Hospitality and hygiene on agenda for PestAware Summit

Protecting reputation, compliance and trust are at the top of the agenda at an all-new event designed to help professionals understand emerging pest threats and take a proactive approach to tackling them.

The PestAware Summit 2027, hosted by British Pest Control Association (BPCA), brings together for the first time, professionals, stakeholders and decision-makers for focused discussions around the practical challenges posed by pests.

With four separate conference programmes comprising expert talks and case studies, along with an exhibition, live debates and networking, the summit has a dedicated Hospitality and Hygiene stream, designed for professionals working in cleaning, facilities management, hospitality, hygiene, accommodations and venues.

Rosina Robson is Chief Executive at BPCA. She said: “The PestAware Summit brings together the professionals who are responsible for protecting people, places, products, premises and the environment from pest risk.

“Pest management is a cornerstone of brand protection and customer satisfaction.

“In customer-facing businesses, pest issues can escalate quickly. A single sighting can become a complaint, a failed inspection, a social media story or closure risk.

“This conference stream will focus on pest awareness for staff teams, staying ahead of bed bugs, emerging risks in hospitality and stewardship in reducing reliance on chemicals.

“Pest risk is not a small operational problem – it is a national resilience issue.”

An independent report commissioned by BPCA, found that pest management firms are estimated to have attended more than 4.4 million client jobs in 2025 – more than 12,000 every day, across homes, high streets, hospitals, schools, warehouses, farms and transport hubs in every region of the United Kingdom.

The No Small Matter report found that 15 per cent of client jobs are in food services, six per cent in short-term accommodation and four per cent in entertainment venues.

It also outlined the legal, financial and reputational consequences that businesses can face without professional pest management.

Robson added: “The summit is open to anyone with responsibility for protecting reputation, compliance and trust.

“It offers an opportunity to understand how pest management, including prevention and proofing, can help avoid pest problems before they become customer, compliance or reputation risks.”

PestAware Summit 2027 takes place at East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, on Wednesday 17 March 2027. Tickets are available at an early bird price of £149 until 1 October 2026 at: bpca.org.uk/summit using discount code EARLYBIRD.