BC Wood Funding Announced
Bill Downing, CEO

BC Wood is pleased to announce our program funding for fiscal year 2003 – 2004 (April 1st, 2003 to March 31st, 2004). Although our funding was delayed for three months, we are grateful for the continued support of both the provincial and federal governments. The province invests in BC’s secondary wood product industry through Forest Innovation Investment (FII), while the federal government invests through the Canada Wood Export Program (CWEP). The target markets for both FII and CWEP are the European Union, Japan, China, Korea and India. FII also invests in our programs targeted at the United States, and both FII and CWEP will likely invest in marketing activities in Korea once a strategy has been developed. The funding breaks down as follows:

FII	$1,152,645
CWEP	$1,016,678
Total	$2,169,323

BC Wood can only invest this funding in "eligible" activities. These activities include tradeshows, trade missions, buyer’s missions, marketing material, market intelligence, lead generation, and in-market staff and infrastructure. Our funding partners also expect our members to cover BC Wood’s operational costs and contribute a significant amount to our program costs.

BC Wood has an extensive list of performance measures and indicators on which this funding is contingent. The most important measure of performance is sales and BC Wood’s activities must generate a minimum of $16.3 million in incremental sales for our members.

Finally, to put this funding in perspective, it is noteworthy that no other wood products association in Canada receives the level of funding support enjoyed by BC Wood and its members. I believe this is a testament to the quality and commitment of BC Wood’s staff and board of directors, and to the participation, enthusiasm and support of our members. Thank you and let’s work together to continue to move our industry forward.

New BC Wood Japan Market Representative
Mike Jahraus, Managing Director - Asia Pacific

After an extensive search, BC Wood has hired a replacement for Eric DeGroot. Jim Ivanoff comes to BC Wood with strong credentials and a lot of enthusiasm.

Although Jim has lived in Japan for 6 of the past 7 years, he is really a "BC boy." Jim was born and raised in Vancouver, but with his family dispersed throughout the province, from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island, the Cariboo, and the Kootenay’s, he’s familiar with many parts of the province.

Growing up in Vancouver, Jim took an interest in Asian cultures and focused on Japan while studying International Relations and Commerce at UBC. This led Jim to apply to the Japanese Ministry of Education’s JET Programme, allowing him to teach at a junior high school for a year in rural Japan.

However, Jim’s goal was to become conversationally fluent in Japanese and gain experience in the Japanese business world. With this in mind, he took a position as the operation’s manager of a language institute in Nagoya Japan. In the end he not only achieved his goals there, but also met his wife.

Next he decided that he wanted to put his marketing education and experience to use full-time so he accepted a position with a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation that works on Toyota’s marketing projects.

While Jim considers his time with Toyota immensely rewarding, he is really looking forward to supporting the "home team." Jim is now looking forward to quickly moving up the learning curve and building his knowledge of BC Wood member companies, the products they manufacture, and their experiences in the Japanese market. In this regard, Jim is in the similar situation that Eric DeGroot was when he joined BC Wood. However, with his deep understanding of Japanese business and marketing practices, consumer behaviour and cultural preferences, Jim is able to immediately assist BC Wood members to shorten their sales cycle in Japan and maximize their opportunities in this potentially lucrative market.

Jim will be joining BC Wood on August 1st and will be located in the new Canada Wood office in Tokyo, where he will be working side by side with representatives from Canply, COFI, CFLA, SPF group and QWEB. Jim will be coming to BC for the first two weeks of August to visit BC Wood members that are either active or interested in the Japanese market. Please let me know if you would like to meet Jim and discuss opportunities in Japan. Contact Mike Jahraus at mjahraus@bcwood.com.

Press Release from the Ministry of Forests: B.C. Investments Support Wood Product Exports

Vancouver, June 16, 2003 - B.C. is investing $8.6 million in 35 projects to strengthen existing markets for British Columbia forest products and to build new opportunities, Forests Minister Michael de Jong announced today.

