AEPMA’s 2014 conference was a success yet again, with pest managers from around the country using the opportunity to network and learn the latest news.
Over 288 industry participants representing 200 individual firms attended AEPMA’s National Conference in Homebush, Sydney in August. “It was the pest management industry event of the year and was well attended and received by delegates, exhibitors and sponsors alike,” said AEPMA national executive director Stephen Ware.
The conference kicked off for the first time, with a pre-conference Sydney Harbour cruise, kindly sponsored by Syngenta. The chilly winter weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of cruise participants, and the backdrop provided an ideal setting for attendees and suppliers.
The theme of this year’s conference, ‘What’s New and Emerging in Pest Management’, brought an assortment of speakers from both Australia and around the globe. The first day provided an eye-opener of future changes in the pest management industry with highlights from such presenters as Dr Tom Nishimura (SPC Global Technical Education, BASF) who gave an incredibly informative presentation on ‘Innovative Formulations and Application Technology in Pest Control’ and Raja Mahendran (International Strategic Pest Consultant) who kept the crowd thoroughly entertained on the ‘Global Future in Pest Control’.
Keynote speaker at the gala dinner, sponsored by BASF, Mark McCrindle provided delegates with a remarkable exposé of demographic changes happening in Australia and how they affected the pest management industry.
The second day began with the official launch of the Food Industry Brochure, by David Gay national president of AEPMA and Ms Josie Rizzo of the NSW Food Authority. The brochure is a handbook designed to assist food service business operators in best practice for pest management and goes hand in hand with the Code of Practice for Pest Management in the Food Industry in Australia and New Zealand. The remainder of the day provided informative presentations on a wide range of topics from termite and rodent control to marketing and work health and safety.
Pest Manager of the Year 2014, plus 26 individual exhibitors added to the experience of a highly successful and enjoyable AEPMA conference. Such events would not be possible without the event’s sponsors:
- Gold Sponsor – BASF
- Silver Sponsor – Ensystex Australasia
- Bronze Sponsor – Bayer
- Special Break Sponsors – Liphatech and SherwoodChemicals
- Lanyard Sponsor – FMC Australasia
- Harbour Cruise sponsor – Syngenta.
Thanks go to all of the event volunteers from the host state NSW, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the conference a success.
Jan Fisher at Armidale Pest Control described the event as a “Top conference. Good informative speakers and a great opportunity to meet likeminded people from around the country. There were top presentations by the companies who put their wares on show. It was a perfect opportunity to spend some face-to-face time. Well done AEPMA.”
AEPMA looks forward to welcoming everyone again to the 2016 conference on the Gold Coast.
