Today's shopping centers are getting more creative with ideas on attracting customers. There is no doubt that competition amongst developers is aggressive and shoppers have high expectations. The goal for every shopping center developer should be creating customer loyalty. In general, people are looking to be entertained at today's shopping centers; whether it's shopping, dining or attending outdoor events such as movie nights and concerts. For shopping centers that focus on providing creative and fun outdoor environments, attracting families in the summer can be paramount to its success. Water play has become a new and unique method for attracting families to shopping centers. Spraypoint Splashpads by Vortex Aquatic Designs are fun and attractive zero-depth aquatic experiences that focus on utilizing a variety of different water movements and attractive design layouts that add entertainment for families and keep shoppers coming back, especially during the summer months. Spraypoints are designed for lower flow and don't necessarily require children to be in bathing suits. Particularly designed to offer a water experience that allow participants to come into contact with water in their street clothes, the designs offer light mists and small directed water streams which allow everyone to enjoy fun and yet, stay "relatively" dry. This aspect makes Spraypoints ideal for public spaces such as shopping centers. It is also designed with water conservation at the forefront. Typically designed in a circular layout, a Spraypoint can create a great place where families gather to play, cool down, observe or relax in between shopping and dining. Spray features are nature-inspired organic designs. A variety of shapes inspired by nature include bamboo leaves and stems. The Vortex design is a synergy of dramatic water effects, fantasy play and light reflective materials. The Spraypoint Technology is designed for simplicity as it is fully integrated and user-activated. It requires no additional personnel to operate. With no standing water, lifeguard supervision is not required. At the center of the Spraypoint is the engineered command center that controls water flow, spray sequences, user-activation and water drainage. Additionally, winterizing is simple and requires little time and effort. Fun, entertaining and water-smart, Spraypoints by Vortex creates a great place for social gathering. Please contact M.E. O'Brien & Sons for more information. Meghan O'Brien Taylor is president of M.E. O'Brien & Sons, Inc., Medfield, Mass.