[Convention Extra] Pestworld 2009 Offers Staying Power

What happens at PestWorld 2009, unlike Las Vegas, will hopefully stay with attendees long after they’ve left. That seems to be NPMA’s hope for its 76th Annual PestWorld Convention & Exhibition, considering the high-intensity programming that’s on tap.

While innovation is this year’s unifying thread, PestWorld 2009 is also about maximizing value for attendees in a challenging economy. A look around the venues and events planned for the industry’s largest meeting shows attendees will have plenty of opportunities to be inspired and educated as well as to network with industry experts and peers, during a revamped schedule that squeezes numerous sessions and receptions into a four-day work-week.

WHAT’S NEW? With several new events planned, pest management professionals should be able to walk away with refreshing insights on running their businesses as well as some important new industry connections and friendships that could prove beneficial in the months and years to come.

Julie Jordan, NPMA’s director of marketing and communications, says the convention’s theme — “connect. learn. innovate. grow” — is based on the belief that a new set of guidelines dominates in today’s marketplace. “The status quo is no longer okay in terms of managing your business and generating new revenues,” said Jordan. “Really it’s innovation that needs to be key.”

Toward that end, says Jordan, NPMA’s goal has been to provide attendees with innovative and new ways of doing things. To do that, NPMA incorporated new programming and also changed up some of the more familiar events at PestWorld 2009.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. To maximize attendees’ time, exhibit hall hours, featuring more than 150 exhibiting companies, have been trimmed back slightly to a total of three high-intensity time slots. Furthermore, new networking and educational opportunities have been added to the convention schedule.

The exhibit hall opens with a Welcome Reception sponsored by Bayer Environmental Science on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday is a working lunch in the exhibit hall, and a happy hour is scheduled for Wednesday evening.

A series of receptions offered during the convention will allow attendees to network. The Wine & Cheese Open House on Monday evening, sponsored by Bell Laboratories, is an opportunity to welcome first-time PestWorld attendees and new NPMA members. Tuesday evening’s Professional Women in Pest Management Wine & Cheese Reception, hosted by Ecolab, will be a special networking opportunity for women in the industry, and the annual PWIPM scholarship recipient will be announced there. And Wednesday evening is the Minorities in Pest Management Reception, hosted by MPM, an ideal opportunity for minority pest management professionals to interact with peers and develop new friendships.

INSPIRING SPEAKERS. This year’s general sessions have also been designed to inspire and educate. Tuesday morning’s Opening General Session, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, features an address by financial industry entrepreneur Christopher Gardner, whose story led to the film “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith.

Following Gardner’s address on Tuesday is the Pest World Pep Rally and New Product Showcase, designed to energize attendees and alert them to new offerings shown on the exhibit hall floor.

A new event for PestWorld, the New Product Showcase offers exhibiting companies the chance to briefly discuss new products or services launched since last year’s PestWorld. “It’s a great opportunity for our members to see what’s new, what other services are out there, and a great opportunity for our suppliers to give them additional exposure,” Jordan said.

On Wednesday morning, attendees will hear from global marketing expert Bob Pritchard, a best-selling author and a marketing consultant for many Fortune 500 companies. His general session is titled “Recession Busting Business and Marketing Keys.”

NEW EDUCATIONAL OFFERING. Continuing the innovation theme at PestWorld 2009 is another new educational offering, the set of six Thought Leader sessions featuring business experts in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service and human resources. Two sessions will be offered concurrently on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and registered attendees can choose which of the Thought Leader sessions to attend each day.

With their longer time frame of two to two-and-a-half hours, these sessions are designed to provide in-depth business and management information from respected experts and consultants who bring their expertise, often from outside the pest control industry.

Each presentation will serve as an interactive educational session in which attendees can exchange ideas with these leaders in their fields of expertise. For example, marketing expert Bob Pritchard will lead a Wednesday Thought Leader session, discussing 15 keys to business success.

Another Thought Leader scheduled for Wednesday is green marketing expert Jacquelyn Ottman. Other Thought Leaders at PestWorld 2009 are sales training expert Warren Dewey, HR executive Brad Bartlett, business and leadership expert Dr. Nate Booth, and customer service experts Betsy Dockins and Lance Holmes.

Another new offering at PestWorld 2009 is the Innovation Lounge. This hospitality lounge, says Jordan, is an opportunity for attendees to network outside of the educational sessions and exhibit hall.

TIME FOR FUN, TOO. With PestWorld’s Las Vegas location, world-class entertainment also would seem to be a prerequisite. That’s on the agenda Wednesday evening, when registered attendees are invited to kick back and enjoy PestWorld Vegas Night with the World Classic Rockers, sponsored by BASF. This all-star band performance features rock and roll classic hits performed by former members of Santana, Journey, Boston and others. All in all, PestWorld 2009 promises to provide enriched networking opportunities and unique educational opportunities along with Las Vegas-style fun.