Florida ranks fourth in the nation for unintentional drowning deaths including swimming and boating-related incidents. On Friday, October 8, swimming and pool industry leaders from the Pool & Hot Tub Foundation (PHTF), the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA), and the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) announced a joint partnership to help combat drowning in the state. The one-year agreement between the three organizations marks a pivotal collaboration to further promote swimming education and share available resources providing free or reduced-cost swimming lessons in Florida communities.

Masters swimmer Jeff Commings shares with Rowdy Gaines and Sabeena Hickman how his love of swimming led to the creation of a swim school – with the goal to inspire swimmers to be better… but it’s his students who have inspired him.

Find the Step Into Swim Podcast on the PHTA website, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts.

PHTA Board Chairman Franceen Gonzales was recently named to the Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List. Blooloop Influencers are the men or women who impact the attractions business with their innovation and creativity. Each year readers vote to recognise the people they think have had the most impact in the last 12 months. Congratulations on this recognition, Franceen!

Looking through a magazine of pools, it is easy to find well-conceived plans that failed to unify the design with proper material and color selections. Color is one of our basic means of communication and it influences our emotions so it must be understood and controlled. D231: Color Theory and Its Application, taught by Feras Irikat, introduces the basic dynamics of color, its principles, fundamentals, its psychology, and how to apply the science to project design.

The PHTA Webinar Series continues on Wednesday, October 20 at 1pm ET. Dan McManus, President & CEO of Evosus, and Steve Ruscigno, Vice President & General Manager of Oregon Hot Tub, will host this webinar on the showroom and discuss best business practices for selling custom products.

We've created an interactive guide for all things PHTA and GENESIS® that will be happening at the upcoming PSP/Deck Expo, November 13-18 in Dallas, Texas. See our Schedule-At-A-Glance, descriptions of events and features, an explanation of the new GENESIS® branding, and more. We can't wait to see you in person again!

John Mason, Health Specialist for Deschutes County Public Health, will be teaching a new virtual class ahead of WAHC: Considerations for a Successful Pool Construction Plan Review. This presentation will provide you with overarching ideas to consider when reviewing pool construction plans for public health plan review. We hope to provide you with objectives you can utilize while working with designers and owners to build a useable and safe public pool/spa/wader.

Register for just this class, or bundle it with your WAHC registration!

Join instructor Terry Brannon, P.E., October 26 & 28 for C410: Advanced Pool Construction. Terry has 50 years of engineering experience and will teach you how to render science-based decisions on project alternatives, soil sciences that prove useful in everyday swimming pool and spa projects, construction components and methods, and limitations of the pool contractor and the necessity of seeking professional engineering guidance when appropriate. Register today!

PHTA is excited to announce our newest affinity partner, American Profit Recovery! APR provides PHTA members with the best, most cost-efficient solutions to receivable issues with a discount of 10% for PHTA members. APR does this without alienating customers, and offers the perfect solution to help reduce internal costs and increase cash flow. PHTA members maintain control of the entire outsourced collections process through APRweb, the fully secured, browser-based program.

Stay on top of what others in the industry are talking about. This week in the myPHTA Online Community, the newest discussions are about:
– Neglected Pool Water
– STA-RITE HRS 24-01

PHTA federal lobbyist Carl Chidlow shares updates relevant to business operations from the Build Back Better Agenda and 117th Congress developments, including information on the White House's guidance for federal vaccine mandates.

Forbes
Small business owners need to be set up for success well before tax season.

Pool and Spa News
Swim spas are an increasingly popular product category. If you’re thinking about dedicating some floor space to them, here’s what you need to know.

Inc.
LeBron James’ pursuit of excellence has inspired many. There are three universal moves that every player in the business world can learn.

PoolPro
Houzz is a highly popular platform for design and renovation photos. Pool builders can use Houzz as a portfolio and for pre-qualified lead generation.

Pool and Spa News
With a little guidance, you can support the new pool owner who is also a new pet parent.

PoolPro
Slides and splash pads need regular maintenance to keep the attractions safe for visitors and to prolong equipment lifespan. Owners should obtain maintenance manuals from manufacturers and pass the information to the appropriate parties.

AQUA Magazine
GENESIS® instructor and licensed engineer Mark Dorsey shares one of his projects as a case study in mountainside construction.