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.

Global Buyers Mission Video

Wood First Program Video

Buyer Testimonial Video

Exhibitor Testimonial Video

Last week, BC Wood Specialties Group hosted the 9th annual Global Buyers Mission in Whistler, BC. Among the 19 international delegations that attended were timber importers from India looking to replace current wood sources with Canadian wood products. After attending the successful Global Buyers Mission, the India delegation visited BC value-added wood manufacturers as part of their extended mission. One of the companies they visited was International Forest Products (Interfor) Acorn Division in Delta, BC. The Acorn mill is an export sawmill dedicated to manufacturing high value squares and timbers that are used in housing and industrial applications across global markets.

Dave Hayer, MLA Surrey-Tynehead, opened the event on Tuesday at Interfor by welcoming the India delegation to BC. He stated that one of the goals of BC’s Job Plan is opening up markets abroad for BC goods. “Helping companies like Interfor make connections with new companies overseas is one of BC Jobs Plan initiatives that we have been focused on.” Mike De Jong, Minister of Finance, took the podium on behalf of Premier Christy Clark and Minister Pat Bell to further explain the BC Job Plan strategy and outcome.

Following the opening speeches, the India delegation attended two seminars, went on a tour of the mill, and learned about grading standards at Interfor. The seminars, delivered by John Leahy from Canadian Mill Services, dealt with the phyto-sanitary rules for sending forest products from Canada to India and BC’s tree species and wood products. The mill tour lead the delegation through the mill, letting them observe how a log is remanufactured into a timber product. Lastly, the delegation was shown the different types of wood species Interfor remanufactures at their plant and how they are graded.

We are also honoured to have the construction company that has been selected to build one of the Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Projects. This project consists of the reconstruction of the largest and most famous public market in northern Japan. This market project has received extensive media coverage as it will lead the economic rebirth of this area and the return of communities destroyed in the tsunami. The builder selected for this very important assignment is the largest Canadian imported house builder in Japan and is coming to look at products for both the market project as well as their main home building business. Please feel free to ask me if you would like set a meeting with this company or any of the other eager buyers in our delegation.

If you follow the Japanese construction industry, you already know that the housing market is very strong right now with both pent up demand as well as the reconstruction efforts in Tohoku. Labour shortages in various construction trades have been reported across the country which is pushing up wages. Some market analysts are even predicting that starts will top 900,000 for 2012 which would be the first time in 2008. Despite these significant time and work pressures our Japanese delegates are still making the long trip over to BC showing how much they value the opportunity given to them by the GBM. I look forward to seeing you all in Whistler!

A few quick thoughts on two markets that are providing members with opportunities but truly are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

As most members know, BC Wood has been active in the Hawaiian Islands for the last decade. Hawaii has proven to be a solid market for companies that manufacture high quality products for the resort, light commercial, and high-end residential construction sectors. In particular, companies in the timber frame, millwork, and Western Red Cedar sectors have all developed sales and market share in Hawaii.

Since all construction materials need to be shipped into Hawaii, BC manufacturers are on an equal playing field with both domestic suppliers and manufacturers from the continental US. For BC companies wanting to develop a market in Hawaii, you can sell contractor direct or to established building product distributors.

One such company who has had considerable success supplying high quality building products to contractors throughout the islands is Seattle based Pacific Source www.pacsource.com

Pacific Source has a six acre yard and distribution facility in Snohomish, Washington and has smaller yards and showrooms on a number of the islands including Kauai, Maui, and Kailulu Kona.

If you’re looking to develop a foothold in the Hawaiian market, it may be worth your while to contact Pacific Source. The key is having a product that is both well suited to the Hawaiian market and is priced well enough that all parties can make a margin. Mark Mason, one of the original partners of the company is expected to be at the GBM next month in Whistler.

Now for the other opportunity, which by all accounts is a far cry from the exotic local of the Hawaiian Islands, is North Dakota. A while back I wrote about the building boom that is currently underway in the northwest corner of the State. Towns such as Williston, Minot, and Watford city are all experiencing extreme housing shortages as thousands of new oil field workers are flocking to the state to work in the booming oil and gas industry.

