit covers danger areas, elements of compliance, a checklist to help identify competition law risks and examples of basic dos and don’ts.
The SME toolkit can be downloaded for free on the ICC website.

Congratulations to Wayne Gibson of Pool Installations who is the winner of a $200 SPASA voucher.

Wayne was randomly chosen as the winner for completing the online survey seeking feedback from the Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner.

Thank-you to those who completed the survey, this initiative gives us fabulous insight into how to keep improving what we do - what matters to you, matters to us.

The Small Business Festival Victoria is being held from 1-31 August 2015, with hundreds of events organised for Melbourne and regional Victoria that may interest many plumbing and building small business owners.
 
The Small Business Festival Victoria provides ideas and information for people who are starting or growing a business. The Festival is held annually and has over 350 events on offer including workshops and seminars ideal for those running a small business.

Events available to attend during the Festival include:

• One-stop small business support
• Ten ways to win clients
• Is small business for you?
• Managing your team.

There are hundreds of other events that can help you harness your potential as a small business owner. 

For more information and to see the whole calendar of events, visit the Small Business Festival Victoria website.

When someone asks us how we would spend our winnings if we were to win lotto, our imagination runs wild; "I'd get a disappearing pool that doubles as an entertaining deck!" 

At the press of a button, the deck slowly lowers itself. One minute it's a modern-looking wooden deck, capable of supporting hundreds of kilograms per square metre. The next it's a contemporary pool, capable of being fully or partially lowered, to suit both children and adults.

So, how does it work? My bet is magic, but according to Agor, it's run by a water-based hydraulic system.

It should come as no surprise that this innovation is fast becoming the home-improvement choice for rich residents dealing with space limitations (think New Yorkers, Londoners and the like).

Well, thanks to Agor Engineering, this incredible design has been turned into reality. That is if you have £500,000 (AU$1.07 million) to spare.

Whoever said money doesn't buy happiness, obviously, didn't know about this invention.

To see the video of the deck in action click here.

The El Nino continues to strengthen in the Pacific, exceeding by at least one measure the monster event of 1997-98, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

All the key regions of the equatorial Pacific used to monitor El Ninos have recorded sea-surface temperatures of 1 degree above average for 10 consecutive weeks, two weeks longer than the previous record set in 1997, the bureau said in its fortnightly El Nino update.

 "All international climate models surveyed by the Bureau of Meteorology indicate El Nino is likely to strengthen, and is expected to persist into early 2016," the bureau said. Those models project the event could last until next April.

The temperature anomalies stretch from the South American coastline all the way to north-east Australia, or to about the 160-degrees east region (see chart, below).

Dr Andrew Watkins, manager of the bureau's climate prediction services, said it was too early to assess how strong the event would eventually become.

To read more of the article from The Sydney Morning Herald click here.

The Board of SPASA warmly welcomes the following new member to the Association.

New Members:

Satelleite Solar
Principals or Directors: Ben Reiler
Membership Category: Supplier/Manufacturer
Website: None 

Stones and Tiles
Principals or Directors:Chetan (Chino) Bandari
Membership Category: Associate
Website: www.stonesandtiles.com.au

Spa & Pool Show at MCEC (Winter Show) – Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 August

Pool Construction Essentials – Tuesday 11 August

Contract Training – Wednesday 12 August

SPASA 2016 Advertising Offer Launch – Friday 14 August

Hydraulics – Tuesday 18 & Wednesday 19 August

Chemistry Basic – Friday 21 August

Chemistry Advanced – Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 August

FREE OH&S Training Session - Thursday 10 September

White Card Training (Construction Induction) – Friday 11 September

SPASA Board Nominations – Wednesday 16 September - Friday 2 October

SPASA Board Ballot – Friday 9 October - Friday 6 November

SPASA 2016 Advertising Offer Close – Friday 30 October

2015 AGM – Wednesday 11 November

2016

Pool & Spa Show at MCEC (Summer Show) – Friday 5 - Sunday 7 February

Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner – Saturday 25 June

Spa & Pool Show at MCEC (Winter Show) – Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 August

2017
Pool & Spa Show at MCEC (Summer Show) – Friday 3 - Sunday 5 February

Spa & Pool Show at MCEC (Winter Show) – Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 August

2018
Pool & Spa Show at MCEC (Summer Show) – Friday 9 - Sunday 11 February

Spa & Pool Show at MCEC (Winter Show) – Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 August