The 2026 AWPMA Networking Breakfast brought people from across the pest management industry together for a memorable morning of culture, recognition, honest conversation and an extraordinary keynote from Monique Bradley.
By Sarah Cutting
There is something special about beginning a busy conference day by slowing down, sharing breakfast and properly connecting with the people around you.
Held during the FAOPMA Pest Summit, the 2026 AWPMA Networking Breakfast created a welcoming space for people from different businesses, roles, countries and stages of their careers to meet, share experiences and strengthen professional relationships.
Although hosted by the Australian Women’s Pest Management Association, the breakfast is an inclusive event for the whole pest management industry. It is not only about bringing people into the same room. It is about creating the conditions for genuine conversation, collaboration, mentoring and support to grow.
The morning began with a cultural welcome through dance and song from the Turongo Collective. It was a powerful and fitting opening that set the tone for a program centred on identity, connection and the stories that bring people together.
Dominique Stumpf then spoke about Women in Pest, contributing an important industry perspective and reinforcing the value of connection and support across professional communities.
David Arnold also addressed the room on behalf of event sponsor Envu, speaking about synergy, support and working together across the industry.
David and the Envu team have been some of AWPMA’s greatest cheerleaders. Their support extends well beyond event sponsorship. They consistently encourage our work, celebrate the people involved and help us create meaningful opportunities for the industry to come together. We are incredibly grateful to have them in our corner.
Recognising an outstanding contribution
Another special moment was the presentation of Honorary Life Membership of the Pest Management Association of New Zealand to Viv Van Dyk by Gerwyn Jones.
The recognition acknowledged Viv’s outstanding contribution to the New Zealand pest management industry and was warmly celebrated by colleagues from across Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
It was wonderful to see Viv’s contribution recognised in such a meaningful way and in front of so many people who understand the value of long-term service to the industry.
The power of storytelling
The centrepiece of the morning was keynote speaker Monique Bradley and her presentation, The Power of Storytelling.
Monique was incredible.
From the moment she began, she showed exactly why storytelling is one of the most powerful, yet often underused, tools available to leaders, business owners, salespeople and speakers.
Her keynote explored how a single story can change a life, save a life, make a sale, hold someone back or accelerate them towards extraordinary success.
Monique began with the importance of understanding our whakapapa, our lineage, history and the people and experiences that shaped us. Before we can confidently tell our story to the world, we need to understand where it began.
That message felt particularly meaningful in a room filled with people whose pathways into pest management have been anything but identical.
Some were raised in family businesses. Some entered the industry through technical, administrative or operational roles. Others found pest management through opportunities they may never have expected. Every person in the room carried a different story, and every one of those stories had value.
Monique also spoke about stories as bridges of connection.
People do not connect with information alone. They connect with meaning, emotion and shared experience. Every presentation, sales conversation or leadership moment that genuinely lands often does so because a story has built a bridge between people.
That lesson applies across almost every part of pest management. It influences how we educate customers, lead teams, train technicians, communicate safety messages, build trust and encourage the next generation of industry professionals.
Monique did not simply speak from the stage. She invited people in.
Audience members were encouraged to reflect on and share their “why”, creating moments that were personal, honest and deeply engaging. The room was not simply listening to a keynote. People were participating in it.
Perhaps one of the most powerful parts of the presentation was Monique’s exploration of the stories we tell ourselves.
A belief is a story repeated over and over again. The beliefs we carry about what we are capable of, what we are worth and what opportunities are available to us often began somewhere much earlier.
Some of those stories help move us forward. Others quietly limit us.
Recognising them gives us the opportunity to question them and, where necessary, rewrite them.
Monique concluded by asking us to consider legacy.
What do we want people to say about us when we are not in the room?
The choices we make, the way we treat people and the contribution we make today are already becoming the story others will tell about us tomorrow.
Her presentation was personal, practical, warm and genuinely thought-provoking. Most importantly, it gave everyone in the room something to carry with them long after breakfast had finished.
Proudly brought together
Kuyan Rider and I were incredibly proud to organise this year’s Networking Breakfast.
Bringing together a program that celebrated culture, contribution, connection and storytelling took plenty of work behind the scenes, but seeing the room come together made it all worthwhile.
The event reflected what AWPMA aims to create within the industry: a welcoming professional community where people can connect openly, recognise each other’s contribution and lift one another up.
We sincerely thank David Arnold and the Envu team for their generous support and continued belief in AWPMA.
We also thank Monique Bradley, Dominique Stumpf, the Turongo Collective, Gerwyn Jones, Viv Van Dyk and everyone who contributed to the morning’s program.
Most of all, thank you to every person who joined us for breakfast, participated so openly and helped create such a warm and memorable event.
Monique reminded us that our stories matter.
By understanding them, sharing them and sometimes rewriting them, we can build stronger relationships, challenge limiting beliefs and leave a legacy that genuinely reflects who we are.
