UPFDA Spring Conference

Agenda

UPFDA is putting the final details on the exciting agenda and will post full itinerary, education program and social events very soon. Until then, here is a tentative outline of our programming:

Tuesday, April 21

2:00 PM               UPFDA Board Meeting

5:00 PM               Welcome Reception

Wednesday, April 22

8:00 AM               Registration and Breakfast

8:30 AM               Conference Welcome – UPFDA President Patrick Lynch

8:40  AM              Pest Control:  Vital?  Versatile?  Volatile? - Steve Good, Good Strategies, LLC
UPFDA welcomes Steve Good back to the podium.  Steve Good, a 35-year C-suite veteran and president of Good Strategies, LLC, will deliver the keynote address. The North American structural pest management market has always been touted as remarkably stable, recession-proof, and extremely "cash flow" profitable.  However, the landscape has dramatically changed due to its economic construct, service offerings diversity, and technology evolution.  Good will provide perspective, provocation, and prognostication as to the category’s short- and mid-term health. 

9:35 AM               NPMA Update and New Member Outreach Campaign

9:50 AM            Navigating the Shifting Regulatory Landscape - Heather Alonso, BCE, Target Specialty Products

Pesticide regulations are changing fast—and the impact on manufacturers and distributors is real. This session breaks down the latest federal and state updates, including chemistry restrictions, reporting requirements, and changes to applicator licensing and continuing education.

10:30 AM            Break 

10:45 AM           Supplying Stewards of Public Health: Pest control distributors share their and PMPs’ top growth obstacles & opportunities  – Moderated by Marty Whitford – Panelists - Andy Linares, Bug Off, and  Brent Bunch, BWI
Distributors sit at the intersection of manufacturers and pest management professionals, giving them a unique, real-time view of the industry’s biggest challenges and opportunities. In this candid panel, leading distributors share insights on consolidation, tariffs, labor, training, fuel costs, and inflation—along with practical strategies to protect margins and drive growth. Expect real-world lessons, actionable ideas, and a few personal stories from those helping power the industry every day.

11:30 AM            How Smart Leaders Can Use AI to Make Better Decisions - Ed Gandia, edgandia.com
Leaders today are dealing with more information, more noise, and more pressure to make good calls
quickly. This session shows how AI can help them cut through that noise, spot patterns, and make
smarter decisions across sales, operations, and everyday management. Attendees will learn where AI
can sharpen judgment, where it can mislead, and how to use it in ways that truly help the business. The
goal is better thinking, clearer decisions, and fewer missed opportunities.

12:20 PM            Lunch

1:00 PM               The Winning Partnership in the Age of AI: Building a Connected Future for Pest Management – AJ Treleven, ACE, Sprague Pest Control
This session explores the future of pest management from the perspective of a modern PMP and how AI, data, and technology are reshaping our industry. As expectations evolve, success will depend on deeper, more strategic partnerships between pest management professionals and their suppliers.

2:00 PM               Adjourn

2:30 – 4:30 PM  Volunteer Opportunity with P.E.S.T. Relief International 

We hope you will consider joining your UPFDA colleagues in supporting the REST Initiative to be an active part of the UPFDA Charitable Partner Program.

We will go as a group to our sites. Please plan to dress for the work we are doing. Indicate your participation on the conference registration form.

We are excited to bring comfort and relief to those in the downtown Charleston area.  For our REST Initiative, we will be serving the Star Gospel Mission and One80 Place.  Star Gospel Mission is the oldest non-profit organization in Charleston, operating since 1904.  Each year, donors and volunteers help serve hundreds of men facing homelessness, and several hundred Lowcountry families needing assistance with utilities, food, and other urgent household needs.
In addition, the mission of One80 Place is to end and prevent homelessness. We will be providing mattress encasements and pillow encasements for the Men’s Lodge, Greenhouse apartment complex, and the Morning Light program for moms and children at the Star Gospel Mission, and essential kits for both shelters.

Our service project will include cleaning the mattresses in the Greenhouse and installing mattress encasements on their beds. Secondly, we will be cleaning the apartments in the Greenhouse facility and preparing for Spring.  At this time, we plan to install Climb Ups for the beds in all of the facilities.  We will also have a team that will assemble 125 essential kits for both the Star Gospel Mission and One80 Place for emergency intake residents. 

6:30– 9:00 PM  Sunset Tour Aboard the Charleston Schooner Pride

Watch a gorgeous Charleston sunset while enjoying this two-hour sail aboard the Schooner Pride. Sit back and relax on deck while the sun drops slowly towards the horizon, illuminating the countless steeples of the Holy City. Discover the tranquility of cruising the historic Charleston Harbor on a genuine tall ship, powered only by the wind in our sails.

The Schooner Pride is an 84-foot, three-mast schooner modeled after the classic coastal trading schooners. She is an authentic tall ship and possesses all the character and class of a ship designed during the great days of sail. Join your UPFDA friends for dinner, drinks and a lovely sail! This event is included in your UPFDA Spring Conference Registration.

Registration

Registration for the UPFDA Spring Conference is coming soon! We are happy to be able to match last year's registration rates. We are also glad to offer the same fee for perspective members! 

Spring Conference Registration Tickets: Include conference programing on both April 21 and April 22, Welcome Reception on April 21, Breakfast, Lunch, and Evening Social Event on April 22. 

All registrants and guests are welcome to join in on volunteering activity to support P.E.S.T. Relief International on Wednesday, April 22nd from 2:30 - 4:30 pm.

Click to Register

Hotel

The UPFDA Spring Conference will be held at the:

Charleston Marriot Hotel

170 Lockwood Blvd., Charleston, SC 29403

A block of rooms have been set aside for the UPFDA Spring Conference.
Attendees will enjoy a discounted rate of $272 through March 31st, or until our room block is filled.
If you'd like to come in early, or stay longer, our discounted rate is available from April 17 - April 26, based on availability.

Please use the reservation link to make your hotel reservations. Reservation cut-off date is March 31, 2026.

Charleston Marriot Hotel Booking Link

Sponsors

UPFDA counts on the generosity of our sponsors to create top-notch conference experience for everyone. Thank you for considering a sponsorship as a way to support UPFDA.

Sponsorships Available - all sponsorships include 1 conference registration

Sponsorships are available only to UPFDA members. If you are not sure of the status of your membership, please email UPFDAoffice@gmail.com.

• Conference sponsor - $2,500 (3 available) As a title sponsor, you will be invited to provide short remarks at the opening. One conference registration included.

• Welcome Reception Sponsor - $2,000 (2 available) This is the initial fun at the Spring Conference. Always a popular event that starts our conference ball rolling! One conference registration included.

• Breakfast Sponsor - $1,500 (1 available) One conference registration included.

• Luncheon Sponsor - $1,500 (2 available) Our conference programming continues into the early afternoon on Wednesday, so lunch is a great break that provides connection and sustenance as we continue the conference. One conference registration included.

• Volunteer Opportunity Sponsor - $1500 (1 available) Added in 2026, in cooperation with our charitable partner, P.E.S.T. Relief International, UPFDA will host a volunteer opportunity with a local shelter. This sponsorship will provide funding for materials, transportation and refreshments. One conference registration included.

• Wednesday Evening Social Event Sponsor - $2,000 (2 available) One conference registration included.