IMAGE: NATIONAL PEST MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the premiere sponsor of the Academy, Corteva Agriscience, have announced the decision to shift this year’s event from a physical to a completely virtual platform.

“After polling our past participants on their thoughts, it was clear that we had to proceed with hosting Academy 2020 in some format,” NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf, CMP, CAE, said in a news release. “Academy has always been an important event where industry connections are made and leadership skills are gained, and we are excited to deliver the same experience virtually this year.”

NPMA’s Leadership Networking Community (LNC), the group that hosts Academy, has a mission to cultivate professional development and networking opportunities throughout the year.

“With the online format this year, we are able to have flexible registration options so attendees can choose how they want to experience this event,” Aric Schroeder, general manager and VP of national accounts for Copesan, and LNC Chair, said in the news release. “Participants will have the option to be placed on a team, similar to the original face-to-face format, or they can sign up a la carte for specific sessions that appeal to them and fit their schedules.”

According to the release, Academy 2020 will take place virtually beginning in mid-July and run every other week through early October. Each session will be approximately 90 minutes long, and will include a variety of keynote presentations, interactive team building tasks, and Learning Lab breakouts focused on business management. From Oct. 13-16, Academy participants will be encouraged to join in-person for PestWorld 2020 in Nashville, Tenn., where the Academy champions will be celebrated and an exclusive Academy meet-up will take place facilitating continued engagement and networking.

More information and registration can be found at Academy.npmapestworld.org, which will also be updated regularly.