Pandemic affects status of industry events

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May 7, 2020

Calendar. PHOTO: NIGELCARSE/E+/GETTY IMAGES

PHOTO: NIGELCARSE/E+/GETTY IMAGES

Editor’s Note: Last updated December 3, 2020. We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available.

The coronavirus pandemic has meant many organizations in the pest management industry have had to cancel or postpone events scheduled to take place in 2020. Read on for the current status of many industry events. We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available, and please be sure to check our calendar at MyPMP.net/events. As always, if you know of an event not on our schedule, please email us at pmpeditor@northcoastmedia.net.

PestWorld
Status: Virtual
On July 22, the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) board of directors voted unanimously to host PestWorld 2020 as a virtual convention instead of a physical event in Nashville, Tenn. This will still include its scheduled keynote speakers, educational sessions (CEUs) and status as the largest trade show in the industry. Dates for PestWorld 2020 will remain Oct. 13 through 16, as planned. PestWorld is the NPMA’s annual convention, and it attracts pest management professionals from around the world.
The NPMA has opened registration for the event.

PMP Hall of Fame
Status: Cancelled
Following the announcement that the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) PestWorld 2020 will be virtual-only this year, Pest Management Professional (PMP) has decided to cancel this year’s PMP Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony, which would have been held Oct. 12 in Nashville. Read more about the decision here.

NPMA Academy
Status: Virtual
As of May 26, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the premiere sponsor of the Academy, Corteva Agriscience, have announced the decision to shift this year’s event from a physical to a completely virtual platform. The event will take place virtually beginning July 9, 2020, and run every other week through Oct. 8, 2020.
The team-based event is designed to advance the professional and business development of emerging industry leaders in a hands-on, interactive environment. This year’s theme is superheroes, and costumes are encouraged. Read more about the change: NPMA Academy transforms into online, interactive event

Mid-Atlantic Summer Conference
Status: Postponed to 2021
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA), in collaboration with conference co-hosts the North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) and the South Carolina Pest Management Association (SCPMA), has canceled the 2020 Carolinas/Mid-Atlantic Summer Conference that was slated to be held this July in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Save the date for the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Conference to be held July 30-Aug. 1, 2021 at the Hilton Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

Women in Pest Control Second Annual Conference
Status: Postponed to 2021
The second annual Women in Pest Control (WIPC) conference was supposed to take place Sept. 25, 2020, but will now be held Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2021 in Houston, Texas, at the North Houston Sheraton Hotel.
The conference, which features educational presentations and exhibitors, is for women in the pest management industry only, whether they work in the office or out in the field. Every attendee, speaker and vendor representative who exhibits at the event will be female so that attendees can learn and network with no judgment.
“With no [COVID-19] vaccine and no clear treatment, there are just too many variables to ask anyone to commit to airline tickets at this time,” said WIPC Founder Bobbie Terry and Co-Founder Lisa Botts. “We hope that everyone will still be able to go; it should be early enough in the spring that you shouldn’t be too busy yet.”

International Professional Women in Pest Management Leadership Forum
Status: Virtual
The inaugural International Professional Women in Pest Management Leadership Forum, presented by the National Pest Management Association, was set to take place May 13-15, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego, Calif., but now will be a virtual event held Nov. 8-10, 2020. The meeting is designed to empower female leaders and their male counterparts, while inspiring pest control businesses.

Entomology 2020
Status: Virtual
The Entomology 2020 Program Committee and the Entomological Society of America (ESA) Governing Board have announced that the Governing Board voted to move Entomology 2020 to a fully virtual format. Entomology 2020 will feature an opening plenary session with two keynote speakers, symposia, workshops, organized meetings, 10-minute presentations, three-minute talks, posters, virtual posters as well as functions and meetings hosted by others attending the meeting.
ESA said in its announcement, “Entomology 2020 will feature multiple live-streams running simultaneously Nov. 16-19, 2020. On-demand content will be available from Nov. 11-25, 2020.”

Global Bed Bug Summit
Status: Virtual
The Global Bed Bug Summit will take place virtually Dec. 1-3, 2020, and will feature the latest in bed bug research and education. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the event’s premier sponsor, BedBug Central, made the decision to take it virtual based on the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Parasitec Paris 2020
Status: No change
As of June 23, the 19th Parasitec Paris 2020 Expo will take place in person at the Paris Event Center Nov. 18-20Registration is now open. In 2018, the last time the event took place in Paris, 93 exhibitors from 23 countries attended.

