LIWA Aquatics welcomes more than 300 to 2023 Aquatic Recreation Conference

Delivering two days of presentations, networking and collaboration, the Western Australian Aquatic Recreation Conference and Trade Show has been acknowledged as a significant success, welcoming over 300 delegates and trade exhibitors to the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The two-day event, presented by LIWA Aquatics presented a range of keynote presentations, panels, trade talks and break out sessions, presented around the theme of ‘The New Normal’, delivering essential professional development for pool operators, pool lifeguards, swim teachers and swim school coordinators and operators.

The first day started with a Welcome to Country and Executive Officer of LIWA Aquatics, Steve Good, opening the first session with an address to delegates and honouring those who were unable to attend the LIWA Awards earlier this year by presenting them with their awards.

Professor Fiona Wood gave a keynote speech focusing on leadership and communication and the different ways to apply this throughout your personal and professional life, noting "motivation is contagious and negativity is disproportionately so."

In addition, there were opportunities for attendees to attend a variety of sessions including ones on youth mental health, immersion therapy, swimming strokes, sustainability and product and sales pitches.

LIWA also had Peter Klinken, Chief Scientist WA and MX Misty Farquhar OAM deliver presentations to round out a full program before the day’s conference program saw a Workforce Industry Panel address staffing issues and other industry concerns from a variety of different professionals and perspectives, before the networking drinks and sundowner.

The second day started with Perth Wildcat and A Stitch in Time founder, Greg Hire detailed his ongoing journey with mental health and the need to normalise the stigma associated with it and its counterparts such as going to therapy.

Hire had many helpful tips of daily coping mechanisms and the importance of practicing daily habits such as mindfulness and gratitude to contribute to a positive state of mind and longevity in life as "vulnerability is a superpower."

The second day had a strong focus on education in the learn-to-swim sector with talks on cultural awareness, social values, body language and behaviour, disability and how to evolve the future of the aquatics industry.

Former Australian Olympic Swimming Coach, Laurie Lawrence and his Watch Around Water mascots, Walter and Wendy was also in attendance before the conference ended with Paralympic gold medallist, Ben Popham sharing his journey to Toyko, his charitable work with Telethon and his recent Order of Australia medal.

The conference also saw the return of the Trade Passport, which allowed delegates to earn points by scanning QR Codes at different locations around the venue, including trade booths.

Images: Exhibitors IQ Pierce/InterQuad (top) and a trade talk on the exhibition floor (below).