The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) kicked off its 2017 Technology Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 28.
The event features educational sessions led by technology experts and pest management professionals (PMPs) with technology experience, presentations by tech savvy business owners, and exhibits showcasing companies that offer technology related products and services.
Day one of the 2017 NPMA Technology Summit featured a lively, hands-on presentation by Beth Z, Your Nerdy Best Friend.
Beth Ziesenis is author of four books about apps and time-saving tech tools. Her latest book, The Big Book of Apps, is now available. Her presentation, “A Day in the Life of a Nerdy Pest Management Professional,” focused on how apps can help you become more efficient and better organized.
Taking attendees through a typical day was a clever way to demonstrate that completing a task on a to-do list is as easy as downloading an app.
Beth Z is an advocate for artificial intelligence, or AI, that makes life easier. For example, she said Astro, an app that helps manage emails, is a great way to help clean up inboxes. Another app called Any.do, is a task manager that sorts through your emails and finds tasks that others can handle for you. The app X.AI is a scheduling tool that uses virtual personal assistants to schedule meeting for you.
After sharing her apps and the reasons why they allow users to work more efficiently, Beth Z asked attendees to gather in groups to share their favorite apps. Attendees didn’t disappoint, as they offered up apps that make their jobs easier as well as provide fun distractions. More than 100 of their favorite apps can be found on a spreadsheet compiled during this fun – and useful — exercise.
Day one ended with a reception held in the exhibit hall. In addition to Platinum Sponsors ServicePro and PestPac, and Gold Sponsor Real Green Systems, and Strategic Partners BASF, Bayer, Dow AgroSciences, FMC and Syngenta, a vendors were on hand to demonstrate their tech-related products and services.
Known as PesTech when first launched in 2001, the event also was held in 2002 and 2015. Alexis Wirtz, CMP, vice president of conventions and meetings for the NPMA, said the organization plans to hold a technology conference every other year in November or December, to meet the needs of PMPs who are taking steps to incorporate the use of more technology into their businesses.
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