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If you have not been featured in our Spotlight section and would like to be, please email me at rmann@bcwood.com or call 604-882-7100. You must be a value-added wood manufacturer in BC; however, you do not have to be a member of BC Wood, or any other association to participate and it is free of charge.
If you are using Microsoft Outlook to view this email, you may not be able to see all of the images. In this case, you can view the webpage version of this email by clicking on the link at the top of this email "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here" or visit our Wood Connections archives and click on 'Wood Connections - May 27, 2016' F eel free to send me news stories that you think our readers would be interested in. You can email them to rmann@bcwood.com
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| Industry News |
World's tallest timber tower underway in Vancouver
Architecture & Design - May 19, 2016
A new hybrid building under construction in Vancouver to house University of British Columbia students will become the world's tallest timber tower when completed in 2017.
Designed by Acton Ostry Architects with Architekten Hermann Kaufmann of Austria as tall wood advisors, the $51.5 million project will rise to a height of 53 metres to accommodate 404 students. Construction on the 18-story Brock Commons Student Residence at the University of British Columbia began in November 2015 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017. The student housing structure will be the tallest mass wood hybrid building in the world.
The hybrid construction includes a one-story concrete podium, two freestanding concrete cores for lateral stability, and 17 storys of mass timber topped with a prefabricated steel beam and metal deck roof. The timber structure carries the vertical loads for the entire building. Steel connectors fitted to the building's glulam columns provide direct load transfer between the columns and a grid of cross laminated timber (CLT) panels, allowing the building to meet new seismic design requirements for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada.
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| Industry News | Cost-shared funding available for Marketing Assessments & Projects for value-added wood product manufacturers
Do you have difficulty understanding marketing and communicating your company's benefits? Discover how to effectively communicate your unique selling features and correctly position your company for your target audiences.
A Marketing Assessment reviews and evaluates all your marketing activities and provides recommendations for fine-tuning your strategy to achieve your business goals. Working with a dedicated marketing consultant, you will receive:
- Expert marketing advice at a fraction of the cost
- A comprehensive report of your branding, positioning, target audiences and marketing activities
- Recommended changes to improve your marketing efforts
- New ideas to stretch your marketing dollars
- Simple changes to strengthen your brand and better position you against competitors
Marketing Projects:
Through the Wood First program, you may be also be eligible for additional support with your specific marketing projects. Aimed at developing your marketing skills, these projects may include branding, training, strategic planning, or project specific consultation. For more information, please contact Rumin Mann at rmann@bcwood.com or 604-882-7100.
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| Industry News |
Tradeshow Events for 2016-17
Brian Hawrysh
BC Wood just received confirmation that funding for our 2016-2017 trade show and mission programs have been approved. Last November, BC Wood's staff began the process with sector meetings that were intended to gather input on Industry's marketing priorities. BC Wood took this input and put together a comprehensive package of market development activities. The proposals that resulted were submitted in mid-December to both Federal and Provincial funders for review and eventual approval. The BC based tradeshows are yet to be officially approved, however, it is expected that they will be shortly. The balance of the proposed activities focus on expanding market share in the United States, while maintaining the hard won presence that we have gained in the Asian markets. Recognizing the on-going need to explore new and emerging markets, BC Wood has also scheduled missions and participation in trade shows in Mexico in August, 2016 and March, 2017. The Global Buyers Mission, our 13th, will be a highlight, with over 250 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 2016-2017. Here is the updated list of trade show activities, or you can 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. |
| Industry News | Marketing and Social Media Workshop in Kelowna in June!
 We all know people are spending so much more time on their phones and tablets these days - but why isn't it helping you improve your sales and bottom line results?
The answer lies in Content Marketing - The process of using text, video, and audio communication in an effort to establish your company as the best and most helpful teacher in the world at what you do. A successful Content Marketing Strategy is what you need to stand out from your competition!
This workshop will teach you the basics of marketing principles, how to identify your target audience, and how to market to them using digital media.
This hands-on workshop will be presented in three parts: - Marketing Principles: Learn how to practice a sensible approach by applying seven key marketing principles.
- Marketing to Your Target Audience: Discover how to communicate your unique benefits through meaningful messaging to your target audience
- Social Media: learn how and when to use social media tools to engage your target audience
Details:
Date: End of June 2016 (exact date TBC)
Time: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Kelowna, BC
Register Now
THIS WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO ALL IN THE WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY INCLUDING NON BC WOOD MEMBERS.
For more information or to register for this workshop, contact Rumin Mann at 604-882-7100 or email rmann@bcwood.com if you have any questions.
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Tradeshow Tips/Advice
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What Is Digital Marketing?
Skyline Tradeshow Tips
 It seems like everywhere you go there is someone who is tasked with Digital Marketing. In fact, many people now have titles such as Digital Marketing Manager, Digital Marketing Operations Manager, and Manager of Digital and Online Marketing. But what is Digital Marketing? I have heard it described as any marketing involving electronic technology and data collection...
