Contact: Scot Haislip
State & Local Policy Manager, NAA
scot@naahq.org
Arlington, VA, July 21, 2009 - The National Apartment Association (NAA), the New Jersey Apartment Association (NJAA) and the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association (WMFHA) have joined forces with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials, the New Jersey Hotel & Lodging Association, and the Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association to present two National Bed Bug Symposiums.
With the ongoing national conversation about the resurgence of bed bugs – and with U.S. Representative G.K. Butterfield’s (D-NC) proposed federal legislation to help state and local officials combat these pests – these upcoming symposiums will help attendees to better understand these pests as well as address the public and legal issues related to bed bugs.
The first symposium will be held in Newark, N.J. on August 25, 2009, followed by Seattle, Wash. on August 27, 2009.
Bed bug infestations are on the rise in all 50 states. According to industry research, pest management companies have reported a 71 percent increase in bed bug calls since 2001 and annual sales from this pest have increased by more than 30 percent in 2008 over the year prior. Further, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently held a National Bed Bug Summit in Washington, D.C. to discuss the burgeoning issues associated with bed bug infestations for homeowners as well as for hotels, college dormitories, multifamily housing and more.
These Symposiums are a proactive next step in helping to address the intense concerns that hoteliers, property/maintenance managers and multifamily housing complex owners have expressed over the resurgence of bed bugs. They will serve to provide necessary education regarding these elusive pests and offer critical advice and resources on how to properly eradicate bed bug infestations. From identifying bed bugs and inspection techniques to public affairs and legal ramifications, the Symposiums will provide tips— both preventative and corrective— to help attendees make informed decisions while protecting their customers and establishments.
Hoteliers, public health and public housing employees, property managers and owners, college dormitory supervisors, cruise ship administrators, furniture rental facilities, hospital administrators and anyone working with housing the general public are urged to attend. Beyond the educational component of the Symposiums, these events will also feature a Marketplace, which will offer attendees the opportunity to learn more about the products and services available to prevent and eradicate infestations.
Due of the sensitivity of this issue, attendees will also be provided opportunities to ask questions of the expert instructors anonymously and meet with trained professionals to address site-specific questions in a confidential fashion.
For more information about the National Bed Bug Symposiums, including educational program and registration information, visit www.naahq.org/events/bedbugs, or call NPMA at (800) 678-6722.
For more information regarding the bed bugs issue as it pertains to the multifamily housing industry, please contact Scot Haislip at scot@naahq.org.
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The National Apartment Association (NAA) is America’s leading advocate for quality rental housing. Based in Arlington, Va., NAA’s mission is to serve the interests of multifamily housing owners, managers, developers and suppliers and maintain a high level of professionalism in the multifamily housing industry to better serve the rental housing needs of the public.
The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 6,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry’s commitment to the protection of public health, food and property.