Pest Control Technicians' School
Hundreds of North Carolina’s pest management professionals gather for the North Carolina Pest Management Association’s Pest Control Technicians’ (PCT) School each year. The event is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.
The four-day conference includes sessions and classes about the latest in pest management techniques. In addition, the NCPMA offers training and renewal classes for its Wood-Destroying Insects Report (WDIR) Accreditation program, awards the annual Technician of the Year Awards and inducts new members to its Hall of Fame.
The 2026 PCT School will be held Jan. 26-29, 2026, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center in Durham.
Please note that all individuals with Member Companies must be linked to the Member Company record in the database to show member pricing. Please reach out to info@ncpestmanagement.org if you experience any issues registering. We are here to help!
Registration
Registration for the 2026 PCT School is now open.
PCT Registration Price
| Early Bird Registration (through 11/19/25) | Regular Registration (11/20 - 12/20/25) |
Late Registration (12/21/25 - 1/13/26) |
On-Site Registration |
|
| NCPMA Member | $180 | $220 | $252 | $262 |
| Non-Member | $440 | $485 | $495 |
Structural Pest Control Certification Course
| Early Bird Registration (through 11/19/25) | Regular Registration (11/20 - 12/20/25) |
Late Registration (12/21/25 - 1/13/26) |
On-Site Registration |
|
| NCPMA Member | $220 | $260 | $270 | |
| Non-Member | $420 | $460 | $470 |
WDIR Accredited Training Course
| Registration | |
| NCPMA Member | $305 |
| Non-Member | $510 |
President’s Reception
| Registration (through 1/25/2026) |
On-Site Registration |
| Included with General Program or Certification Program Registration | $65 |
NCSU Hands-On Training for Technicians/Spray School
| Early Bird Registration (through 11/19/25) |
Regular Registration (11/20 - 1/13/26) |
On-Site Registration |
|
| NCPMA Member | $99 | $120 | $150 |
| Non-Member | $169 | $190 | $220 |
Hotel
The 2026 PCT School will again be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center in Durham. The NCPMA Room Block at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center has SOLD OUT, but rooms are available at the nearby SpringHill Suites. Please click below to secure your room at the SpringHill Suites.
Hotel Address:
Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center
4700 Emperor Blvd I-40 #282
Durham, NC 27703
SpringHill Suites Raleigh-Durham/Research Triangle Park
920 Slater Road
Durham, NC 27703
Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center
Sponsorships & Exhibitors
If you are interested in securing a booth, please email Amy Ball at aball@firstpointresources.com.
Key Event Details
Event Dates: January 26-28, 2026
Location: Sheraton Imperial, Durham, NC
Exhibitor Move-In: January 26, 2026, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Move-Out: January 28, 2026, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
President’s Reception (for attendees and vendors): January 27, 2026
Early Order Discount Deadline: January 6, 2026
Advance Warehouse Shipping Deadline: January 14, 2026
Show-Site Shipping Start Date: January 26, 2026
Standard Booth Size: 8’x10’; Double Booth Size: 10’x20’
Services Provided by Southern Exhibition Services (SES)
Booth Equipment: Includes an 8' high black backdrop, 3' high black side drapes, table and chairs.
Available Rentals: Tables, chairs, stools, wastebaskets, stanchions, and other display equipment. Discounts (20%) are available for orders placed with full payment by January 6, 2026.
Labor Services: Installation/dismantle labor can be scheduled. Rates vary by time:
- Standard: $77.50/hour
- Overtime: $116.25/hour
- Double Time: $155/hour
- Additional surcharge for "Will-Call" services
Freight Handling and Storage:
- Advance Warehouse Deadline: Shipments accepted January 6-17, 2026.
- Storage fees apply for early/late arrivals or shipments exceeding 3 days post-show.
Important Policies
Payment:
- Full payment is required for services before delivery.
- Credit card on file is mandatory for additional charges.
- Tax-exempt companies must provide certification.
- When you e-mail SES your forms, please let them know you’d like to pay via phone or you’d like them to send you a link to pay. They don’t have an online registration system built and we want your card information to stay as safe as possible.
Cancellations: Rental cancellations after move-in begin will be refunded at 50%.
Material Handling Liability: SES limits liability for damage or loss. Exhibitors are urged to secure all-risk insurance.
