Poolside by CGT, a global manufacturer (HQ in Canada) of vinyl material used in the making of swimming pool liners, opened its manufacturing facility to pool builders and installers in late March. This first annual ‘Dealer Day’ was an extremely successful event, bringing 37 different pool builders and installers to the factory where attendees received a plant tour where they viewed how the vinyl sheeting for pool liners is made and printed before being sent in rolls to pool liner fabricators. This all-day event was the first of its kind at the manufacturing facility, which has been making pool vinyl for over 55 years. Poolside by CGT took the initiative to provide opportunities for networking, allowing builders and installers to exchange industry tips and learn about market trends. Attendees all commented on how impressed they were by the vinyl printing process and surprised by the complexity of the process.
Poolside by CGT dedicated members from its product development, operations, engineering, manufacturing design, marketing and sales team to the event in order to allow for an exchange of ideas at all levels. In addition to the luncheon, there were also fun trivia games, prizes and a showcase of high-quality vinyl that meets a set of complex needs in the field where dealers had the opportunity to share their feedback and discuss trends in the marketplace.
“The entire Poolside by CGT team was inspired by the exchange of ideas and information from the installers and builders in the field,” says Sandra Street, marketing manager for Industrial products at CGT. “We developed new powerful relationships with our dealers in the field. We are excited to see them sharing their latest installations of our vinyl material, which is truly the next step in continuing to build on our Poolside by CGT Brand.”
The event was so successful, that plans are already underway for a second annual event in which even more builders and installers will be invited.
“Pool professionals are such an important part of our business and this event helps us connect with that market, and build on these relationships” says Balsam Ibrahim, North American sales manager for the swimming pool industry. "We were blown away by the reception of our event, and we are excited to see how we can make it even bigger and better next year."
