Students & Other Aspiring Talent
Your Major Has a Future in Pest Management. Seriously.
You've probably never thought about pest management as a career. That's exactly why we built LAUNCH.
The pest management industry is a $13+ billion sector of the American economy — growing every year, recession-resistant, and actively recruiting talent from virtually every academic discipline. Business. Technology. Biology. Marketing. Data analytics. Finance. Operations. HR. Environmental science. Public policy. If you study it, there's a career for it here.
At LAUNCH: Pest Management Career Summit, you'll spend three days at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, discovering what that means for you. Take on team projects and challenges. Walk the career fair floor and talk directly to employers who are hiring. Attend professional development sessions led by industry leaders from the National Gallery of Art, the USDA, private equity firms, and the country's top pest control companies. Then head to a networking reception, grab a professional headshot, and cheer on your school at the closing ceremony.
What You'll Do*
- Compete in team projects & challenges — Team-based business and technical challenges that let students put their skills to the test, with school representation and recognition for top performers.
- Take on hands-on field challenges: mock pest inspections, termite treatments, bed bug response,
- fumigation, and more
Walk the Employer Engagement Zone career fair and meet companies hiring across business, science, technology, and operations - Attend professional development sessions tailored to your discipline
- Get a free professional headshot
- Network with students from schools across the Southeast at breakfasts, lunches, and evening receptions
- Watch your school compete for university-level recognition at the Closing Ceremony
Professional Development Sessions*
Technical Track
- Pest Management as Protectors of Public Health — featuring industry technical directors
- Exciting Alternative Careers for Technical Specialists — IPM specialists from the National Gallery of Art, NPMA, and the Smithsonian share their career paths
- Entomology Research Roles and Career Paths — researchers from academia and the USDA
Business Track
- Understanding the Business of Pest Control for Future Entrepreneurs — traditional and private equity business owners discuss profitability, startups, and acquisitions
- Understanding Pest Control Policy — how advocacy and regulation shape the industry
- Marketing Matters — how AI and digital tools are reshaping pest management marketing and what career paths look like in this space
Most students who attend come skeptical. Most leave with employer contacts, new friends, and a clearer sense of where they're headed.
*Final program subject to change.
