Sponsor signage greeted attendees at registration.
Skies were clear and schedules were full in The Woodlands, Texas, last month, as Top 50 Builders recognized by Pool and Spa News (PSN) gathered for the return of a networking event the magazine built around them.
2026 PSN_Opening-47 Monday Attendees gathered by the water at sunset during the opening reception hosted by Lyon Financial.
PSN Connect Live, held October 19–21 at The Woodlands Resort, is a rebranded revival of PSN Connections, which PSN launched in 2019 before the pandemic put it on long-term hold.
This year’s event gave builders time to connect with one another and with suppliers through networking events, scheduled one-on-one appointments, and a keynote on artificial intelligence (AI).
PSN designed the event as an alternative to the traditional trade show. Rather than walking a show floor, attendees arrive with personalized schedules of meetings preapproved by both sides. The format is meant to give suppliers time with decision-makers they want to reach, while builders meet with companies relevant to their operations.
Two blocks of appointments
Builders and service executives met with suppliers during one-on-one appointments.
Appointments ran in two two-hour blocks on Tuesday, October 20. Suppliers worked from draped tables backed by company displays and pull-up banners, and builders rotated through their schedules for focused conversations on products, programs, and partnerships. At the SCP table, a full group gathered for one discussion, while other suppliers walked attendees through equipment and literature at their stations. At the Lyon Financial table, representatives of the event’s premier diamond sponsor met with builders in front of a banner promoting the company’s swimming pool financing, closing one meeting with a handshake before the next one began.
Keynote: treat AI as a tool
At the keynote luncheon, hosted by POOLCORP, Crystal Lengua told attendees that AI should support human expertise, not replace it.
Lengua, who has more than 24 years in the pool and spa industry, is vice president of Canadian operations for Cover Valet and part of the leadership team at California Home Spas and Patio. She serves as secretary on the executive board of the Pool and Hot Tub Council of Canada (PHTCC), where she is a past president, and is a founding member of Women in Swim.
Lyon Financial representatives close out a meeting with a builder during Tuesday’s one-on-one appointments.
2026 PSN_Lunch-10 Keynote Crystal Lengua presented ‘AI in Business: From Overwhelm to Opportunity’ at the keynote luncheon hosted by POOLCORP.
In her presentation, “AI in Business: From Overwhelm to Opportunity,” Lengua addressed why the technology intimidates many business owners and how the shift compares with earlier waves of new technology. She then outlined where AI is already delivering results in sales, marketing, customer experience, operations, and decision-making, citing its ability to handle repetitive tasks, speed up workflows, and reduce human error.
Lengua, who uses AI daily in her own work, focused on steps attendees could take right away with the software and systems they already have.
Receptions and networking
Conversations continued over drinks at the opening reception.
Lyon Financial hosted the opening reception Monday evening, where attendees gathered by the water at sunset. Heritage Pool Supply Group followed with After Hours Singo, a music bingo game that filled the resort’s banquet room.
Reia Group hosted breakfast Tuesday morning ahead of the first appointments, and Heritage Pool Supply Group hosted the closing cocktail reception that evening. The program ended with “Take a Prospect to Dinner,” which encouraged suppliers to continue the day’s conversations over a meal with a builder.
PSN plans to hold PSN Connect Live again in 2027.
Thanks to Our 2026 Sponsors
Pool and Spa News thanks the sponsors who made PSN Connect Live 2026 possible. Lyon Financial served as premier diamond sponsor and hosted the opening reception. Gold and silver sponsors were Hayward, MOOV, POOLCORP, Azoria Pools, and Heritage Pool Supply Group. POOLCORP hosted the keynote luncheon, and Heritage Pool Supply Group hosted After Hours Singo and the closing cocktail reception. RB Retail and Service Solutions and Anchor Industries were marketing sponsors, and Reia Group hosted Tuesday’s breakfast.
