ACTIVITIES

PUBLICATIONS

• Newsletter: 3,000 issues published quarterly in Spanish, French and English. A means of communication with the industry at international level.
  
  
• Directory of Member Companies: A Directory is published annually and includes an outline of each Company and its main products and services.  It is published in Spanish, French and English and is distributed at international level.
  
  
• Dictionary of technical terms: The purpose of this dictionary is to unify terms used in the industry and start-up a series of technical publications of interest to professionals of the Swimming Pool industry.
  
  

COLLABORATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, ORGANISMS AND INSTITUTIONS

• ICEX: www.icex.es The Spanish Institute of Overseas Trade (ICEX) provides services to Spanish companies with the aim of promoting and simplifying their international projection.  Asofap collaborates with ICEX in the overseas projection of the Swimming Pool and Spa industry.


• AENOR:www.aenor.es The Spanish certification body responsible for promoting and coordinating UNE standards and adopting European EN standards.  It is the Spanish member of the international ISO/IFC and the European CEN/CENELEC organisations.  Asofap has joined AENOR as a corporate member to collaborate in drawing-up Spanish standards concerning swimming pools and spa therapy.  All members of ASOFAP can join the working committees set up.
  


• MAID PROJECT: “Proposal for the improvement and harmonisation of Spanish sports centres”: The Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia (Biomechanics Institute of Valencia), within the Polytechnical University, has been asked by the National Sports Agency (CSD) to develop the "MAID" Project - Proposal for the Improvement and Harmonisation of Spanish Sports Centres.

  The intention of this project is to provide a solution to the concerns and problems put forward on a number of occasions, by the agents involved in the sports industry in Spain, regarding the disparity of regulations affecting sports centres in general, and in particular, swimming pools and spa centres.
  
  Equipment and material manufacturers and building companies are facing problematic situations arising from the lack of harmony between the requirements stipulated by different Town Councils, County Councils and Autonomous Communities regarding the same matter.
  
  Also, finance and regulating Bodies, particularly at local level, frequently find that there is insufficient information to draw up technical specifications.  This often means that the procedures create situations where cost prevails over quality, with repercussions on the quality of the services provided to end users and discouragement in companies going for innovation and which end up with greater maintenance and replacement costs in the medium term. The primary objective of the MAID Project is to identify, define and design the tools which will enable a harmonisation process of the building regulations of sports centres, in the form of mechanisms and procedures. ASOFAP has been invited to participate in three working committees.

• FIRA DE BARCELONA: www.firabcn.es.  Asofap has an agreement with the FIRA DE BARCELONA to participate in the organisation and promotion of the International Swimming Pool Exhibition of Barcelona “PISCINA BCN” (www.salonpiscina.com) with a special discount of 20% in renting exhibitor space at the Exhibition for Asofap members.
  

TRADE AND STUDY MISSIONS

• Missions: trade and study missions have been organised to different countries, and Asofap has also hosted groups of foreign companies accompanying them to different installations and Spanish Manufacturers, and also every two years to the International Swimming Pool Exhibition of Barcelona “Piscina BCN”.

PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS / ORGANISATION

• Participation in Exhibitions: Asofap has arranged groups of Spanish manufacturers to participate in events held in several countries:  Brazil, France, Germany, Czech Republic

PROFESSIONAL SESSIONS

• Every two years ASOFAP organises a series of Sessions and practical demonstrations within the Barcelona Swimming Pool Exhibition, “Piscina BCN”, which serve as a meeting point.

MEETINGS WITH THE TECHNICAL PRESS

• Meetings with the Technical Press:  since 1999 Asofap has met periodically with the international Technical Press to accompany them to factories, attend events concerning the Swimming Pool Industry such as World Swimming Championships, and every two years, to Piscina BCN. /li>