In order to help the PDA increase its membership and encourage contractor members to attend the event at the Thistle Hotel in Brighton, Crown Trade had donated a very generous prize for a special Draw, to be made at the Gala Dinner.

It was Craig’s name that was drawn out at random, and as he walked onto the stage to be congratulated by John Shrimpton, National Sales Manager for Crown Trade, he was ‘absolutely speechless!’

Much to the envy of his colleagues, Craig had won a seven-day holiday for two, to a Caribbean destination of his choice. For Craig, a father of five, this was a dream come true. “With such a large family my wife Sharon and I are lucky if we get one night a year to ourselves, so the chance to spend a whole week on our own in a beautiful holiday location is fantastic,” he said. “Thanks to Crown Trade we’re the talk of the town at the moment. Everyone’s giving us advice and ideas on which Caribbean island we should go to. We’re not going to make any snap decisions though. We want to look through all the options carefully and ensure we really make the most of this wonderful opportunity.”

David Powis, Chief Executive of the Painting & Decorating Association thanked Crown Trade for supporting the Association: “By donating this Caribbean holiday prize, Crown Trade has really boosted our membership drive and helped to make the 2007 Conference one of the best ever. The prize draw gave the occasion an extra dimension.

“The conference was very well attended”, he said, “I was absolutely delighted to see so many newcomers in Brighton, and equally pleased to see the return of many members who haven’t attended in recent years.”

Crown Trade Brand Manager Debbie Orr said: “We’re very pleased to be able to show our support for the PDA in this way and we’re thrilled for Craig and his wife who, we’re sure, will make the very most of this special prize. We’ll do everything we can to make sure they have the holiday of a lifetime.”