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Missed previous Wood Connections issues? 

• increasing sales of Canadian forest products in fast growing offshore markets such as China and South Korea;
• expanding the use of wood in new market segments (e.g. non-residential and mid-rise construction);
• working with partners to bring about changes in National Building Code of Canada to enable the broader use of wood in buildings up to 6 storeys; and,  
• demonstrating the versatility and environmental benefits of using wood in large-scale structures.

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Sort of like the bumper sticker that asks 'How's My Driving?', FPInnovations has developed a benchmarking tool that uses a company's own data to identify strengths and weakness within their current operations, and provide recommendations for action.

Confidential benchmarking studies are established, well recognized methods that provide individual companies with the information they need to prioritize their improvement efforts. The information collected during benchmarking establishes a framework for businesses to measure and improve their performance year over year, and compare their performance to others in their industry sector.

Maintaining confidentiality during benchmarking is crucial. A company is not individually identified, nor is individual company information released to the public. Only aggregate sector information is used to compare an individual company's performance to that of the sector.

Recently, FPInnovations has been working closely with Canadian businesses in the Kitchen Cabinet, Millwork, and Furniture sectors to define the performance criteria most useful to company owners and managers.

These criteria range from qualitative factors such as the presence of safety programs and sales and marketing practices, to quantitative criteria such as total sales, and average manufacturing labour rate. For example, businesses have indicated that they would be interested in knowing their sales per employee in comparison to their peers, while others have indicated that having a sense of their average labour rate in comparison to the sector would be useful to them.

• � Ton, � Ton, 1 Ton trucks, and F550 flat decks available
• Towing hitches and electric brakes available
• Additional equipment is available including back up alarms, canopies, buggy whips, revolving amber light, etc.
• Long term/monthly rental discounts available
• Winter tires available upon request
• Delivery anywhere in Canada on rentals of 30+ days

In the last 10 years or so there have been fundamental technological and economic changes that have rewritten the trade show rule book. Not rules like how close to the aisle your exhibit structure can be or how loud your music can play, but rules about what it takes to succeed on the show floor.

Some changes evolved slowly over the years, and some were wrenched into place almost at once. Here's what's changed - and how you can adapt to those changes:

1. More Uncertainty: Economic uncertainty has lasted for years, and shows little signs of going away. This makes your top company executives reluctant to commit early to trade shows, and buy capital-intensive larger exhibits. You have to balance their need for financial flexibility by waiting longer to commit to shows and vendors, and yet still avoid more expensive rush charges. (I sincerely wish you luck walking that tightrope.) Rental exhibits help avoid capital expenses, too.

2. Measurement A Must: Gone are the days when you could end the show by saying to your boss, "We had a good show, didn't we?" and that would be enough. Your trade show spending is being compared to more explicitly measurable electronic marketing mediums. So even if your trade show is producing greater results, if you don't prove it with real numbers, such as ROI ratios or sales generated, it didn't happen in the minds of your bosses, and your budget is in jeopardy. 

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Roy Manion  

Over the past two weeks, we participated in two exhibitions, the Wood Solutions Fair and Buildex Calgary. We have also ramped up our architect programs in both the US Pacific Northwest and Alberta.

Wood Solutions Fair:

BC Wood, along with 9 BC Wood members, exhibited at this year's Wood Solutions Fair. The event was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on October 29th and I understand an attendance record was set. I was pleased with the traffic to the BC Wood booth especially from architects. Several came by just to express their appreciation to BC Wood and Wood Works for the work our two associations do in educating and promoting wood products to the architect and designer community. Many came by to ask questions about a variety of issues related to wood. Once again, this is a testimony to the Specifiers Program, the inroads made with architects and the relationships that have been developed. From all reports, most of the BC Wood members who exhibited had a good show with many forecasting some excellent sales as a result of the show.

Buildex Calgary:

This was BC Wood's first time exhibiting at Buildex Calgary. BC Wood elected to participate this year due to Calgary's strong building sector. When I arrived in Calgary, I couldn't help but notice all the construction activity throughout the city as there were cranes everywhere. As a result of this strong building activity, BC Wood booked space for 9 members from industry plus our own space.

Buildex Calgary 2013 was a two day show (Nov 5 & 6) held at the BMO Center on the Calgary Stampede grounds. The show size is somewhat less than Vancouver's although, it is attended by over 4,000 trade professionals (contractors, architects, designers, etc.) with about 225 exhibitors.

Day one was a bit slow - business is so strong in Calgary, many companies needed to stick to their businesses and simply couldn't afford to take time off to go to Buildex. The second day improved significantly and most members were busy throughout much of the day to a point where it had offset the lack of activity of day one for most, if not all, our attending members. Aside from one member who has developed a strong presence in Alberta, most of the BC Wood exhibitors were relatively unknown in this market which was an issue; a situation that would be dramatically different for those who decide to return next year.

Alberta and Pacific Northwest Architect Seminars:

This program is now in full swing and many companies have indicated their desire to participate. We have been in touch with key architect chapters in the US Pacific North West and have started the process of contacting architects in Alberta. We expect to be setting dates for our sessions within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, we continuously work with the local architects and designers through our popular and ongoing Lunch & Learn sessions.

