The end of September has seen another AEPMA Conference completed. And what a conference it was! 2018 saw record attendance numbers and it was wonderful to see so many familiar, as well as so many new faces come together to learn more about each other and the Industry.
Our theme for AEPMA Conference 2018, was Pest Management in a Changing Market and accordingly, much of the conference program and our selection of keynote speakers, really highlighted and addressed the changes that are increasingly prevalent and impacting on our Industry. Not only are there new innovations driving the Australian pest management industry, but change management and how we service our clients and the broader public is also receiving greater attention. Particularly well attended was also our Diversity in Pest Management session, which included a very knowledgeable and experienced panel of experts, as did the session on Digital Marketing and Social Media, which has become such an important part of how we interact with our customers and generate new business.
The AEPMA Codes of Practice were also a very prominent feature at the conference, and for good reason. In a landmark decision, the Australian Competition Consumer Commission for the first time ever registered an accredited an industry codes of practice, namely the Code of Best Practice for Termite Management and the Code of Best Practice for Termite Management During Construction. The codes of practice, opens a new world of doing business in termite control and management and the sessions explored those opportunities as well as highlighted the importance and relevance of codes of practice. We also announced that the new Code of Best Practice for Rodent Control would soon be released and available to the industry. Watch this space.
On behalf of the AEPMA Board, I would like to officially thank once more all of our major sponsors:
- Agserv
- BASF
- Bayer
- Ensystex
- FMC
- Globe Pest Solutions
- Syngenta
and exhibitors, that helped make the 2018 Conference the tremendous success that it was. Special thanks must also go to our Keynote Speakers, whose knowledge and expertise were, and will continue to be, of great value to us all. Finally, a huge thank you to everyone that attended the conference – your participation and investment in our Industry does not go unnoticed and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Vasili Tsoutouras
AEPMA President