"The funding for these projects reflects our New Era commitment to apply 1 per cent of direct stumpage revenues to aggressively market B.C. forest practices and products around the world," said de Jong. "B.C. exports 95 per cent of its forest products to the U.S. and Japan. These markets will continue to be extremely important but the softwood trade dispute and the weak Japanese economy highlight the importance of exploring the potential of new foreign markets."

The projects are public-private partnerships with contributions from industry and the federal government that increase the total value to $20 million.

The province is funding the projects through Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII). Formed in 2002, FII is the B.C. government’s investment mechanism for promoting sustainable forest management in British Columbia and for increasing the value of the forest asset through applied research, product development and international marketing activities.

Among the projects announced today:

• The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association will promote the benefits of cedar in the U.S. over substitute products such as vinyl.
• Forintek Canada Corp. will help B.C. industry improve its competitiveness through technology transfer to support more productive processing methods.
• The Council of Forest Industries will study barriers that restrict exports to South Korea, and work with Chinese officials to finalize building codes to support wood construction.
• The Coast Forest Lumber Association will reposition hemlock in Japan as a superior structural building product under the brand identity of Canada Tsuga.
• The BC Wood Specialties Group will develop and expand niche opportunities for value-added products in the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and India.

These projects complement previous investments, including the $12-million Dream Home China demonstration site, a FII-industry partnership announced by Premier Gordon Campbell in April that will promote B.C. building products and wood-frame construction techniques to the fast-growing Chinese housing market. In March, the Premier launched the $3-million BC Market Outreach Network, dedicated to giving international customers the facts about B.C.’s sustainable forest practices and products.

Last year, through FII, the province invested $16 million in a number of significant accomplishments, including:

• addressing barriers that limit market access such as the need for trades people in China and for wood codes and standards in China, South Korea and Taiwan.
• improved the quality and manufacturing efficiency of B.C. wood products through technology transfer including an improved veneer drying processes that could save the plywood industry $3 million in energy costs and lead to as much as $31 million in additional production each year.

Today’s funding is the result of a competitive call for proposals by FII’s international marketing and product development programs, which are funded by 1 per cent of direct stumpage revenues, not including super stumpage. FII is also responsible for the B.C. government’s investments in applied forest research and forest products and market acceptance advocacy.

How to Mitigate the Risks of Doing Business in China
Mary Quinn, Member Services Marketing Coordinator

BC Wood, in partnership with our Associate Members, has just finished a three-day seminar road trip to Vancouver, Kelowna, and Prince George. The seminar focused on How to Mitigate the Risks of Doing Business in China, with presentations by BC Wood, Export Development Canada, Forestry Innovation Investment, HSBC, A&A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd., and CMHC.

Attendance was great at all three locations with Surrey participants totaling 45, Kelowna 19, and Prince George 13. Evaluations also show that most of the attendees were very satisfied with the information they received. Some of the comments included the following:

"Good presentation, very informative, well done."
"I received the information I was looking for. Very good presentation."
"Based on the information I received from this seminar, I will likely go to more of these."

BC Wood discussed the China Marketing program for industry and introduced all speakers. Based on excellent results last year, BC Wood has developed an exciting program for this year which includes trade missions, tradeshows, lead generation, in-coming buyers missions, in-market seminars and new marketing material and market intelligence on log homes and treated wood.

Export Development Canada discussed the market opportunities in China, challenges of marketing in China, and how EDC can help exporters with export financing. In China, housing is viewed as an investment, and the government is currently urging its people to apply for loans and mortgages in order to finance their homes. Couple this with the fact that the middle class of China is expected to reach over 200 million by the year 2015, and it is easy to see that wood-frame housing is one of the biggest potential opportunities for Canadian wood product manufacturers. As China is a forest deficit country, they are one of the world’s largest importers of timber. This translates into opportunities for BC manufacturers to export timber and building materials for construction, furniture manufacturing as well as opportunities in high-end interior decoration products.

