Canadian Pool & Spa Expo
The Pool and Hot Tub Council of Canada (PHTCC) is the national association representing manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and service providers in Canada’s pool and hot tub industry. For more than 40 years, PHTCC has organized the annual Pool & Spa Expo, the largest trade show of its kind in Canada.
When they came to us, the Expo’s website was holding the organization back rather than helping it grow. The existing site had been built in a way that made even simple content updates a headache for the client. As a result, much of the event’s most important information – including exhibitor details, attendee information, and sponsorship opportunities – lived in downloadable PDFs instead of on the website itself.
That created a frustrating experience for both the client and its audience. Exhibitors and attendees had to download PDFs just to find basic information, the documents weren’t optimized for mobile, and whenever something changed, the client had to update and re-upload an entire document.
Our redesign brought that content where it belonged: directly onto the website. We rebuilt the layout from the ground up, creating dedicated, detailed sections for Exhibitors, Attendees, and Visitors, along with clear, easy-to-navigate information for every sponsorship level. Instead of searching through PDFs, users can now find the information they need right on the page, on any device.
Visually, the new site takes its cues directly from the Pool & Spa Expo logo. The colour palette, shapes, and overall visual language were developed to align closely with the existing brand, creating a seamless experience where the website feels like a natural extension of the expo rather than a separate, disconnected piece.
On the technical side, the site was optimized for SEO and built to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards, making the experience easier to find, navigate, and use for everyone.
Most importantly, the redesign addressed the underlying problem that started the project: content management. The client can now update expo information, replace images, and edit sponsorship opportunities directly within the website. There’s no longer a need to maintain PDFs or re-upload static documents every time something changes.
What was once a slow and frustrating process is now quick and self-serve, giving the Pool & Spa Expo team greater control over their content and a website that can evolve alongside the event.
