As the nights draw-in our attention turns to the autumn exhibition season

Here’s hoping all our readers had a good summer break, but now thoughts are switching to the impending invasion of rodents seeking their warmer winter quarters and all those conferences and exhibitions just around the corner.

New home – new look. PestTech 2017 Without doubt, the prime autumn event in the UK will be PestTech 2017. This event is billed by the organisers – the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) – as the largest one-day pest control event in Europe – as was witnesed last year. But this year it’s all change. Not only will PestTech be held one week later than usual on 15 November, it has moved home to the Ricoh Arena. Geographically not a big shift, but style-wise it promises to be very different with all stands accommodated in one large area exhibition area – more akin to a PestEx event than its former very friendly but slightly haphazard and spread out gathering. Running alongside the exhibition will be the usual seminar programme – as last year. The final touches are still being made to this year’s programe, but NPTA has revealed a few ‘juicy’ topics to be discussed – none more so than a cookery demonstration on preparing pests, squirrels and rabbits for example, for the table. Yum yum – who’s staying for the Pest Control News dinner?

The bright, modern new venue for PestTech, the Ricoh Arena, Coventry

More main stream topics to be addressed include invasive species, emerging pests, the NPTA Accreditation Scheme and Alliance Stewardship survey results.

Unlike previous PestTech events, this year at least, there will be no practical outside demonstrations. Shame.

Car parking at the Ricoh Arena is free of charge and anyone planning on attending can register now so avoiding the registration queues.

Pest will be pre-viewing the event in the next edition of Pest magazine, due out late October, as well as attending the event itself to provide readers with a full report.

Spread your wings…
Although practical pest controllers need travel no further than Coventry to catch-up on what’s new in the UK, you should consider spreading your wings, dusting down your passport and attending one of the many events overseas. You would be surprised how many familiar faces you will recognise and learning how other pest professionals tackle what are often familiar problems, is rewarding.

First on the international calendar is Parasitec
This two-day event is organised by PC Media, the publishers of the French professional pest control magazine, N&Pi. Parasitec is held one year in Paris and then the alternate year elsewhere. In 2017 Parasitec is returning to Istanbul, Turkey and is to be held on 28 & 29 September at the WOW Convention Center.

If you don’t fancy Turkey, the 2018 event will return to Paris.

Jet off to the USA – PestWorld
For sheer scale, you cannot beat PestWorld. Organised by the American trade association NPMA, PestWorld is held annually at a different location around the US. This year it’s Baltimore, on the East coast, between 24-27 October.

Without doubt, PestWorld is the largest global pest control event. Each year over 500 international delegates attend, and added to the 2,000+ US delegates, this makes for a lot of people – as Pest reported last year.

The exhibition is likewise jolly large – over 150 stands. European visitors will not only be surprised at how familiar many of the products are, but also how many are unique to the US. As with all events these days, there is a very extensive seminar programme running alongside. After the initial plenary sessions, the technical seminars often run six at the same time, so picking which to go to poses a problem. Pest will be there to report as much as possible!

Home again!
Then don’t forget, if you are exhausted with all these international possibilities, go to PPC Live on 24 March at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire organised by the British Pest Control Association!