BC Wood celebrated our 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission held September 4th to 6th, 2025 and welcomed almost 500 delegates from all over the world to Whistler, BC Canada this year. A number of international markets continue to face economic challenges, so we were extremely pleased with the efforts made by those buyers and suppliers that supported and participated in the 2025 Global Buyers Mission.
Many thanks must also go to our government funding Partners, who without their continued support, we would not be able to deliver this world class event: Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII), and Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Our main Corporate Sponsors this year included Glandell Enterprises, Gorman Group/Selkirk, Jazz Forest Products, Kuehne + Nagel, Larix Resources, Leslie Forest Products, Partap Forest Products, Silva Timber Products, and The Waldun Group. We were also thrilled to work with Brent Comber Originals and Live Edge Design to create a lounge area to showcase sculpted objects, functional pieces and design environments.
CEO Brian Hawrysh and our Board Chairperson Kelly Marciniw welcomed our Opening Ceremony special guest speaker, Premier David Eby, who welcomed the group to Whistler and officially opened the 2025 Global Buyers Mission.
We hosted a timely and insightful Tariff Panel Discussion, introduced by Minister Ravi Parmar, that brought together industry leaders and experts to delve into the challenges, opportunities, and mitigation strategies amid rising global trade tensions. The event was well-attended by Industry, underscoring the importance and urgency of the topic. We thank all participants and attendees for contributing to such a valuable and forward-looking conversation.
This year, we registered international buyers from China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Again, recognition for a job well done must go to the Federal Trade Commissioner Service and BC’s Trade & Investment Representatives from international markets, that assisted with the buyer recruiting again this year. Mission Leaders this year included representatives from BC China Office, BC Trade and Invest – Taiwan, BC Wood Japan, BC Wood Korea, and Embassy of Canada to Indonesia. With their continued dedication, there were many first-time Buyers to the GBM, opening opportunities for Canadian manufacturers to develop new business.