One of the challenges of doing business in China includes obtaining payment. EDC can help with export financing through direct loans, bonding and guarantees, foreign investment insurance, and credit insurance. However, EDC insurance is one of their most interesting and valued products by the forest industry. EDC insurance can protect your cash flow by increasing sales, enhancing working capital financing, enhancing loss mitigation activities, and by providing cost effective provisioning.

Michael Loseth from Forestry Innovation Investment discussed the provincial governments new Dream Home China Project in Shanghai. The project will demonstrate heavy timbers, engineered wood products, interior finishing products, exterior siding, value-added products, cedar and treated products, and other BC related building products.

This three-year project aims to showcase the beauty of wood in finishing applications. Objectives include expanding awareness and demand for wood products, expanding building codes to include wood, broadening the use of wood in hybrid construction, expanding market intelligence and consumer research, and positioning BC and BC companies as market leaders in wood construction and suppliers of world class wood products at competitive costs. For more information on the Dream Home China project, visit their website at www.dreamhomechina.com.

Henry Park from HSBC discussed different forms of payment and financing options, specific issues on China, and tips on how to reduce payment risks. He advised participants on how to secure advance payments or documentary credits, use credit risk insurance, place attention to document details, use a bank to facilitate regular checks, and the reasons to use banks with strong connections in China.

Frauken Dannmeyer from A&A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. focused her presentation on the costs of doing business in China regarding tariffs and shipping. She discussed the export documents that are necessary to export to China. These include:

• B13A export declaration
• Packaging list
• Commercial invoice
• Fumigation certificate
• Certification of kiln dried wood
• Phytosanitary certificate lumber
• Bill of landing
• Letter of credit
• Certificate of origin

A similiar list of documents is required to "import" your products into China. Incoterms, China’s border controls system, and other duty related items were also covered in the presentation.

The last presentation was by Nellie Cheng from CMHC. Nellie discussed some case studies and the challenges and problems manufacturers have had exporting their products to China including international competition, communication gaps, perception of Canadian products, and impression of Canadian companies.

CMHC has learned that the Chinese have a wish list when dealing with imported products. They would like to see new technology, unique products, low prices, famous brands, and large company size. Nellie offered some solutions to these requirements and one of them includes establishing a Canadian brand, as the Chinese already perceive Canadian products as clean and healthy.

The complete speaker presentations are available for you to view in the Members Only section of the BC Wood website under Marketing Programs, China, Presentations.

Member Spotlight: Westwood Industries
Mary Quinn, Member Services Marketing Coordinator

As a custom furniture manufacturing company specializing in hospitality and healthcare furniture, Westwood Industries was a perfect fit for the Hospitality and Design Expo, held this past May in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a member of BC Wood for the last three years, this was the first show they attended with BC Wood, and they are glad that they did.

Bill Jones, Sales and Marketing Manager at Westwood Industries, has nothing but positive comments to say regarding their participation at the show. "It was a great experience attending the show. We learned a lot and had fun. The best part of the show was networking with the other exhibitors and prospective clients."

In the past, Westwood attended the Vancouver Hospitality show, but they found that the HD Expo provided a greater learning experience and was more focused on business. Past exhibitors suggested that it was a great show and that the return on investment would highly outweigh the cost of attending.

Participating in this show with BC Wood helped Westwood see just how valuable their membership is. "In the past we were not quite sure how beneficial our membership was, but this past trade show was an eye opener!" comments Bill. "Being a member of BC Wood has benefited us financially with cost sharing, by gaining insights into new marketplaces, and by organizing special events. We are also very thankful to Dave Farley for all of the help he has given us."

Despite the fact that Westwood did not have much time to prepare for the show, they did fairly well. "It was a quick decision to attend the show. For my next tradeshow, the timeline I would allow myself would probably be 45 days. It takes time to prepare the product and promotional material while dealing with everyday business. On top of that, it takes a considerable amount of time to make the travel reservations" comments Bill.

Westwood found that one of the most difficult things to do before the show was deciding on which furniture styles to display. Luckily, they made the right choices as they had a lot of positive compliments on their products. "The products we displayed were unique and our quality stood out." One response to their display was, "I’m really impressed with both your style and design of construction!" With comments like these, Bill feels like they made a great impression on many exhibitors and prospective clients.

