Welcome to the 10th anniversary of the Global Buyers Mission™ (GBM) – a three-day, invitation only networking/tradeshow event developed to bring together pre-qualified international buyers of wood products from around the world, with Canadian manufacturers of products that include finished materials, building supplies, and remanufacturing products.

The GBM continues to be the best business building event in Canada for wood products manufacturers interested in growing their export market opportunities – and developing new business relationships with architects, designers, developers, builder & contractors – and other exhibiting wood products companies. Response from our 2012 Exhibitors surveys indicated an estimated $48+ million in new business from attendance at the event.

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we are also putting on a little competition to see who can come up with the best booth design/display. This will be judged by a committee of your peers and international buyers, and the incentive is to win back the cost of one booth space! (That’s better than an ipad, right?!)

We are very pleased to be partnering once again with the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) on the event, as they deliver their Cedar Summit program on the 4th and 5th. We will also draw the important architect / designer / contractor / builder decision makers with our popular Wood First program, which will run through the whole event. Last year, pre-qualified wood products buyers came from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Eastern Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

We will be back at the beautiful Whistler Conference Centre and have negotiated unbeatable hotel rates for our delegates in Whistler Village.

You will not want to miss this opportunity to showcase your products to over 250 pre-qualified international buyers plus North American specifiers!

Exhibit space is limited and will be available on a first-come / first-served basis. If you haven’t already registered, contact us for your online registration link at gbm@bcwood.com or call 604-882-7100. The link will include a floor plan showing the space and showroom layout for exhibitors.

In case you haven’t seen them yet, here are some links to a few short videos from last year’s event:

2012 Global Buyers Mission Video: http://youtu.be/75FB6QDMv1o
2012 Wood First Video: http://youtu.be/2oAK2n6Vf8U
2012 Global Buyers Mission Exhibitor Testimonials: http://youtu.be/C5j5u6ShUP8
2012 Global Buyers Mission Buyer Testimonials: http://youtu.be/c2Xwy8yRbio
BC Wood YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BCWoodAssociation

Proposed Program Schedule

Thursday – September 5th
Association Business & In-Market Representatives Meetings
Evening Welcome Event at the spectacular Roundhouse Lodge at the Peak of Whistler Mountain for all participants

Friday – September 6th
Morning Networking/Tradeshow/Meetings
Afternoon WRCLA Sponsored Golf Tournament; Architects in-booth presentations; or Whistler free time
Gala Evening Event

Saturday – September 7th
Morning Networking/Tradeshow/Meetings

2013 Exhibitor Fees

BC Wood, WRCLA or Canadian Wood Products Association Member:
10 x 10 booth – $2,079 (includes 2 exhibiting participants)
Non-member:
10 x 10 booth – $3,129 (includes 2 exhibiting participants)
Each additional company participant: $400 / Spousal Program: $150 (includes 2 Evening events)

Exhibit Registration Includes:

• 2 full participants per booth space
• Basic electrical, pipe & drape, covered table & 2 chairs, carpet & Wi-Fi
• All meals during the event including the Thursday night Welcome Event at the Roundhouse Lodge & Friday evening Gala Event
• Full access to Thursday Association Programs
• Complete multi-lingual company listing in the Mission Program Guide

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information on the GBM or how it could benefit your company.

BC Wood took this input and put together a comprehensive package of market development activities. Upcoming activities will focus on expanding market share in the United States while maintaining the hard won presence we have gained in Asian markets and Eastern Europe. Recognizing the possibility of a new and emerging market opportunity in India, BC Wood has scheduled a mission and participation in a trade show in Bangalore in February 2014. The Global Buyers Mission, our 10th, will be a highlight, with over 200 buyers coming to Whistler in early September.

