Water Quality in an “Innovate or Die” Era

Finding real "game-changing" innovation is refreshing if you consider the thousands of startup attempts by businesses trying to make it in a highly competitive environment today. To be honest, finding groundbreaking entrepreneurship is not as common as you might think. But, occasionally, people who understand that solving problems is what innovative business is all about, emerge and their enterprises deserve a place in the spotlight. VivoAquatics CEO Willan Johnson is just such a business personality. In the following lines, Johnson shares his vision and business ideas with the readers of Hospitality Net.

VivoAquatics' Willan Johnson is not a household name, that is unless you follow the digital and startup scene. The man who left a high-profile career at Yahoo! back in 2008, tells reporters these days, how aiding Yahoo! create a unified company culture has helped him make a huge footprint in the aquatic management space. But what most industry news people fail to take note of is the fact Johnson was the COO of another massive venture success known as true[X], an engagement advertising venture bought in 2014 by 20th Century Fox for a cool $200 million. I make mention of this here for the purpose of driving home the reality of VivoAquatics' growth segment, and the adage that "success breeds success." In a recent interview with Johnson, I asked several questions designed to help HN readers see VivoAquatics and the growing importance of state-of-the-art water quality management.

Phil:

Can you briefly describe or profile the average VivoAquatics client today? How much of the industry dependent on water quality would you say fits this description?

Willan Johnson:

As we talk with hospitality clients around the world, they all recognize the day to day challenges in protecting guests from a broad range of risks. Pests, air quality, water quality, the theft of customer information, and many other areas are becoming more costly and litigious to manage. At the same time, a new generation of technologies and software is creating a set of preventative programs to more effectively manage these risks.

Each year, over 4,000 people end up in the emergency room (according to the CDC) due to poor water chemistry in commercial swimming pools and water features. In the past year, over 80% of all commercial properties have been cited for unsafe water conditions. And yet safety is only part of the challenge. We visit hotel after hotel, and the maintenance and engineering personnel are frustrated as the operations required to successfully manage water are much harder than anticipated. Water management is dependent upon the integration of chemical balance, circulation, and filtration. If any of these components fail, water safety is at risk impacting guest experience. The onsite staff does not have the tools and resources to manage water quality successfully.

Our client base ranges from small hotels and inns with just one pool to the largest resorts in the world. Every organization has a need to better manage water. For the largest resorts the pools, spas, and water features represent a core amenity. Poor water quality can harm the reputation of these resorts. They spend a small fortune each year to manage water quality, and any solutions that help them lower these costs and improve guest satisfaction are welcome. For the smaller properties, the pools and spas represent an operational challenge. They don't have the time or resources to ensure good water quality.

Phil:

In your experience with VivoAquatics clients so far, what are the cost savings benefits of water quality automation right now?

Willan Johnson:

Water quality automation can drive reduction in costs associated with labor, electricity, water usage, and chemicals. The systems are set up to allow proactive versus passive management, which allows personnel to operate from a basis of control versus chaos. We have seen chemical reductions in the amount of 15-20%, water 30-40%, electricity 30-50%, and labor up to 50%.

Phil:

Our next question for Johnson follows news about an accident at a big water park in Mississippi where patrons were treated for chemical inhalation after a chemical surge contaminated the park's water filtration system. Because VivoAquatics provides services for a good many large operations, Johnson knows precisely how monitoring and management systems allay such accidents. For instance, VivoAquatics can be used not only to prevent such incidents but to mitigate some liability issues too. Johnson mentioned an article at Aquatics International, which discussed proactive steps to avoid chemical accidents. In the report, Johnson is cited revealing the stark reality of many similar accidents, where operators sometimes bypass systems because of that antiquated systems' complexity. Citing other "human error" issues, the VivoAquatics' boss helped paint a clearer picture of current water quality industry overall. This, in turn, reveals a vast market for companies that excel at problem-solving for hospitalists. The logical question follows, "What are VivoAquatics' next steps?" Or, "How does VivoAquatics differentiate and lead the way?"

Willan Johnson:

Our focus is providing clients with the safest and most effective means of managing water. To do this, we start by bringing together a tremendous team with backgrounds in aquatics, technology and client service management. We want to be nimble and fast and we are focused in finding team members who have an entrepreneurial spirit. With this team we are starting with the client problem, developing software to operate all aspects of water management, and integrating hardware providers that can fit our model. This is fundamentally different than the traditional industry approach which is to roll out a hardware (equipment) solution and then try to build a customer interface. Moreover, we are leveraging our background in technology and aquatics to innovate in ways that matter to our clients. For instance, many hotels currently utilize facility management software (or preventative maintenance software). Rather than building another standalone application, we are integrating our software into platforms the properties currently use. Finally, we are creating industry benchmarks and standards that allow properties to evaluate progress and make changes that drive the right results. Properties recognize what they need to do to drive occupancy rates or RevPAR. We are now creating this same framework so that they can measure and benchmark water quality, and then provide a set of tools and resources to help them improve at a single property or a portfolio of properties.

To conclude, VivoAquatics is a noteworthy enterprise because it solves a dynamic point of pain for hospitality businesses. In a biennial survey of more than 8,000 hotels recently, the AH&LA found that 36% of the hotels had indoor swimming pools and 43% had outdoor swimming pools, and the market for services like VivoAquatics affords is wide open. But providing the obvious solution for hospitality businesses is not what makes Willan Johnson's venture unique. The paradigm-shift to sustainable or eco-friendly hotels already happening promises Johnson another success, but the trend also demands an industry response. Some of my contemporaries preach "innovate or die" to the businesses they consult. So, whether your business revolves around a hotel pool or the Bellagio Fountain (which VivoAquatics monitors), perfect water dealt with perfectly will be the standard soon.

A final note for hoteliers and water quality experts attending the Hotel Experience Hospitality Show (HX 2017) in New York November 12-13. VivoAquatics will be exhibiting and rolling out brand new functions at the event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. For those unfamiliar, HX is presented by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA) and is managed by Hospitality Media Group (HMG).

About VivoAquatics:
VivoAquatics's smart and connected technology platform automates pools, spas, and water features to provide real-time chemical management, monitoring, and work-flow tools that deliver the safest and most appealing water for guests in a more sustainable and cost-effective way. The platform is the center of the aquatics program which also includes expert support, training, certification, and procurement optimization. VivoAquatics partners with the world's leading hospitality, real estate, and fitness brands to help manage their water that is enjoyed by millions of guests each including Ritz Carlton, Marriott, 1Hotels, MGM Resorts International, Westgate, W Hotel, The Irvine Company, In-Shape Fitness and many more. For more information, visit www.VivoAquatics.com.

Phil Butler
Senior Partner
VivoAquatics

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