Attending the HD Expo was beneficial to Westwood Industries in more than one way. Not only did they receive good quality leads, they also learned about their industry and competitors. "We learned who our major competitors are, and what our advantages and disadvantages are. We also learned about competing in a world market and what to expect while doing business outside of North America." One of the most useful things Westwood discovered was the design of furniture that fits today’s market, as well as the price range the average consumer is willing to pay, compared to the quality they expect.

Westwood plans to attend the HD Expo again next year, and recommends this show to anyone in the hospitality industry. Bill offers some advice to future show-goers, "Don’t try to rush any show, take your time and prepare. It is also a good idea to visit a show before attending, as this way you’ll have a good idea of what to expect and what to bring to the show."

Future plans for Westwood include attending as many tradeshows as they can. "We feel this is a great way to expose our company to a large amount of possible clientele and help our company become world known."

---

Value Added Industry News

US Housing Starts in May 2003
Builders ramped up the pace at which they started work on new homes and apartments in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.73 million units - up 6.1 percent from the previous month - the US Commerce Department reported. Healthy gains in building permits and rising backlogs of unused permits also bode well for future gains in this singularly well-performing sector of the economy.

Encouraged by strong home buyer demand that is being spurred by low interest rates and solid house-price performance, home builders boosted the pace of single-family housing construction 1.5 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.38 million units. Meanwhile, multifamily starts, which traditionally show significant month-to-month volatility, rose 29.2 percent in May to a 354,000-unit rate. In both sectors, the year-to-date construction total is running above last year's excellent pace.

Single-family permits rose three-tenths of a percent to a rate of 1.34 million units, while multifamily permits rose 15.3 percent to a rate of 452,000 units. The backlog of unused permits rose for the second consecutive month in both components of the market, providing a solid base for starts of new units in June.

Source: NAHB

UK New House-Building Starts for May 2003
Statistics released by NHBC (National House-Building Council) show UK applications to build new homes decreased by 10 per cent in May 2003 when compared with figures for May last year.

In May 2003 15,170 applications to start new homes in the UK were made for the combined public and private sectors, down 10 per cent on the same month in 2002 (16,903). Private sector starts for the month fell to 13,627 showing an 11 per cent decrease on May 2002 (15,340). There were 1,543 UK housing association applications, a one per cent decrease on May of the previous year (1,563).

Source: National House-Building Council

Canadian Housing Starts in May 2003
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 197,900 in May, reflecting robust construction activity in the residential sector, reports Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

While the seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban multiple starts decreased 9.1 per cent to 74,500 units in May 2003 compared with 82,000 units in April, the rate is in line with the average of 76,000 in 2002. Year-to-date actual urban multiple starts having increased 12.5 per cent, remain high compared with the same period in 2002.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban single starts edged down 2.4 per cent to 94,100 units in May from 96,400 the previous month. This was reflected in all regions of the country except Ontario where urban single starts increased 3.1 per cent. In terms of actual starts, urban single starts year-to-date are 5.3 per cent lower than for the same period of 2002. Rural starts in May were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 29,300 units.

See the CMHC website for the full article.

Source: CMHC

Canadian Building Permits April 2003
The value of building permits issued across the country edged up marginally in April, as construction intentions for new housing plunged to a 10-month low and permits for non-residential projects rebounded sharply.

Municipalities issued $3.7 billion in building permits in April, an increase of only 0.5%. Housing permits fell 6.8% to $2.3 billion, while intentions in the non-residential sector increased 14.8% to $1.4 billion, fuelled by permits for institutional projects.

Despite the slight overall increase in April, the cumulative value of permits issued in the first four months of the year reached a record high, thanks to torrid activity in January. From January to April, municipalities issued nearly $15.6 billion in permits, up 4.6% from the same period of 2002.

See the Statistics Canada website for the full article.

