[Viewpoint] Hit the road, Jack

We’re coming up on the busiest time of year in regards to pest management meetings and seminars. Anyone who attends such events knows the winter season is prime time for pest management conferences. And while it’s only September, the schedules for these meetings are complete and it’s time to start thinking about travel plans for the next few months.

There are so many opportunities to attend conferences in our industry. There are technical meetings that will show you how to manage pests. There are business management conferences that will present ideas to help the business side of your company run more smoothly. There are trade shows that feature industry suppliers and their latest equipment, products and supplies.

Manufacturers and distributors offer training classes, and many universities run technical/research meetings. State and local pest control associations host meetings that may be a short drive away from your home or office. The National Pest Management Association hosts several regional meetings throughout the year, in addition to its national conference and trade show every October. Check out all of these options because I think you’ll be amazed at the number of meetings that feature content about our industry. (Visit www.pctonline.com/events for a complete list of upcoming industry events. Also see pages 92 and 93 in this issue for information about the PCT Commercial Pest Management Summit.)

I know it’s hard for one-man operations to take a of couple days away from their businesses to attend such meetings, but sometimes this is shortsighted thinking. I know those few days (and the following few days) are a bit painful as far as getting your business, route, etc., back on track. But what if you picked up one — just one — nugget of information that helps your business run more effectively or more profitably? Aren’t a couple days out of the office worth such a payoff?

I know that when I travel for the magazine I sometimes feel overwhelmed. I’m thinking about the pages of the next issue of PCT that are piling up on my desk that need to be read and the e-mails that are collecting in my inbox. But the benefit of me attending such an event always outweighs these concerns. Maybe I am introduced to a speaker who could write a story for the magazine. Maybe I learn about an industry trend that we should cover. Or maybe it’s something as simple as talking to a reader regarding his or her ideas about the magazine. There’s always something of value that I bring back to the office.

And speaking of value, next year, PCT columnists Bobby Corrigan and George Rambo will hit the road for the PCT Media Group. They’ll share with attendees their years of experience managing rodents and termites during national seminar tours. The PCT Rodent Management Seminar Tour will run from early February to late March 2005 and the PCT Termite Inspection Seminar Tour will take place August through September 2005. Details are forthcoming so look in the pages of PCT (and in our e-newsletters) in the coming months for additional information. Or, call the PCT Conference & Seminar Division at 800/456-0707.

We hope to see you out on the road!

The author is editor of PCT magazine.