UK-based pest management journalist Frances McKim shares her experience PestWorld 2026, the pest industry’s largest global event.
‘Built for your Business’ was the theme for this year’s record-breaking PestWorld conference, which was held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas, USA between October 20-23.
Organised by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), more than 4,600 pest management professionals attended, of which 500 of delegates came from overseas, representing 52 countries.
Welcoming delegates during the opening ceremony, NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf highlighted the spirit of independence and possibility shown by people within the pest industry. “You see it in the business owners who take chances, the teams who show up for their clients every day, and the families who have made pest management their life’s work,” she said.
Sponsored by Corteva, delegates were welcomed to the opening session on the second day in true Texan style with a display from Loop Rawlins, a ‘Wild West’ performer who entertained the audience with trick roping and whip cracking.
During this session, the NPMA gavel of office was passed onto the incoming President, Mike Bullert, from previous President, Emily Thomas Kendrick. The session closed with a keynote presentation from Riaz Meghji, a human connection expert, who stressed that every conversation counts. “You must connect with a person first,” he advised.
In his presentation, Marshall Gaster, head of marketing for session sponsor Syngenta, discussed how products may only account for five per cent of a pest manager’s total costs, but that small percentage can affect the entire job if selected or applied incorrectly. He implored delegates to “think outside the bottle”.
Over the three days, a host of educational sessions ran concurrently, covering topics such as merger and acquisition strategy, use of data and, most topical of all, how AI can be harnessed to grow a business.
On the technical side, presentations from noted experts covered developments in the control of pests such as ants, cockroaches, rodents, mosquitoes, bed bugs and even alligators and snakes.
This year’s exhibition hall was sold out with over 250 exhibitors from the US, Europe, Asia and South America showcasing their products. This included control products and equipment through to vehicles and digital business management software. As well as the large multinational companies such as Bell Labs, Syngenta, BASF and Envu, first-time exhibitors Rewild were previewing with their K1 Trap – a humane lightweight animal trap, designed and manufactured in New Zealand, which is due for release in 2027.
The mix of exhibitors in the trade hall continued the trend of recent years with an ever-increasing number promoting software to improve business performance, with few suppliers promoting new pest control products.
According to Barry Clare, owner of AllPro Pest Control in Brisbane, the number of companies promoting various AI tools was somewhat overwhelming. “Everywhere I went, I seemed to be ambushed by a software company wanting to explain how AI could help my business in one way or another. Many of these companies are only just launching in the US, so aren’t coming to Australia… yet. But it certainly emphasised the need to keep ahead of the curve and keep exploring ways how AI can improve business efficiency and performance.”
The Global Pest Management Coalition (GPMC) meeting is now a well-established feature of PestWorld. Members from 35 different countries were welcomed by outgoing GPMC president, Manuela Cordeiro, who stressed the main purpose of this group was to create a unified voice for pest control.
Incoming GPMC president Viren Merchant presented on the progress made with the World Health Organization over the last year, which has been rolling out service strategies to combat vector and pest-related problems.
PestWorld always offers a great opportunity to network and make new contacts, especially at the social events. The international reception sponsored by Orkin always proves popular, and on the final night, the lively PestFest party sponsored by MGK had a strong Texan feel to it, making it the perfect finale to four hectic days.
Next year’s PestWorld will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 26-29. But before this, pest professional are invited to attend PestWorld East being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on February 2-3, 2027.
