[View Point] It takes a village to educate an industry

An old African proverb states: “It takes a village to raise a child.” As this proverb relates to the pest control industry, the “village” consists of — associations, manufacturers/distributors, media groups, universities, and others —  all of whom strive to raise the industry’s professionalism by offering and/or sponsoring business and technical seminars.
Whether you are looking for ideas to significantly grow your company’s revenues, or are simply seeking educational meetings to keep you and your staff up-to-date on the latest products, treatments and business issues, there are seminars out there that meet just about every need. And it’s a good thing, too. Pest management in the 21st century is more highly complex and technically involved than ever, with customers demanding greater levels of professionalism. Here’s a look at several upcoming conferences you and your staff may want to consider attending.
From now through November, noted termite expert Dr. George Rambo will be presenting the PCT Termite Seminars throughout the country. These unique one-day education programs, co-sponsored by Univar, are dedicated solely to termite inspection practices in both residential and commercial accounts. Seminars will be customized to the seminar’s geographic area and to specific state regulatory requirements. (Turn to page 99 for a complete listing of dates and locations.)
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) have partnered to present a one-day International Bed Bug Symposium (www.npmapestworld.org), Sept. 12, 2006, at the Hilton Washington Dulles Hotel in Herndon, Va. Sponsored by Orkin, Rentokil, Terminix International, and The Steritech Group, this symposium is designed to raise awareness and inform existing and potential commercial pest management customers how to deal with the difficult issue of bed bugs.
NPMA PestWorld 2006, set for Oct. 25-28 in Grapevine, Texas, will feature educational sessions and new programming that addresses the needs of technicians, managers and owners of small, mid-sized and large pest control companies. Check out the information brochure on pages 119-122.
Good to Great III — The Last Chapter (www.npmapestworld.org), to be held Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, at the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. Sponsored by NPMA and Bayer Environmental Science, this unique business management seminar features top industry professionals sharing many of their success secrets.
The Mergers & Acquisitions Seminar (see page 111), presented by PCT and sponsors Arrow Exterminators, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Truly Nolen, Pestmaster Services and Tullius Partners, will feature two days of in-depth sessions and a lineup of expert speakers who will discuss the various aspects of selling, acquiring or adding a franchise to your business. The conference is scheduled for Dec. 6-8 in Orlando.

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Speaking of upcoming conferences, PCT columnist Bobby Corrigan will present PCT Rodent Management Seminars Dec. 6, in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, and Dec. 7, in New York City (visit www.rodentseminars.com). Be sure to check out Corrigan’s Vertebrate Pests column titled “Protecting Children from Rodent Baits, Part I” (page 118). Corrigan gives his perspective on the controversial issue of the use of bittering agents in rodenticides. Corrigan, along with others, including NPMA’s Government Affairs Committee, have worked diligently to ensure that EPA decision-makers understand the pest control industry’s position on this topic.

The author can be contacted at bharbison@giemedia.com