I.O.B. Monthly Meeting Audio Recaps
Summary of 2021 IOB Annual General Meeting
11th biennial IOB Conference, in Albufeira, Portugal
In October our members travelled to the 11th biennial IOB conference, in Albufeira, Portugal. The first day was spent travelling by bus from Lisbon to Albufeira, stopping at a number of unique natural swim ponds along the way. Upon arriving at this year's venue, Club Med DaBalaia, we were treated to two full days of informative speakers who provided lessons on a variety of topics with regards to natural swimming. Our members were able to spend any down time, relaxing in the venue's very own swim pond, strolling the breathtaking Albufeira coast, and enjoying the local dining.
Summary of 2020 IOB Annual General Meeting
The items discussed in this annual meeting:
- Voting on the IOB agenda for 2020/2021
- Increasing the frequency of the IOB newsletter
- Optimizing the shared database
- Making a downloadable poster available to partners to endorse "nature-based solution" language
- The IOB economic plan
- IOB 2021 Congress schedule discussion
- Promote participation in SoGreen
- IOB guideline consensus for partners to support
Summary of 2019 IOB Congress:
The 10th International Congress of the IOB took place on September 9-10, 2019 at
Arche Hotel Krakowska in Warsaw, Poland. All ASPNSP members were given the opportunity to attend workshops to have practical experience with lecture topics.
The two-day event featured speakers from around the globe. Returning speakers from Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium addressed the Congress attendees. New representatives from Australia and Austria also joined in to talk about natural swimming pool topics:
- DANA 2.0 - a live database that provides the operator with the opportunity to record the operating status of a natural bath at any time and to take necessary measures - if necessary also via direct access to the bath control.
- How can sufficient carbon supply can be achieved in aquatic plants
- New NSP legal regulations in France - consequences and further opportunities for action
- Why aquatic plant selection matters as it relates to its ecological criteria
A bus tour was also available for attendees this year. Visitors were taken to amazing civic spaces showcasing water features suggested by the Polish Swimming Pond Association.
Summary of 2017 IOB Congress:
On November 15-16, 2017 the Dutch Swimming Pond Association held the 9th International Swimming Pond Congress in close cooperation with the International Organization for Natural Bathing Waters (IOB). The event was held in the New York conference room at the WTC Congress Center in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. All ASPNSP members were welcome to attend.
The program was packed with internationally renowned experts. Speakers from the Netherlands, Poland, France and Belgium addressed the Congress attendees. Highlights included presentations of the new "Guidelines for Planning, Construction and Maintenance of Private Swimming Pools and Bathing Ponds in Germany" and lectures on topics including:
- Sulphates in the water
- Combined fast and slow biological filters
- Mussels and snails in swimming ponds
- Methods of bird control
- Viruses, cryptosporidia and giardia in public swimming ponds
There were two bus tour options available to attendees:
- Monday, November 13 and Tuesday, November 14. Visit public and private swimming ponds on a tour from Bremen, Germany to Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
OR - Tuesday, November 14. Visit swimming ponds in Holland on a tour from Amsterdam / Schiphol to Leeuwarden.
Candidates for the 2017 PONDY Award were selected by a jury. All congress participants can take part in the election of the winners. The 2017 PONDY Award Winners were announced on November 16.
International Organization for Natural Bathing Waters
IOB is the umbrella organization for swimming pond experts