International IPM Symposium
Status: No change
The 10th International Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Symposium will take place March 15-18, 2021, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown hotel in Denver, Colo. The theme will be “Implementing IPM across Borders and Disciplines.”
The event will feature the latest research and strategies for effectively managing pests in agriculture communities and natural areas. More than 40 concurrent sessions are designed for practitioners, growers, educators, consultants, researchers, industry professionals, students, and employees of non-governmental organizations.
A message on the IPM Symposium page states, “The Steering Committee is optimistic that the symposium will take place as an in-person event as planned. However, we are working to develop a contingency plan that may involve postponing or switching to a virtual event.”

Utah Pest Management Association’s 2020 fall conference
Status: Virtual
The Utah Pest Management Association (UPMA) board of directors has voted unanimously to move the 2020 fall conference to a virtual platform, in response to the current coronavirus pandemic. The virtual conference will be held on the same days as the original conference, Nov. 12-13. The UPMA has held conferences twice a year, drawing hundreds of attendees and offering continuing education units (CEUs).

Industry Safety Summit
Status: Postponed to 2021
The Industry Safety Summit, presented by the National Pest Management Association and QualityPro, was scheduled for June 25-26, 2020. It will now take place May 6-7, 2021, at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla.
This workshop-style meeting will bring safety experts together with companies of all sizes to talk safety in the pest management industry. Topics covered will include safe driving, pesticide safety, and tips on implementing a safety program in your business.

Coalmarch 2020 CO2 conference 
Status: Virtual
Coalmarch, a provider of digital marketing and sales efficiency solutions for the pest control industry, has announced its 2020 CO2 conference will now be virtual, and known as CO2@Home.

National Conference on Urban Entomology
Status: Postponed to 2021
The National Conference on Urban Entomology (NCUE), which co-locates with the Invasive Pest Ant Conference, was supposed to be held May 17-20. Instead, it will take place May 23-26, 2021, at the Renaissance Riverview in Mobile, Ala.
The event brings together scientists in industry, academia, and government to open channels of communication and information, and to foster interest and research in the general area of urban and structural entomology.

RISE Annual Meeting
Status: Virtual
The RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) annual meeting will be held as an online event beginning Aug. 25, 2020.
Megan Provost, president of RISE, announced in an email to members, “The RISE Annual Meeting is our largest event of the year — and this year is extra special as we celebrate 30 years of RISE,” she said. “After discussions with our members, our committees, and our Governing Board regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to hold our first-ever Virtual RISE Annual Meeting. Though I will undoubtedly miss connecting with all of you in person, we hope to make this virtual event just as engaging and to have the opportunity to welcome even more of you through this format.”
See the program events planned for Aug. 25-26 and into September now.

Global Health & Food Safety Summit
Status: Postponed to 2021
The fourth Global Health & Food Safety Summit was moved from June 2020 to June 2021; it will be held in Singapore.
The two-day event is held bi-annually and focuses on pest management needs in the service industries, including food, retail and hospitality. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA), Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA), and Federation of Asian & Oceania Pest Managers Association (FAOPMA) made the decision in conjunction with the Singapore Pest Management Association (SPMA).
NPMA President Chris Gorecki said in a statement, “It is an unfortunate circumstance to have to postpone this meeting, but the well-being of our participants is our primary concern. The U.S., CEPA and FAOPMA will continue to develop the program for the 2021 Summit and look forward to hosting an outstanding meeting in 2021.”

University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course
Status: Postponed to 2021
This year, the University of Kentucky (UK) will not hold the Pest Control Short Course Nov. 5-7 as planned because of COVID-19 concerns. Instead, a series of webinars will be made available so that pest management professionals (PMPs) may earn continuing education units (CEUs).
Next fall will be the event’s 50th anniversary. It is scheduled to take place Nov. 9-11, 2021.

Georgia Pest Control Association Summer Conference
Status: Cancelled
Originally scheduled to take place July 12-15, the Georgia Pest Control Association (GPCA) Summer Conference has been cancelled. A 2021 date has not yet been announced. This summer would have been the event’s 70th anniversary.

Read more COVID-19 coverage here: MyPMP.net/COVID-19

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About the Author

Headshot: Diane Sofranec

Diane Sofranec is the senior editor for PMP magazine. She can be reached at dsofranec@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3793.

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