Program
PestWorld 2026 Conference Program
PestWorld 2026 brings together the best of the pest management industry for four days of learning, networking, innovation, and celebration. From the Opening Ceremony and Reception to Main Stage presentations, networking events, and PestFest, every part of the program is designed to help attendees build connections, discover new ideas, and engage with industry leaders, peers, and suppliers. The event also features a comprehensive educational program with dozens of sessions across seven tracks, offering practical insights and CEU opportunities for professionals at every stage of their careers. Schedule subject to change.
Monday, October 19
| Time | Session Title | Sponsored by |
| 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM | PestWorld Registration | |
| 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM | Clay Shoot, hosted by Texas Pest Control Association | |
| 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Pi Chi Omega Board Meeting (affiliate) | |
| 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | NPMA Board of Directors Meeting | Douglas Products |
| 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM | Past Presidents & Board of Directors Reception (By Invitation Only) | Program Brokerage Corporation |
Tuesday, October 20
| Time | Session Title | Sponsored by |
| 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM | PestWorld Registration | |
| 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM | ACE Review Course, led by ESA | |
| 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM | Fumigation Committee Meeting | |
| 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Employee Recruitment and Retention Committee Meeting | |
| 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | QualityPro & NPMA PRO Board of Directors Meeting | Forshaw |
| 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Pi Chi Omega Membership Meeting (affiliate) | |
| 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Association Leadership Forum Brunch | Corteva |
| 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Professional Pest Management Alliance Board of Directors Meeting | |
| 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | International Delegates Welcome & Orientation | |
| 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | First Timers Orientation & Tour | |
| 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Wildlife Committee Meeting | |
| 1: 00 PM - 2:00 PM | Opening Ceremony on the Main Stage Featuring Emcee Sean Bott |
Envu |
| 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Exhibit Hall Grand Opening & Welcome Reception | Envu |
| 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | President's Leadership Reception (By Invitation Only) | Bell Labs |
| 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM | PAC Reception (Separate Ticket Required) |
Wednesday, October 21
| Time | Session Title | Speakers | Sponsored by |
| 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM | Perk Up with PestPac by WorkWave | PestPac by WorkWave | |
| 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Keynote Riaz Meghji on the Main Stage | Riaz Meghji, Human Connection Expert, Author, Moderator | Corteva AgriSciences |
| 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Marketing to Membership Committeee Meeting | ||
| 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Business Innovations Committee Meeting | ||
| 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Exhibit Hall Open (Lunch Served 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM) | ecolab | |
| 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM | Pest Management Foundation Meeting | ||
| 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM | PestVets Council Meeting | Envu | |
| 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM | LNC Council Meeting | Corteva | |
| 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM | Global Sustainability Task Force Meeting | ||
| 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Nominating Committee Meeting | ||
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | The Benchmarking Gap: Why Your Own Data Isn't Enough to Scale in Today's Pest Control Market | Robbie Hobbs, Workwave, Holmdel, NJ | PestPac by WorkWave |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | Urban Ant Biology, Ecology and Management with a New Twist | Chris Keefer, BCE, PhD, Greensboro, NC | Syngenta |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | Working Smarter, Not Harder: Using Advanced Technology to Identify Environmental Conditions Conducive to Termite and Other Pest Infestations | Kim Kelley-Tunis, ACE, BCE, PCQI, Nisus Corporation, Rockford, TN | Nisus |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | From Identification to Intervention: An Expert's Guide to Red-Legged Ham Beetles | Alexandria Hammel, BCE, Nestlé Purina North America, St. Louis, MI | |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | Beyond Contamination: The Evolving Link Between Salmonella and the German Cockroach | Jose Pietri, PhD, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN | |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | Leveraging New Tools and Technology to Increase Sales, Maximize Marketing, and Grow Your Business | Paul Treleven, Sprague Pest Solutions, Tacoma, WA | |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | Innovation in Real Time: One Business Owner's Solution to Solving a Technology Gap with Practical Solutions | Kevin Thorn, ACE, Thorn Pest Solutions, Pleasant Grove, UT | |
