Pest Management Professional, November 2011
news views My PestWorld Experience Will Nepper Managing Editor W hat could be better than two personal firsts in one week Not only had I never been to New Orleans but October also marked my inaugural NPMA PestWorld experience I try not to dwell too long on the fact that I missed a trip to Hawaii by one year but The Big Easy is a sizable experience to soak up to say the least But this was not a vacation even if it sometimes felt like it This was the annual gathering of some of the biggest names companies and experts in the pest management industry Ive been with Pest Management Professional PMP since May which means most of the communicating Ive done with our contributors and expert columnists has been via email and telephone In case you werent aware every issue of PMP is a group effort constructed from multiple locations and not just from the Cleveland office where I sit writing this It was a thrill and sometimes a little humbling to be in the presence of folks Ive admired worked with and talked to throughout the past year Some of them I felt I already knew very well which made face to face time a delight I was especially happy to meet some of the people who provided me with my first published interviews in the magazine As a writer it was exciting to be able to thank and shake the hands of many of the subjects of interviews for my first PMP features But best of all I also had the pleasure of getting to meet readers like you Having never attended PestWorld I was immediately struck by the energy in the convention hall I already knew pest management is a unique profession in many ways From business owners to vendors to entomologists to the pros on the front line taking the battle to the bugs there is a vibe in the pest world that I believe is exceptional That vibe is camaraderie I felt it during PMPs Hall of Fame induction ceremony I felt it in the educational seminars I felt it in the lobby of the convention center and even on the exhibition floor where countless companies share space with their competitors It didnt take me long to realize that pest management is an industry that thrives on shared knowledge mutual respect mentorship and friendly competition We were all in New Orleans that week on business but rubbing elbows with the pros made the experience a trip to file under business and pleasure For cryin out loud I got to take a riverboat cruise with Dr Austin Frishman The Austin Frishman How cool is that Ill go back to New Orleans some day to see even more of what the great city has to offer but Ill always have fond memories of my first trip the connections I made the people I met and of course the food Oh how I crave more New Orleans cooking We were all in New Orleans that week on business but rubbing elbows with the pros made the experience a trip to file under business and pleasure 14 November 2011 Pest Management Professional mypmp net
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