Own Labor/Equipment: Exhibitors can use their own labor or equipment but must provide proof of insurance 30 days in advance.
Shipping Details
Advance Shipping: Address to SES warehouse in Roxboro, NC. Deadline: January 14, 2026.
Show-Site Shipping: Address to the Sheraton Imperial. Deliveries only after January 26, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
Freight Rates: Based on weight and handling type (crated, uncrated, special handling). Example: Crated freight starts at $82.00 per 100 lbs (CWT) for advance shipments.
Contact Information
Southern Exhibition Services (SES)
Phone: (800) 882-7469
Email: Orders@SES.COOL
Event Program
Click here to download the latest 2026 PCT School Schedule
Below is the schedule for the 2026 Pest Control Technician's School.
Monday, January 26
WDIR ACCREDITATION COURSE (AUDITORIUM)
Presenters: Billy Tesh, Pest Management Systems, Inc. / Crawlspace Depot and Marty Roberts, Rid-A-Bug Exterminating
Sponsor: Grattan Pest Solutions, Inc.
8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration
9:00 am - 12:00 pm WDIR Morning Sessions
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm WDIR Afternoon Session & Test
KARAOKE FUNDRAISER (EMPIRE BALLROOM)
Sponsors: Marsh McLennan and Crawlspace Depot
9:00 pm - 12:00 am Melodies that Matter Karaoke Fundraiser
Tuesday, January 27
STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL CORE COURSE (AUDITORIUM)
Presenters: NCSU’s Patricia Alder and Chris Hayes
Sponsor: FRAL-U.S.A.
The NCPMA Pesticide Certification Training Program is a two-day course led by North Carolina State University entomology experts. It prepares pest management technicians for the Structural Pest Control Certification Exam, covering core training, certification manual topics, and pest management regulations.
**Study Materials: Must be obtained and reviewed in advance; not provided during the course. NCPMA offers the Pesticide Certification Training Program during its annual Pest Control Technician’s School.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Core Program
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm BBQ Lunch (EXHIBIT HALL)
Sponsors: WP Supply, PestWest and Nature-Cide
1:00 pm - 5:30 pm Core Program
BUSINESS SESSIONS (EMPIRE BALLROOM)
Time: 9:00 am - 9:50 am
Topic: Why Don’t They…?
Speaker: Kevin Lemasters, Action Leadership
Sponsor: BASF
Time: 10:00 am - 10:50 am
Topic: Why Your Customers Can’t Find You in Your Own Backyard"
Speaker: Chad Treadway, Cube Creative
Sponsor: AprilAire
EXHIBIT HALL OPEN
11:00 am - 1:00 pm Exhibits Open
LUNCH
12:00pm - 1:00 pm BBQ Lunch (EXHIBIT HALL)
Sponsors: WP Supply, PestWest and Nature-Cide
NCPMA’S GENERAL PROGRAM (EMPIRE BALLROOM)
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm
Topic: Keynote Speech: Developing Leaders Within Your Organization
Speaker: David Billingsly, The Billingsly Group
Sponsor: Forshaw
Time: 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Topic: NCPMA General Membership Meeting
Time: 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm
Topic: NC State Extension Director Address
Speaker: Extension Director & Associate Dean David Monks, NCSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Time: 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Topic: NC State Department Head Address
Speaker: Dr. Carolyn Young, Entomology & Plant Pathology Department Head
Time: 3:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Topic: NCSU Urban Program Update
Speaker: Dr. Coby Schal, NCSU
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:20 pm
Topic: P-Phase & W-Phase Updates
Speaker: Dr. Chris Hayes, NCSU
P-Phase speaker: Kaylin Lewandowski, Reiskind Lab, NC State University
W-Phase speaker: Regan Daniels, Hayes Lab, NC State University
PRESIDENT'S RECEPTION (EXHIBIT HALL)
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm President’s Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Sponsors: Your Crawlspace, Corteva Agriscience and Neogen
Wednesday, January 28
BREAKFAST
7 am - 8 am (IMPERIAL BALLROOM)
Sponsor: Control Solutions Inc.
STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL CORE COURSE (AUDITORIUM)
- 8:00 am - 12:00 pm P-Phase Certification Training
- 12:00pm - 1:00 pm Lunch (EXHIBIT HALL)
Sponsors: Cube Creative and CoalMarch Marketing - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm W-Phase Certification Training
- 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm F-Phase Certification Training
PEST PHASE SESSIONS (MORNING: EMPIRE BALLROOM / AFTERNOON: IMPERIAL BALLROOM)
Time: 8 - 8:50 am & 1 - 1:50 pm
Topic: Canceling Callbacks-Cockroach Best Practices
Speaker: Dr. Tim Husen, Syngenta
Sponsor: Syngenta
Time: 9 - 9:50 am & 2 - 2:50 pm
Topic: Out for blood, Winning the Bed Bug Battle
Speaker: Dr. Janis Reed, Control Solutions Inc.
Sponsor: Control Solutions Inc.
Time: 10 - 10:50 am & 3 - 3:50 pm
Topic: Rats, Regulations, and Rumbles: Dispatches from the California Frontline
Speaker: Dr. Niamh Quinn, UCANR
Sponsor: Bell Laboratories, Inc.
Time: 11 - 11:50 am & 4 - 4:50 pm
Topic: Pest Management Professional: Protectors of Public Health
Speaker: Dr. Mike Bentley, National Pest Management Association
Sponsor: Veseris
WOOD PHASE SESSIONS (MORNING: IMPERIAL BALLROOM / AFTERNOON: EMPIRE BALLROOM)
Time: 8 - 8:50 am & 1 - 1:50 pm
Topic: How to Address the Boring Pests
Speaker: Dr. Lucas Carnohan, Pest Management Systems, Inc.
Sponsor: Target Specialty Products
Time: 9 - 9:50 am & 2 - 2:50 pm
Topic: Formosan Subterranean Termite Biology, Distribution and Control
Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cottone, New Orleans Termite Rodents and Mosquito Control Board
Sponsor: ENVU
Time: 10 - 10:50 am & 3 - 3:50 pm
Topic: Carpenter Ant Identification and Control
Speaker: Dr. Tommy Powell, MGK
Sponsor: Your Crawlspace
Time: 11 - 11:50 am & 4 - 4:50 pm
Topic: The Silent Chewers - Wood Destroying Beetle ID & Management
Speaker: Dr. Chris Hayes, NCSU
Sponsor: Ensystex
FUMIGATION AND TURF & ORNAMENTAL SESSIONS (ROYAL ROOM)
Time: 8 - 8:50 am
Topic: Updates on Fumigation Safety
Speaker: Paul Marwede, Cardinal Professional Products
Sponsor: Cardinal Professional Products
Time: 9 - 9:50 am
Topic: Updates on Fumigation
Speaker: Paul Marwede, Cardinal Professional Products
Sponsor: Cardinal Professional Products
Time: 10 - 10:50 am
Topic: You Pick the Pest: Turfgrass Edition
Speaker: Dr. Terri Billiesen, NCSU
Sponsor: Site One
Time: 11 - 11:50 am
Topic: Identification and Management of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Speaker: Dr. Steven Frank, NCSU
Sponsor: Site One
LUNCH
12 pm - 12:50 pm (EXHIBIT HALL)
Sponsor: Cube Creative and CoalMarch Marketing
WILDLIFE (CROWN ROOM)
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm
Topic: Wildlife
Speaker: Gregg Schumaker
Sponsor: Wildlife Control Supplies
WDIR RECERTIFICATION (CROWN ROOM)
Time: 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm
Topic: WDIR Recertification
Presenter: Billy Tesh, Pest Management Systems, Inc.
Thursday, January 29
STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL CORE COURSE (IMPERIAL BALLROOM)
7:00 am - 12:00 pm NC State Certification Exam
Presented by Don Daley
HANDS ON PROGRAM (CROWN ROOM)
Sponsor: Stephenson Pest Control, Rid-A-Bug Exterminating, and Hugh Kendoit Emporium
Time: 8:30 am - 10:00 am
Topic: Wildlife and Rodent Exclusion: Raising the Industry Standard
Speaker: Chris Hunnicutt, City Wide Exterminating
Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Topic: Mosquito Basics and Beyond: Ecology, Behavior, and Environmentally Sound Management Tools
Speaker: Dr. Alvaro Romero, ENVU
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch on your own
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Topic: Equipment Calibrations
Speaker: Patricia Alder, NCSU