| 1:30 PM -2:45 PM | Supplier Showcase 1: When Lead Gen Gets Expensive, Brand Has to Carry the Load | Dan Dinsmore, Overit, Albany, NY | Overit |
| 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) Exam, led by ESA | ||
| 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM | Refreshment Break | ||
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Call the Right Play: A Multi-Pest Strategy Playbook | Sylvia J. Kenmuir, BCE, BASF, Research Triangle Park, NC | BASF |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Rodents Outside the Box: Exploring Non-Commensal Rodent Control | Terrence Conley, BCE, Ecolab, St. Paul, MN | Ecolab |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Mosquito Control Beyond the Home: How Commercial Services Drive Growth | Sydney Crawley, PhD, Rentokil Terminix, Wyomissing, PA | Rentokil Terminix |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Hogs, Alligators, and Snakes, Oh My! | Zac McCauley, McCauley Services, Bryant, AR; Brian Melass, Killum Pest Control, Lake Jackson, TX (Invited) |
|
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | How Does Your Business Measure Up? Understanding KPI's to Better Benchmark Your Business | Courtney Carace, Pest-End, Plaistow, NH | |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | CEO FORUM: Scaling Your Pest Control Business to the Next Level (1 of 2) | Dave LeResche, PestCo Holdings, LLC, St. Louis, MO; James R. Ives, Rose Pest Solutions, Madison Heights, MI; Kyle Selbach, BCE, All U Need Pest Control, Fort Myers, FL; Dauphin Ewart, The Bug Master, Austin, TX |
BASF |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Squashing Imposter Syndrome: Turning Hesitation into Action in Your Team | Dr. Angela Trego, Salt Lake City, UT | MGK |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Supplier Showcase 2: Answer Every Call, Capture Every Lead: AI Call Analysis & Voice Agents in Action | Raymond Kidwell, Voice For Pest, Edison, NJ | Voice For Pest |
| 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM | Public Policy Committee Meeting | ||
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | The Trojan House | Steven Dupuy, ACE, Rentokil Terminix, Wyomissing, PA | Rentokil Terminix |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | How to Break the Curse of Knowledge | Wyatt West, BCE, PHE, Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta, GA | Arrow Exterminators |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | The Science of Stinging Insects: Insights into New Invasive Species, Old Foes, and Public Health Protection Through Pollinator‑Conscious Strategies | Jody Green, PhD, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE | |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | An Applicator's Guide to Gloves: Selection, Sizing and Use | Sonja Thomas, PhD, Auburn University, Auburn, AL | |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Beyond the Bite: Preparing for Vector-Borne Disease Threats in the US | Casey Crockett, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ft. Collins, CO; Nicole Foley, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO | |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | CEO FORUM: Scaling Your Pest Control Business to the Next Level (2 of 2) | Dave LeResche, PestCo Holdings, LLC, St. Louis, MO; James R. Ives, Rose Pest Solutions, Madison Heights, MI; Kyle Selbach, BCE, All U Need Pest Control, Fort Myers, FL; Dauphin Ewart, The Bug Master, Austin, TX |
BASF |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | THOUGHT LEADER: Feedback as a Survival Skill: How to Say What Needs to be Said When it Matters Most | Dr. Angela Trego, Angela Trego, Salt Lake City, UT | MGK |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Supplier Showcase 3: Safehouse Project | FORSHAW | FORSHAW |
| 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM | NPMA SPAR Reception | ||
| 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM | Intenational Reception | Orkin | |
| 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM | UPFDA Annual Meeting and Reception (affiliate) | ||
| 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | Professional Pest Management Alliance Reception (By Invitation Only) |