I would like to recognize and thank the staff of BC Wood for the extra effort they put towards writing these funding proposals. The result was that BC Wood has another strong program of approved trade event activities for 2013-2014. For those of you wanting to see the updated list of trade show activities, please visit the BC Wood website at www.bcwood.com and select Trade Events from the Programs & Services tab. Any comments or questions regarding these planned activities can be directed to me at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or by calling our office at 604-882-7100.

Global Buyers Mission Video

Wood First Program Video

Buyer Testimonial Video

Exhibitor Testimonial Video

Last September, BC Wood participated for the first time in the CIEHI. The show was very well attended and the participating companies reported some very good leads from Chinese builders, developers, and architects. A main theme of the show was green and energy efficient building with wood construction and building products featuring prominently throughout the show. A number of foreign log-home and panelized house manufacturers were promoting their products, in particular a large number of Russian log home builders. To maximize profile and traffic, BC Wood located its’ display area within the Canada Wood booth partnering with the Coast Forest Products Association and Council of Forest Industries.

BC Wood will be returning to the CIEHI show in Beijing this coming November 21st – 23rd. From our previous experience at this show, we expect that the best opportunities for new contacts and increased exposure in the marketplace will be achieved by manufacturers of prefabricated homes, log and timber frame structures, engineered wood products, WRC lumber decking and siding, and construction lumber.

For more information or to register, please contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.

Click here for more information on the show

As most of you know, Jim has been valuable asset to BC Wood and its members in Japan since he joined the BC Wood team nine years ago. Jim’s new role and responsibilities will help to integrate BC Wood’s program across the Asian markets and provide even better services for our members going forward. Please do not hesitate to contact Jim at  Ivanoff@canadawood.jp for any additional information on BC Wood’s programs in Asia this year.

Westminster Industries works with the majority of the major and medium sized mills in BC and Alberta, distributing Hemlock, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and SPF to both domestic and international markets including Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Australia. Providing service to purchasers over this broad range of clients is a knowledgeable staff and experienced traders, including two traders fully conversant in all Chinese dialects. Westminster Industries is seen as a valued supplier to its long and growing customer base. They also have strong ties to the community through their various donations and charitable work, with the most recent being donations for the new White Rock Bike Park.

Since their start in 1975, Westminster Industries has been following the trends and adapting to the market. This, coupled with their experienced staff, has been the key to their growth and success. They recently updated their website to reflect current conditions and company adaptions. The website is now easier to function and educates the customer on what Westminster’s products and services are. To view their new website, go to www.westmin.ca

The 2011 Global Buyers Mission, held September 8th to 10th, welcomed almost 700 delegates to Whistler for the third year in a row.Many thanks must go to our funding Partners this year including our Platinum Partners: Natural Resources Canada Wood Export Program (CWEP), Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII), and Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC); our Silver Partners: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau (CSSB); and our Bronze Partners: Industry Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). We were pleased to again have the collaborative effort made by CSSB and the Western Red Cedar Lumber & Export Associations (WRCLA & WRCEA) in recruiting participants and assisting BC Wood with the organization & delivery of the event.

Pre-qualified international buyers came from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Eastern Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. We were pleased that the majority of our buyers were new to the GBM again this year, offering excellent opportunities for Canadian manufacturers to build new business.

We also hosted over 80 North American architects, designers, contractors, developers, engineers and specifiers this year, to participate in our Living & Building with Wood Program, held on Thursday, September 8th and via the LBWW display on the showroom floor for the rest of the event. Architects & Designers also participated in “speed learning sessions” Friday afternoon, with 20 manufacturers exhibiting at the GBM. This was a new activity this year and has received high marks from both the architect community and participating exhibitors.

Minister of Jobs, Tourism & Innovation, the Honourable Pat Bell, joined us Thursday evening at the Roundhouse and then welcomed our delegates and officially opened the showroom Friday morning.

Products on display at the 2011 GBM from 75 exhibitors, represented by over 200 participants included timber frame structures, engineered wood products, treated lumber, windows, doors, mouldings, cabinetry, building systems, flooring, western red cedar products and a variety of other value-added wood building products. 25% of the companies were new to the GBM, offering our returning buyers some additional resources and products not seen at the GBM in the past.

