Preface
The Bed Bug Global Summit is an American event that gathers Pest Control researchers, vendors, companies, and industry media, all together, to discuss the most recent happenings of the bed bug control industry, over the span of a few days. It went virtual (like many things) in 2020, and the last in-person attendance was 2018 (which we talk about in this brief post).
As many events and conferences around the world have returned to in-person attendance, and with the summit being scheduled for 2022, I think it's an appropriate time to talk about my visits to the Global Bed Bug Summit, specifically the 2018 summit.
Global Bed Bug Summit
Bleeding Edge Bed Bug Tech
The vendors at the conference is where pest management companies usually uncover some new tech in the industry for bed bug control, extermination, and inspection. From vendors with mattress encasement tech to never before seen pesticides that seem promising.
Sometimes the line up features someone that fits just right in to your supply chain as was the case when I came across some mattress encasement manufacturers who have operations in Toronto - and with me having a company that offers bed bug treatment in Toronto, this manufacturer became a convenient supply I could easily reach. Back then you could come across (seeming like a recent start-up) a fungicide on the exhibitor floor. This fungicide four years later has become popular and integratable in to many bed bug extermination routines.
It is nice to see how exhibitors grew and what seemed like an untested product is know being referred to as a "silver-bullet" on an industry forum.
Spotlights & Speakers
The speaker line-up is usually packed with the same usual researchers; bed bug research narrows you down to only a few names. You also get some reps from big companies coming to talk about how they do bed bug control.
What's very interesting though is getting some international perspectives and how bed bug infestations behave in other countries due to cultural differences. Given that Toronto is considered a list-topper for "Bed Bug Cities", I don't recall any Toronto-based speakers, though (I did get to meet some Toronto-based competition).
Researchers Out Of The Lab
As mentioned, some of the attendees are considered top researchers in the area of bed bugs. This is a ripe time for asking questions that may improve your companies' practices and extermination success rate.
Keep in mind that much of their research actually involves them testing various extermination practices AND PRODUCTS! The right question can land you some info on the right gear or chemical to adjust your routine, based on research both released and un-released.
Likewise, you can get the latest prints of publications such as Advances in the Biology and Management of Modern Bed Bugs, which I bought a copy of (published 2018) and talked with one of the editors: Chow-Yang Lee.
Another Round In 2022
The summit seems to be scheduled for November 2022, in-person. Hopefully this article has given you some insight in to the event and what it means when a company tells you they are regular attendees of industry events such as the Global Bed Bug Summit.
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