Thursday, October 22
| Time | Session Title | Speakers | Sponsored by |
| 7:00 AM -8:00 AM | Perk Up with PestPac by WorkWave | PestPac by WorkWave | |
| 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM | PestWorld Registration | ||
| 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Keynote Kyle Scheele and Industry Awards on the Main Stage |
Kyle Scheele, Motivational Author, Speaker, and Artist | Syngenta |
| 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Workforce Development Steering Committee | ||
| 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Exhibit Hall Open (Lunch Served 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM) | ||
| 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Technical Committee Meeting | ||
| 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM | Past Presidents Lunch & Briefing | ||
| 12:00 PM -1:30 PM | IDEA Steering Committee | ||
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | Mastering the Pest Control Sale: From Lead to Loyal Customer | Bob McElhannon, FieldRoutes, McKinney, TX | FieldRoutes |
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | From Idea to Impact - charting Envu's differentiated solutions via Formulation Technology | Kyle Denk, Envu, Cary, NC; Thaddeus Paulsel, PhD, Envu, Cary, NC | Envu |
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | 40 Years of Lessons Learned: Never Has Been, Isn’t Today, and Never Will Be One Way to Grow People or a Business | Ian Robinson, Massey Services, Orlando, FL | Massey Services |
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | From Waste to Wealth: How Operational Efficiency and Sustainability Can Work Together to Build a More Sustainable and Profitable Business | Brett MacKillop, Abell Pest Control, Etobicoke, ON; Matt Mehr, Hawx Services, Ogden, UT | |
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | Computational Urban Ecology of New York City Rats | Ralph Peterson, PhD, Basis Research Institute, New York City, NY | |
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | Keeping Pace with The Modernization of Global Food Safety Audit Schemes | Benjamín Gómez Guerrero, ECONTROL, Mexico City, Mexico; Earl Arnold, AIB International, Round Rock, Texas; Hal King, PhD, Active Food Safety, St. Simons Island, GA (Invited) |
|
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | The Next Wave: Emerging Digital Trends and AI-Driven Marketing for Pest Control Companies | Jess Phelan, Vault Communications, Conshohocken, PA | |
| 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM | Supplier Showcase 4: The AI-Run Pest Control Company: Hype vs. Reality, What Actually Works (and What Doesn't) | Christopher Brodowski, Solea AI, San Francisco, CA | Solea AI |
| 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Global Pest Management Coalition Meeting | ||
| 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM | Refreshment Break | ||
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Growing Your Business in a New Era | Thomas Powell, MGK, Minneapolis, MN; Correy Hildebrand, MGK, Minneapolis, MN | MGK |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Fumigation Services: An Ever-Changing Regulatory Option | Shannon Sked, PhD, BCE, Adv-SQF, PCQI, FSVPQI, Rollins, Atlanta, GA | Rollins |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | The Alliance – Tools, Content, and Consumer Data- Practical Ways to Leverage Alliance Resources to Enhance Your Marketing Campaigns | Patty Stofanak, Vault Communications, Conshohocken, PA; Jim Fredericks, PhD, BCE, Professional Pest Management Alliance, Fairfax, VA | The Alliance |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | NPMA's Intern Showcase Part 1 of 2 | NPMA PestWorld Interns | Rollins |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Thought Leader: Building Successful People Strategy Part 1 of 2 | Angie Kurata, Angie Kurata HR Consulting, Wilsonville, OR | MGK |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Thought Leader: ITR Economics Part 1 of 2 | Michael Feuz, ITR Economics, Winchester, VA | MGK |
| 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Supplier Showcase 5: Hiring Doesn't Have to Suck | Kevin Mlynarek, IdealTraits, Lake Orion, MI | IdealTraits |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Leveraging Remote Monitoring Data for Proactive Pest Control | Dana C. Cote, Anticimex, Warren, NJ | Anticimex |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | What’s “Driving” Your Company Safety Decisions? | Aly Silva Mulgrew, Plunkett's Pest Control, Minneapolis, MN | |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | The Regulatory Runway: What’s Next at the Federal and State Level | Edward Messina, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Invited); John Pitcock, Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials; Dave Huber, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets; Moderated by Megan Striegel, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, VA |
