Thursday Pools, manufacturer of fiberglass pools, held a virtual dealer event this year using Unreal Engine integrated with Brainstorm 3D. Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, the same technology used in such shows as The Mandalorian on Disney+. This year, Thursday Pools had more than 290 registered attendees at the time the event went live.
“Thursday Pools is the first manufacturer to use this technology for a virtual event,” says Pilar Losada, director of sales/marketing/PR for Thursday Pools. “We worked with Media Fuel, our local agency, the only agency in the Midwest using this technology.”
Unreal Engine and Brainstorm 3D allow users to create virtual sets, photo-realistic renderings, animations and more all in real-time. Then, combined with OBS, live broadcasts are streamed out to YouTube, Facebook Live, Zoom and other channels.
Thursday Pools and Media Fuel set up a 30-by-30-foot green screen to accommodate the real sets with virtual sets. “We attended several other virtual events this past winter, but none were as interesting and relevant as the one put on by Thursday Pools,” says Michael Berggren of Berggren Pools in Wenatchee, Washington. “Seeing everything and everyone simultaneously on the screen made the event feel more like when we all get together at the factory each year.”
Additionally, Thursday Pools hired Shelby Bubnick as the company’s new social media manager. Bubnick will be assisting the sales team to ensure full customer support while also working with Thursday Pools and its dealers to develop social media content. Bubnick has worked in marketing for several years and holds a degree in communications from Ball State.
“We are very excited that Shelby has joined our sales and marketing team,” says Annie Brock, director of business development for the company. “Our company goal is to continue to keep the customer’s experience front and center, and Shelby’s role will be central to that goal.”
