PHTA’s Awards of Excellence program is one of the largest, most renowned design competitions in the industry recognizing pool and hot tub installations. Each year, hundreds of entries showcasing beauty, creativity, and innovation are submitted by builders around the world.

This year, we are giving you a head start! Entries are being accepted now through July 1. And, we have created categories based on the cost of the pool – so your project will compete against others of similar size and scope!

With unlimited national, local, and international exposure opportunities and industry recognition, the International Awards of Excellence is the one design competition you can’t afford to miss!

View past winners on our inspiration gallery.

Questions? Email awards@phta.org.

Rowdy welcomes Melissa Mishoe to this episode of Step Into Swim, during which she recounts when she was able to save a friend from drowning. This event affected her throughout her life and, as a member of the Champions Board, Melissa inspires and advocates for drowning prevention across the country.

Listen to Step Into Swim on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and the PHTA website.

On PHTA's members-only community – my.PHTA.org – you can connect and engage with other PHTA members in real time about topics that are important to you. You can:
—Ask questions and receive timely responses from people who have been there and done that!
—Gain access to digital resources
—Participate in discussions about key topics
—Share YOUR knowledge and resources
—And so much more!

Use your PHTA website login to join the community today!

In July 2021, new federal regulation for energy-efficient pool pumps went into effect. At the Southwest Pool & Spa Show this month, PHTA is teaching "How to Prepare for Federal Pool Pump Regulations That Will Impact Your Business and Boost Sales." Attendees will learn about product ratings, ENERGY STAR, and how it affects other national and state standards, as well as how to communicate the benefits of energy-efficient pool pumps to peers and customers. Register today!

Are you attending the Pool & Spa Show in Atlantic City this month? Be sure to stop by the PHTA booth (located on The Wall), take part in PHTA and GENESIS® education sessions, and network at the WAVE Young Professionals event on Monday, January 24.

GENESIS® is thrilled to return to Florida! We're offering six in-person courses at the Everything Under the Sun Expo in Orlando, March 4-5:
—E211: Fluid Hydraulics for Pools & Spas
—D180: Drawing for Professionals
—E151: The Do's and Don'ts of Pool Engineering & Construction
—E155: Elevated Pool Construction
—C171: Project Profiles - An Interactive Discussion on Design and Construction
—C309: The Beauty of the Edge - Vanishing Edge, Grass Edge, Perimeter Overflow Pools

We hope to see you there!

In D271: Architectural Styles, instructor Paul John Boulifard will help students understand the key principles of various styles and how to coordinate watershape design with architecture. You will examine Arts and Crafts, Prairie Style, California Bungalow, Art Deco, Colonial, Federalist, Ranch Style, Mid-Century Modern, Post-Modernism, and other styles found across the U.S. This virtual course starts February 14!

E245: Standards, Codes, and Ordinances: A Builder's Guide to Proper Implementation is the perfect course for contractors, designers, enforcement, permitting agencies, and others to gain a deeper understanding of the documents that govern swimming pool and spa construction, and how to apply them to your own work. Join us virtually February 23-24 for this course!

Interested in becoming a CPO (Certified Pool & Spa Operator) Instructor? Fill out an application and mark your calendar for the upcoming PHTA Instructor Assessment Schools. The next virtual school will be April 11-15, and the next in-person school will be October 10-12.

You only have nine days left to access the 2021 World Aquatic Health Conference! There are seven sessions on Water and Air Quality; nine sessions on Facility Management; six sessions on Codes and Standards; and five sessions on Employee Management and Aquatic Programming. Log in to watch today!

PHTA is always growing! In December, 72 companies and individuals from around the country and the world joined PHTA. Meet our newest members and reach out to them to say hello!

Stay on top of what others in the industry are talking about. This week in the myPHTA Online Community, the newest discussions are about:
—How to Convince Pool Owners
—Real-time Interaction with Peers
—Info on Pool Builder

Did you know that every five seconds, a homeowner turns to Angi Leads looking for a pro? We’re excited to help maximize your online presence and offer a 25% discount on Angi Leads for your first 30 days to get you started. Franchisees considering joining Angi Leads have a dedicated sales team to answer questions about the program.

Mentors often receive just as much – if not more – benefit from mentoring as their mentees! Sign up for the PHTA Mentor Program and you will shape the future of pool, hot tub, and aquatic professionals; enhance your reputation and professional identity; further develop your leadership and management qualities; gain recognition for your skills and experience; and so much more!

OSHA has released an updated fact sheet on its vaccine and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) that reflects the new compliance dates of January 10 for most provisions of the ETS and February 9 for the standard’s testing requirements.

On Friday, the Supreme Court heard expedited oral arguments regarding judicial stays facing two federal vaccine mandates concerning COVID-19: OSHA’s ETS on COVID-19 for employers with 100 or more employees and the Healthcare Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule (the “CMS Rule”) covering certain health care providers. The court is not currently deciding the legality of the ETS, only whether it may be implemented while lawsuits challenging it continue.

PoolPro
A successful employee-recognition program is more than certifications and plaques – it begins with building a culture of trust and transparency.

Forbes
To help meet your goal of strengthening and expanding your business, consider setting these realistic and achievable resolutions.

Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living
Pool designers are elevating outdoor spaces with the latest waves of the future in amenities thanks to greater accommodation, engineering, and accessibility. GENESIS® instructor Andy Kaner, PHTA Awards of Excellence winner Erik “Ike” Eikevik, and others share the trends they’re seeing.

Aquatics International
Lazy rivers continue to be a popular feature requested by both residential and commercial clients. Industry veterans, including GENESIS® faculty member Terry Brannon, P.E., explain the hydraulics systems behind the lazy rivers.

Pool and Spa News
Smooth the communication process between service techs and pool/spa owners. Follow these tips so that techs offer enough information without talking over customers’ heads or coming across as condescending.