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| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Know Your Enemy: Using Insecticide Resistance Monitoring and Population Genetics to Outsmart Bed Bugs and German Cockroaches | Warren Booth, PhD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA | |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | NPMA's Intern Showcase Part 2 of 2 | NPMA PestWorld Interns | Rollins |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Thought Leader: Building Successful People Strategy Part 2 of 2 | Angie Kurata, Angie Kurata HR Consulting, Wilsonville, OR | MGK |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Thought Leader: ITR Economics Part 2 of 2 | Michael Feuz, ITR Economics, Winchester, VA | MGK |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Supplier Showcase 6: Mergers & Acquisitions on the Brink of Disaster: M&A Near-Death Experiences and the Strategic Saves That Secured the Deal | John Myers, Rentokil Terminix, Wyomissing, PA; Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers, Newton, NJ; Kemp Anderson, Kemp Anderson Consulting, Winter Park, FL; Jeffrey Deery, Winterwheedle Attorneys at Law, Winter Park, FL |
PCO Bookkeepers |
| 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM | In the Mix Reception Presented by LNC, PestVets & PWIPM |
Headline Sponsor: Nisus; Corteva AgriSciences, FieldRoutes, Envu, Target Specialty Products |
Friday, October 23
| Time | Session Title | Speakers | Sponsored by |
| 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM | PestWorld Registration | ||
| 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM | Exhibit Hall Open and Day of Service Event | PestPac by WorkWave | |
| 10:00 AM - 11:15 PM | An Update on the Range Expansion of Invasive Termites Across North America, and New Tools to Stop Them | Aaron Ashbrook, PhD, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA | |
| 10:00 AM - 11:15 PM | NPMA BugBytes LIVE! | Ellie Sanders, BCE, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, VA; Laura Rosenwald, BCE, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, VA; Michael Bentley, PhD, BCE, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, VA |
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| 10:00 AM - 11:15 PM | Thought Leader: Sales: Pitch Slapped! Part 1 of 2 | Klyn Elsbury, Leadership Sales Training, San Diego, CA | MGK |
| 10:00 AM - 11:15 PM | Supplier Showcase 7: The Silent Revenue Leak: How AI Is Helping $5M+ Pest Control Companies Stop Losing Customers They Never Had to Lose | Thomas Lundberg, Sellify AI, Logan, UT | Sellify AI |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Pest Control Liability Pitfalls: A PMP’s Guide to Avoiding Common Mistakes with Legal Repercussions | Joe Jonovich, BCE, Technical Pest Solutions, West Palm Beach, FL | |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | New Approaches to Tick Repellents and Acaricides | Nicoletta Faraone, PhD, Acadia University, Nova Scotia, CN | |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | The PMP’s Playbook for Getting Involved with State Policy | Todd Kercheval, Texas Pest Control Association, Austin, TX; Adam Carace, ACE, Pest-End, Plaistow, NH; Breanna Neerland, ACE, Kwik Kill Pest Control, Madison, WI; Moderated by Jackie Ramsey, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, VA |
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| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Thought Leader: Sales: Pitch Slapped! Part 2 of 2 | Klyn Elsbury, Leadership Sales Training, San Diego, CA | MGK |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Maximizing Your NPMA Membership | Allie Allen, BCE, CAE, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax, VA | |
| 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Supplier Showcase 8: Heat Treatment 2026: Scaling Specialized Equipment for Bed Bugs and Drywood Termites | Jeff Zimmerman, Bed Bug Heat Doctor/Prevsol, Jackson, MI | Bed Bug Heat Doctor/Prevsol |
| 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Demystifying the Asian Cockroach | Chow-Yang Lee, PhD, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA | |
| 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Demystifying The Pest Control Enigma of Scavenger and Plaster Beetles | Stephen Kells, PhD, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN | |
| 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Supplier Showcase 9: Evolve Your Business with AI | Bailey Johnston, Evolve, Charlotte, NC; Victoria Hickam, Evolve, Charlotte, NC; Kai Kuraoka, Evolve, Charlotte, NC |
Evolve |
| 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | PestWorld 2026 Closing Party - PestFest | MGK |