Source: Statistics Canada

Home Improvement Market in US Expected to Reach Record High Level in 2003
In the June 2003 HIRI/Global Insight forecast of the size of the home improvement market, the total forecast of U.S. home improvement product sales reflects a slightly higher growth rate in 2003 than previously projected (+3.5% vs. 3.0%). However, the total market size estimate for 2003 has been revised downward from the $206.7 billion forecast made in November 2002 to a revised level of $204.0 billion. This drop is primarily driven by lower U.S. Census Bureau estimates of sales for Building Materials Group stores in 2001 and 2002. The total market size estimate for 2002 was lowered to $197.0 billion from the November 2002 estimate of $200.7 billion.

Click here to view the entire article.

Source: Home Improvement Research Institute

---

21st Annual BC Export Awards

WD, along with several other organizations, sponsors the annual BC Export Awards taking place on November 14, 2003. This is your chance to remember those companies that you have worked with that have demonstrated significant progress or excellence in export performance.

A nomination will provide visibility to both you and to the company you nominate. To nominate a BC company or have them self-nominate, please go to the on-line form at http://www.bcexportawards.com/nominations.htm before July 25, 2003.

The BC Export Awards are open to all British Columbia registered companies, regardless of size, that have been exporting a value-added product or service for three or more years.

Award categories:

Exporter of the year award - sponsored by RBC Financial Group
This is selected from among the winning firms in all the other categories. This award honours the "best of the best" - a company that has excelled in export success and significantly contributed to the BC economy though economic growth in their community, new investment and job creation.

Leadership Award - sponsored by The Eyes Multimedia Productions Inc.
Recognizes an organization or individual known for championing the cause of exporting within their own industry or field of expertise.

Creative Partnering Award - sponsored by Alcan
Recognizes a company or organization that through partnering, has been successful in expanding or penetrating new markets, introducing new products into an export market, or improving a customer's success, to increase export sales.

Marketing Innovation Award - sponsored by Export Development Award
Recognizes a company that has developed and used creative marketing approaches to expand new markets. Companies that qualify will have achieved enhanced market position, increased sales or new market penetration.

Market Sustainability Award - sponsored by the Port of Vancouver
Recognizes a company's proven ability to maintain and develop sale or a long term presence in an export market. Recipients will have demonstrated a commitment to a market over the long term and an ability to develop and sustain sales in a market despite changing business cycles or other unique challenges.

New Exporter Award - sponsored by Western Economic Diversification
Recognizes a company that has made its initial entry into an export market and has achieved notable success. The award will acknowledge a company's ability to overcome obstacles in order to expand its potential markets and grow its business though export.

Sector Leader Awards
Recognizes companies who demonstrate clear export excellence in relation to their peers in the follow sectors:

Professional and Services(BDC)
Consumer Products (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Manufactured Products (KPMG)
Advancing Technologies (UVic)
New Media & Entertainment (CME)

---

Reminder

Just a reminder that Ludger Spohr, BC Wood's European Representative, is located in Brussels, Belgium as of July 1, 2003. His new contact info is as follows:

Canada Wood, Ludger Spohr
Place Stéphanie 12A,
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 - 2 - 512 5051
Fax: +32 - 2 - 502 5402
Email: lspohr@bcwood.com

---

Got Something to Say?

If you have any questions, comments, or would like to contribute to BC Wood News On-line, please contact
Mary Quinn at:

BC Wood
#1-31088 Peardonville Road
Abbotsford, BC
Phone: (604) 556-3373
Fax: (604) 556-3385
Toll Free: 1-877-422-9663
or email mquinn@bcwood.com

Anchorage Alaska Market Intelligence Mission & Tradeshow

BC Wood has exhibit space at Alaska’s largest home and landscaping exposition – the 11th Annual Home Decorating and Remodeling Show. The show will be held from August 15-17, 2003 at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska. The Home Decorating and Remodeling Show is recognized as the most comprehensive showcase for Alaska homeowners seeking new products, services, and on-site purchases.