Today, North Dakota is the US’s number 2 oil producing state, having leapfrogged over Alaska and California. The discovery of vast reserves of natural gas and oil in the northern part of the state have led to a huge influx of oil industry workers moving to the region who require housing. Oil companies have tried to address the shortfall of housing by building temporary housing units known as man camps (picture below), but there remains a serious need for quality residential homes for this well paid workforce.

I will be travelling to the region over the next week to meet with builders, developers, and distributors to gauge the market opportunity for BC suppliers of prebuilt and panelized housing and related products. I will report my findings in an upcoming Wood Connections Newsletter.

For more information on either of these markets, please contact me at  dfarley@bcwood.com or on my cell at 604-728-8786.

This is the only event of its kind, specifically developed to help Canadian wood products manufacturers connect with pre-qualified international buyers. It is also one of the most significant events for introducing specifiers like architects, designers, engineers, contractors and developers to our important wood products suppliers, through educational programs and exhibits.

There is still some space available and thanks to our partners and sponsors, at a surprisingly affordable rate, for those looking to expand their book of business into lucrative new markets. You don’t even have to sell abroad to build new business. There are plenty of US buyers and even those from eastern Canada looking for new suppliers.

However, we will be closing our space bookings by August 22nd, so you must call us by then to ensure your participation at what is certain to be your best business building event of the year!

For more information, please email me at rwalker@bcwood.com  or call me at 604-882-7100.

This is a short, midsummer report and it is all about the GBM.

The Specifier Program at the GBM is coming along nicely. All the speakers and seminars for Thursday’s Wood First Forum are in place as is Saturday’s lunch & learn session which features Neil Godin. The entire program provides architects with 9 learning units, half of what is required for the entire year; a great incentive for the architects, so we are expecting a good turnout.

This year, we have developed a brochure for the Specifiers Program at the GBM / Wood First Forum. To access the agenda brochure, click here   

Now we are focusing on finalizing the exhibitors who will be participating in the mini-seminar series on Friday afternoon. Everyone involved in the Mini-Seminar session will meet for lunch at Kypriaki Norte Restaurant near the Conference Centre then back to the Centre for the sessions.

This is a great opportunity for exhibitors to reach out to the Specifiers (Architects, Designers, and Contractors) who will come to exhibitor’s booths to receive an education on the nature of the exhibitors’ products. Invitations to the exhibitors to participate will be going out the next couple of days. Some exhibitors are not waiting for an invitation and have already signed up for the program.

We have many opportunities available for you to get attention and exposure, whether you are targeting in incoming international buyers, our manufacturing exhibitors, or architects and builders. We have some ideas, but you might have some too! Give me a call and we can find the right thing to fit your budget. 604-882-7100 or toll free at 1-877-4BCWOOD.

(FYI – you do not need to be an Exhibitor to be a sponsor or advertiser)

For the Mission Program Guide Ad Form, click here.

As part of our Extended Mission Program, incoming international buyers will be participating in a private Sunset Dinner & Harbour Cruise aboard the MV Harbour Princess, departing Coal Harbour Vancouver at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, September 5th. This special “pre-event” Global Buyers Mission evening is with our participating International buyers from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Mexico, and Vietnam.

Due to the popularity of the event, we are opening registration early for all our industry members in BC. Please be advised that space is limited.

This is an excellent opportunity to meet the pre-qualified buyers, particularly if you are not already participating in the GBM in Whistler.

Click here for the registration form to guarantee your space on the Cruise!

BC Wood Specialties Group 2012 Annual General Meeting
9:30 – 10:15 AM, Thursday, September 6th, 2012
Whistler Conference Centre

BC Wood will be holding its’ 2012 Annual General Meeting on Thursday, September 6th at 9:30 AM at the Whistler Conference Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. All BC Wood members are encouraged to attend.

To register or for more information, please contact me directly at bhawrysh@bcwood.com or by phone at 604-882-7100 (toll free 1-877-422-9663).

We look forward to seeing you in scenic Whistler, BC for BC Wood’s Annual General Meeting on September 6th, 2011.