General Sessions

Opening Ceremony
Featuring Taimane Gardner


Sponsored by Bayer Environmental Science
Prepare yourself for an experience like no other with the PestWorld Opening Ceremony. Wednesday’s events begin with the sounds and rhythms of an awe-inspiring Kahiko performance, followed by a performance by Hawaiian sensation, Taimane Gardner, known locally as the "Female Carlos Santana."

Twenty-year-old musical prodigy, Taimane, a genius of the ukulele, with a stage personality to match, was discovered by Don Ho at the age of twelve. Since then, she has performed in Las Vegas to sold out crowds, and continues to tour Hawaii and Japan. She will regale you with her trademark medleys, which aptly pair rock and roll and classical pieces together. Imagine a musical mash up of Led Zeppelin and Don Ho. That’s Taimane.

She calls it playing with Aloha. We call it Welcome to PestWorld.

Opening General Session with Dewitt Jones


Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences
Where do we find the vision to take our lives to the next level? How do we summon the passion to keep "raising the bar"? How can we make our life less of a struggle and more of a joy? For photographer and creativity expert, Dewitt Jones, the answers to these questions lie in the images we hold about ourselves, our future and the way in which we grow. During this session, PestWorld 2010 attendees will get a glimpse into the artistic world of Dewitt Jones and not only find answers to these questions but also learn how to summon the passion to keep "raising the bar."

Friday General Session with Colonel Mark Tillman


Sponsored by BASF
During Friday's General Session, the audience will hear from Colonel Mark Tillman who served as commander and pilot of Air Force One from 2001 until 2009. Most notably, he protected the President and his staff the day of September 11, 2001 by providing two urgent needs for the President — complete safety and constant connection to the nation's first responders. After 49 foreign trips to 75 countries during his career, Colonel Tillman has many thought-provoking and riveting stories to tell and will inspire his audience to adopt his personal mantra — zero failure doesn't just happen ... successful leaders make it happen.