Home Decorating & Remodeling Show Attendees

• Homeowners
• Homebuilders
• Home building industry representatives

BC Wood Members Who Should Attend

• Pre-built, log, panelized and timber frame homes
• Windows, doors and other finished building components
• Yard and garden products

Opportunities for BC Wood Members

• Market products and services directly to homebuilding professionals and homeowners in Alaska
• Meet key Anchorage homebuilding industry contacts
• Gather market intelligence

Proposed Itinerary

August 14

Arrive in Anchorage

August 15

Breakfast meeting with key Anchorage homebuilding industry contacts (8:30am to 11:30am)

Show Open

August 15 (3:00pm to 9:00pm)

August 16 (10:am to 8:00pm)

August 17 (10:00am to 6:00pm)

August 18

Depart from Anchorage

Program Includes

• Airfare to Anchorage (YVR-ANC)
• Hotel
• Breakfast meeting with key Anchorage homebuilding industry contacts
• Opportunity to exhibit your samples and brochures from the BC Wood booth

Contact & Mission Leader

• For more information, please contact Jennifer Rose at 1-877-422-9663 (604-556-3373 in Abbotsford) or at jrose@bcwood.com.

---

Great News on the BC Wood International Marketing Conference & AGM!

Along with Minister Dhaliwal, Minister de Jong, Lars Goran Sandberg, and Stephen Poloz, we have now confirmed the participation of Thomas Moser. Some of you may remember a furniture conference a few years back where BC Wood had Thomas as a guest speaker. We haven't stopped hearing about it since! An excellent speaker with worldly insights, Thomas will be a very welcome addition to our Friday afternoon program on North American Market Opportunities.

Check the AGM site often for more updates.

---

Korea Presentation

Venture Kamloops held its second Wood Products Manufacturing Forum on June 13, 2003.

Mike Jahraus made a presentation on the marketing opportunties in Korea and this is now available on the BC Wood Members Only site under Marketing Programs, Korea.

---

New Associate Membership Feature

BC Wood has just added a new feature option for Associate Members. You can now have your company listing posted in additional categories for $50 each.

If you would like to sign your company up for this added exposure, please contact Mary Quinn at 604-556-3373.

---

CT Imaging Centre Official Opening
Mary Quinn, Member Services Marketing Coordinator

June 17, 2003, marked the official opening of the CT Imaging Center, a joint venture between Forintek and the University of Northern British Columbia. The CT Imaging Center is a unique custom-designed x-ray scanning facility built specifically to address the demand for the non-destructive evaluation of large industrial materials and products. The project was made possible through funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the BC Knowledge Development Fund, and the Forintek industry.

In attendance to celebrate the opening was Shirley Bond, Minister for Advanced Education; Sandy Gray, Forintek Board of Directors Chairman; Sophia Leung, MP Vancouver-Kingsway; Charles Jago, President of the University of Northern British Columbia; and Michael de Jong, the BC Minister of Forests. Michael de Jong discussed how this project brings together many industries. "We are celebrating a successful partnership between the institutions of higher learning, governments, and industry."

Jim Dangerfield, Forintek Vice-President, later discussed the importance of the CT Imaging Center and how it will benefit the forest and wood products industry. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) Imaging is a non-destructive method for obtaining accurate 2- and 3- dimensional images of an object’s internal features. First used as a specialized medical diagnostic tool, Forintek’s CT log scanner is thirty times more powerful than today’s medical scanner and can utilize logs that are up to five meters long and 90 centimeters wide.

The scanner works using an x-ray beam that penetrates the object and constructs 2-dimensional images on a slice-by-slice basis along the length. These slice images can then be assembled to provide a 3-dimensional model of the object. Images can be used to identify internal features, measure geometry, and characterize material properties.

Forintek’s objective for the new CT Imaging Center is to optimize value recovery from forestry resources. They also plan to develop a national wood fibre database in order to assist industry and government. This database will map timber quality for fibre allocation optimization, determine the effects of silviculture practices on wood quality, and improve standard tree growth models. The benefits and uses of the CT Imaging Center extend to non-forestry applications as well, and these services will be available from the Forintek Center.