As always, should you want more information on any aspects of the Specifiers Program, including the associations we are now registered with for participation in the US and Alberta, please let me know by contacting me at rmanion@bcwood.com.

BUILDEX Vancouver is one of Canada's largest tradeshows and conferences, welcoming over 13,500 Design, Construction, and Real Estate Management professionals each year. Over 600 exhibits and more than 50 educational seminars impacting three distinct professional markets, all under one roof:

• Interior designers and architects
• Property and real estate management
• Construction and renovation

BC Wood is coordinating member participation at the upcoming Buildex Vancouver on February 19th and 20th, 2014. This event is for decision makers in the construction industry and is targeted towards professionals who need to know what wood products are available and how they can be used.  

The Buildex Show will give you an opportunity to talk to key architects, engineers, and the municipal officials on commercial, industrial and residential projects.  

Who Should Participate?

Companies manufacturing finished building materials, pre-fabricated structures and engineered wood products for commercial and large multi-family residential construction projects would benefit by participating in the BC Wood Pavilion at the 2014 Vancouver BUILDEX Show.

Very limited space is still available so please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in exhibiting at this cost-shared event. Call Randi or Roy at 604-882-7100 or email rwalker@bcwood.com or rmanion@bcwood.com.

Recently, much has been made of the emerging opportunities for BC's forest products in India. In collaboration with Forestry Innovation and Investment's office in Mumbai and the Canadian High Commission office in Delhi, BC Wood will coordinate a mission in February 2014 for Industry members to investigate opportunities for sales of forest products in the India marketplace. Industry members will be invited to participate in the INDIAWOOD trade fair in Bangalore, Feb 21-24th, and a 3 day mission in Bangalore and Delhi to meet with timber importers and tour the manufacturing facilities of end-users.

The INDIAWOOD trade fair is one of Asia's biggest sourcing platforms for the manufacturers of furniture, building materials and giftware as well as domestic architects and interior designers. This event is expected to attract around 600 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and approximately 40,000 visitors from all over the world. The exhibitors at the 2014 event include a significant representation from overseas companies & country pavilions from Germany, Italy, Malaysia, China, USA, Taiwan & Turkey.

INDIAWOOD will definitely bring together market leaders from the woodworking sector to participate in this unique international display. For more information on INDIAWOOD and the proposed mission, contact Brian Hawrysh at 604-882-7100 or by email at bhawrysh@bcwood.com.

BC Wood will be organizing a booth for members at the next Kyung Hyang Housing Fair to be held from February 19th to 23rd at Kintex near Seoul. Kyung Hyang is the largest and most international building products show held in South Korea. Exhibitors come from other parts of Asia as well as Europe and North America. A wide range of products are covered at the show including lumber, millwork, kitchens, furniture, and house packages. Therefore, this show is ideal for a large cross-section of BC Wood members interested in targeting professionals in the Korean construction industry. The Korean Wood Builders Council also exhibits ensuring that the Korean wood housing industry focuses on this show.

While a little far from central Seoul, Kintex is a large, world class facility that is home to most of Korea's major trade shows. Recently, many new facilities have been built around Intex including western style hotels that give exhibitors the option to stay nearby. Kintex is also close to Incheon International Airport, thus offering easy access for members coming from Canada.

On behalf of BC Wood members interested in attending the show, BC Wood's Korean representative, JC Lee, has been negotiating with the Kyung Hyang Housing Fair organizers. One proposal that has been tabled is an offer to cover some of our members' travel costs for the show. For more information on this and the show, please contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@canadawood.jp

After a very successful Japan Home and Building Show, we are now starting to prepare for the Nikkei Architectural and Construction Materials Show that will be held at Tokyo's Big Sight from March 4th through 7th, 2014. With the Japanese housing market being the strongest in many years, companies are  investing in new business development as shown by the fact that the Nikkei Show is already sold-out. Luckily with BC Wood's longstanding participation in the show, we have secured a pavilion in a prime location on behalf of our members.

The Nikkei Show is the largest show of its kind in Japan and sees over 250,000 industry professionals over the show's four days. The show attracts a great number of architects, but is also well attended by importers, distributors, and both residential and commercial builders. Therefore, the show is a good fit for producers of cabinetry, millwork, house packages including log and timberframe, as well as lumber and reman products. For more information, please e-mail me at ivanoff@canadawood.jp

BC Wood will return to Interzum Guangzhou from March 28th to April 1st 2014 giving members another opportunity to build and expand their businesses in the still growing Chinese market. This annual event covers every facet of wood furniture and building products manufacturing including both machinery and raw materials. It is said to be the largest woodworking show in Asia. Over 1,100 manufacturers and suppliers are expected to occupy the 130,000-square meter venue with 60,000 visitors expected.

Interzum has been attracting pavilions from Germany, the US, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Sweden, etc over the past ten years, covering a wide variety of both softwood and hardwood species. Due to the show's importance to the Chinese woodworking industry, buyers/ importers of all types of wood products visit. Therefore, this show will be of interest to members supplying a wide variety of softwood & hardwood lumber including for uses such as remanufacturing, concrete forming, as well as wood construction. For more information, please e-mail me at ivanoff@canadawood.jp.