For the past seven years, BC Wood has organized pre and post event site visits and tours for our incoming delegates. This year, the GBM Extended Mission Program included 7 groups that once again toured production facilities and visited construction sites in the lower mainland and the interior of BC to meet participating manufacturers. Besides helping buyers immediately source high quality, innovative and competitively priced wood products, the tours helped build future business relationships by familiarizing potential customers with BC’s wood species. We thank the many local companies that made the effort to open their mills and plants for these informative and productive tours.

Held at the Whistler Conference Centre, the GBM continues to be Canada’s largest event dedicated to promoting value-added wood producers.

Next GBM scheduled for Whistler, September 6th to 8th, 2012.

The show definitely had a green building and construction theme and wood was prominently displayed throughout the show. We noticed several log homes and other wood frame houses on display being promoted by other countries including Russia.

Canada was well represented by the joint Canada Wood booth that included partnering associations BC Wood, Coast Forest Products Association, and Council of Forest Industries. Overall, it was a very good event and something to consider for next year. For more information on this event or other activities in the Chinese market, contact David Pao at dpao@bcwood.com.

The 2011 Global Buyers Mission (GBM), organized by the B.C. Wood Specialties Group, took place at the Whistler Conference Centre last Thursday through Saturday (Sept. 8 to 10). The event saw about 700 attendees including buyers from around the world and wood companies from across B.C.

According to organizers, about 70 per cent of buyers, attendees and sellers were participating in the conference for the first time. With the recent decline of American markets for B.C. wood, more buyers came from Asian markets such as China and Korea.

Those are areas Whistler has been trying to reach from a tourism standpoint, and at least one municipal official had the chance to promote the resort to a group of conference attendees.

Mike Vance, RMOW general manager of policy and program development, was asked to speak at the conference on behalf of the Council of Forest Industries, according to information provided by the municipal communications department.

The delegation of China-based land developers was interested to learn if they can build a resort like Whistler and use some of the municipality’s best practices as a model, a spokesperson said. Vance’s presentation focused on Whistler’s success as a resort, including its evolution, leading-edge practices and strong brand.

The group of about 30 people was also taken on a tour of the Whistler Public Library, the Rainbow neighbourhood and the Lost Lake Passivhaus to learn more about green and energy-efficient building features and the use of wood as a sustainable resource.

Whistler is a great place to host the GBM conference because it’s a really good showcase of B.C. wood and its uses, said Mike Cunningham, a representative for the conference.

“Look at the chalets, the residential homes, the construction — even the convention centre itself,” he said.

Besides Whistler’s abundance of wood, keeping the GBM in the resort helps to keep the invitation-only event small in order to keep that face-to-face interaction, according to Cunningham.

“For the buyers and the sellers the real advantage of this conference is that it gives them that opportunity to interact in a little more of a relaxed setting,” Cunningham said.

There was also plenty of opportunity for delegates to enjoy Whistler.

“They go golfing, they go up the gondola. Its spectacular scenery and they love it,” Cunningham said. “A lot of people bring their spouses with them too and compared to being somewhere stuck in a hotel, we intentionally design the conference with a lot of free time.”

It’s important to have the conference each year in order to attract new buyers and allow smaller B.C. companies to sell their B.C. wood products to the large international market, Cunningham added.

“For a large- to medium-sized company trying to sell to a huge market in China, if they have never done business in a place like that before it can be quite daunting for them to jump on a plane and fly over there and start looking for people to buy their product.”

Source: Whistler Question Local News – September 15, 2011

As the momentum and energy of the GBM settles down, we are back to work making final preparations for the CIEHI show in Beijing. This will mark the first time BC Wood is attending the 3-day conference and we look forward to making new contacts and gathering market intelligence about China’s building and construction sector. For more updates on this event, follow us on Twitter @BC_Wood