For more information on the CT Imaging Center, please contact Forintek at 604-224-3221 or email CTscan@van.forintek.ca.

The media portion of the CT Imaging Center opening included platform wood-frame housing in earthquakes, market access in China, wood preservatives, and a seismic testing demonstration. This information is available to BC Wood Members in the Members Only section of the website under What’s New This Month.

---

Tradeshow Tips

The next set of tips, from Associate Member Exhibitree, focuses on Motivating Exhibit Staff. Following is the first five tips for this series.

Staffing your company’s display at a show is hard work and staying motivated can often be a real challenge.

1. Select people who want to be there. The key ingredient for anyone to be motivated to work a show is simple: they need to want to be there. All too often employees are told by management to "just show up" to work a particular show. However, given a choice, they would often prefer not to.

2. Leave negative attitudes behind. Sales people frequently feel that working a display stand interferes with their normal selling routine. When employees have a negative attitude about being at a show, their body language lets everyone around know they feel "this is a futile and unimportant exercise."

3. Realize everyone is an ambassador. Remember that everyone representing your company is an ambassador. By being helpful, courteous and having a professional demeanor, they can strengthen the company’s image and gain new customers. Choose your team carefully based on its excellent knowledge of the company’s products and services and the many customers and prospects whom you expect to visit the stand.

4. Encourage personal goals. Each staff member should have at least one personal goal they want to achieve. This increases accountability, changes unproductive habits, increases productivity and also builds motivation. At pre-show meetings staff should be encouraged to share their goals with other staff members. Encourage contests for quality leads collected. At post-show or debriefing meetings they should report on their achievements.

5. Get top management support. When top management are supportive of the company’s trade show activities and demonstrate their feelings by attending the show, helping in the stand, taking part in training sessions and pre-and post-show activities, their enthusiasm is contagious.

Stay tuned for the next set of tips for motivating exhibit staff in the August issue.

---

New BC Wood Associate Members

We are pleased to welcome the following Associate Members who have joined us since the last issue of BC Wood News On-line. If you are interested in learning about the benefits of becoming a BC Wood Associate Member, please contact Randi Walker at 604-556-3373 or toll-free at 1-877-422-9663.

Interex Forest Products Ltd. is a well established export marketing company representing respected Canadian manufacturers in off-shore markets. From offices in Vancouver and Tokyo and through representatives world-wide, we export a broad range of quality forest products for the housing industry - from structural components to value-added products for finishing applications.

Bruce Pollock
604-801-7202

HSBC Bank Canada a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, has more than 160 offices. With over 9,500 offices in 80 countries and territories and assets of US$759 billion at 31 December 2002, the HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations.

Henry Park
604-641-1049

---

Prevue Assessment Now Available On-line

The Prevue Assessment provides businesses and human resource professionals with a suite of reports that assist in human resource decision-making. Prevue Assessment is now fully available with complete Internet delivery.

Benefits of Prevue On-Line

• The Candidate/Applicant is sent an email invitation to take the assessment on-line. The assessment is administered and timed automatically, resulting in significant savings and elimination of administrative time for overseeing and inputting the assessment.
• Assessments can be completed anywhere, anytime.
• Reports are generated instantaneously and are e-mailed to you within minutes of candidate completing the assessment.
• One-off assessments now available.
• BC Wood members receive special pricing.

For more information, contact Dan Monteiro at Catalyst Training Services Inc.

---

Upcoming Tradeshows

Anchorage Alaska Market Intelligence Mission & Tradeshow
Anchorage, Alaska
August 14-18, 2003

For more information on these tradeshows, visit the BC Wood website.

---

Associate Members Directory

Associations

Consolidators

Consultants & Marketing Services

Customs Brokers

Employment/Recruiting Service

Equipment Suppliers & Service

Finance, Accounting & Leasing

Importers & Manufacturers

Insurance Services

Information Technology Services

Legal Services

Shippers & Freight Forwarders

Trade Organizations

Training Providers