Ahhh, spring. The herald of new beginnings, this past season has indeed been a busy one for us at PSN. I’d like to highlight a few important goings-on that I think will be of interest.

To start, we’ve launched a couple of new or improved digital initiatives. Most recently, we unveiled a brand-new magazine through our e-newsletter. Called Backyard Living, it’s a collaborative effort between four of our sister publications — Remodeling, Professional Deck Builder, ProSales and The Journal of Light Construction. — and PSN. Each of these magazines covers different aspects of backyard design and construction, bringing unique perspectives to what is now, more than ever, a joint endeavor. Backyard Living mirrors the spirit of collaboration between each of the professionals our publications serve.

It’s also PSN’s first digital edition, which means that we’re able to present this specialized content in a new and exciting way, allowing the integration of rich media such as videos, slide shows and hotlinks. Affectionately nicknamed the “Harry Potter edition” because of the fun way it showcases slide shows and videos, my hope is that you’ll benefit from the expertise of each of our backyard partners and have a great time, too.

Our other digital initiative, the Virtual Backyard, launched a couple of months ago. This year’s edition was created with help from the world-renowned pool designers and co-founders of Genesis, Skip Phillips and Brian Van Bower. The project is an interactive tour of four backyards, showcasing the possibilities of backyard design and product applications across various budget points. It’s meant to be used as a virtual learning tool to help pool designers and consumers with the decision-making process, and emphasizes design principles, mechanical best practices and structural integrity.

Lastly, the thought of spring always brings to mind our Top 50 Builders program. It’s one of the most hotly anticipated issues of the year and many companies anxiously await the call for entries. If you missed the announcement in our e-newsletter a couple of weeks ago, not to worry: It’s currently still open, but not for much longer — all entries must be submitted by Friday, March 25.

Information about all of the above programs can be found on our home page: www.poolspanews.com. If you haven’t had the chance to check these out, I highly encourage you to do so. I also welcome your thoughts and suggestions.