UPMA Board Moves Conference to Virtual Platform

LEHI, Utah — In a unanimous decision, the Utah Pest Management Association board of directors voted to move the 2020 fall conference to a virtual conference platform in response to the persistent threat of COVID-19 that continues to spread across the country.

“While this was a tough decision to make, based on the current information we have surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we felt that this was the right decision to ensure the health & safety of our industry," said UPMA president Kevin Thorn of Thorn Pest Solutions.

"It's our organizational duty to protect public health, food and property," Thorn said. "We couldn't justify putting our attendees and vendors at risk when we have the ability to provide the same high-quality programming through a virtual platform."

Thorn emphasized the need to keep attendees safe while remaining committed to the association's original goal of raising the bar on education. "It's the right thing to do," he said. "We’re looking forward to this new opportunity to provide an amazing experience, not just for the attendees seeking CEUs, but also business owners and managers and the suppliers too!"

Founded in 2018 by a small number of Utah pest control industry leaders, including Andrew Richardson of Edge Pest Control, Kevin Thorn, and Larry Treleven of Sprague, the UPMA has held conferences twice a year, drawing hundreds of attendees.

The virtual conference will be held on the same days as the original conference, from Nov. 12 - 13. More information and registration will be posted to www.utahpest.org.