How Does Digital Marketing Come Into Play With Trade Shows and Events?
Social Media - Social media can be used to promote events before, during and after the fact. This promotion can increase attendance and engagement at the event. It can be used to poll attendees about their preferences before the event and gather real-time information during and after (this can be dangerous if things did not go as well as you hoped for). Depending on your type of event, you can have your clients share social posts and even ask them to rate your company using social platforms. With all of this comes great data you can gather to further fine-tune your marketing tactics. In fact, events give marketers a great reason to communicate with clients on social media and further the client relationship from a digital connection to a personal face-to-face engagement.
Click here to read the entire article
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Specifiers Program Update
| Roy Manion
 We are now 2 full months into our fiscal year and the Specifiers Program has already seen a flurry of activity including:- Lunch & learn sessions
- Breakfast session for the Independent Contractors Business Association (ICBA) where we presented a number of topics to the assembled group
- Participation in Architectural Institute of BC's (AIBC) annual conference
- ICBA's Annual Industry Outlook for the Construction Industry
- Renewing and adding participants to the 2016 - 2017 Specifiers Program
Lunch & Learn Sessions: The year started off with a bang as we held 5 lunch & learn sessions, all in the latter part of April. These sessions featured different companies from industry and were a great start to our new fiscal year. ICBA Breakfast Seminar BC Wood was joined by representatives from 3 companies who presented their products to a group of approx. 25 ICBA members. Based on the evaluations, there was excellent interest from the group and the sessions were well received. These sessions with contractors are important as it is essential to have this group on board with products that are specified by architects. Click here to read the entire article
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Global Buyers Mission
| Randi Walker
We will be back at the beautiful Whistler Conference Centre for our 13th Annual GBM and have once again almost sold out the floorspace with Canadian wood products manufacturers and suppliers.
If you haven't already registered, you still have time to showcase your products to over 300 pre-qualified international buyers, North American Architects, Designers, Builders, Contractors, Developers & Engineers. Last year, over $36 million in new business was developed at this event alone. Click here to see who has signed up to exhibit already.
We have negotiated excellent hotel rates for you in Whistler Village at the Delta Suites, the Hilton and the Westin.
Pre-qualified Buyers will come from the US, Western Europe, China, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Taiwan, and new markets like the UAE and the Philippines! Last year, we had pre-qualified buyers from 20 countries!
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Exhibit space is now VERY 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
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Upcoming Tradeshows
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Upcoming Trade Events in Canada and Mexico
Ken Hori
Based on the feedback from our members and Sector Advisory Groups, BC Wood has put together a comprehensive list of market development activities for the coming year. Following the links for information on a few we are recruiting for now:
If you are looking to market your products and connect with designers, architects, builders/developers and consumers , join the BC Wood Pavilion at Interior Design Show Vancouver (IDS West) , Sept 22-25th, 2016. Click here for more information on this show. If you want to have the opportunity of meeting with up to 10,000 active buying cottage owners, exhibit in the BC Wood Pavilion at the Fall Cottage Life Show Ontario, Oct 21-23rd, 2016. Click here for more information on this show.  If you would like to exhibit in Western Canada's largest trade show and conference for the Construction, Renovation, Architecture, Interior Design and Property Management industries, join the BC Wood Pavilion at Buildex Vancouver, Feb 15-16th, 2017.
Click here for more information.
Space is generally limited, as we have to make commitments in advance. If you are interested in any of these trade events and trade missions, please contact me as soon as possible for more details at khori@bcwood.com or 604-882-7100.
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USA Market Update - IBS Show Report
| Dave Farley
Few comments, suggestions, and ideas...
 I returned last week from a trip to our southern neighbour and home of the Potato State, Idaho. While the State shares only a small border with BC in the South East Kootneys, the potential for our Industry to expand sales into this market is good. I specifically went to review the market opportunities in the resort market of Sun Valley. Recent market intelligence showed significant construction activity in both the single family and light commercial construction sectors in this ski resort town. Here is what I found: the market there is strong with two new resort hotels currently under construction along with a large number of high-end residential mountain homes. The design of these homes is very similar to what you see in other ski towns including Whistler, as wood products are frequently used in both the structural and decorative elements of the home. Also, similar to what is trending in the other resort markets including Lake Tahoe and Big Sky Montana, there is a move towards a mountain contemporary design where you see plenty of glass and cold rolled steel in the design. 
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| Japan Market Update | |
Japan Home & Building Show 2016
Jim Ivanoff
Once again, BC Wood will be organizing the Canadian Pavilion at the Japan Home & Building Show on behalf of the wood industry. The venue will be Tokyo Big Sight as usual, but the dates have been pushed up by several weeks as Tokyo is preparing for the Olympics thus new facilities are being added to Big Sight so it can host some of the competitions. This year the JHS will run from October 26th to 28th.
There will be a few other big changes to this year's show in addition to the schedule change. Japan decided to host the 2020 Olympics in order to market itself to foreign travelers. However, for a variety of reasons, the number of in-bound visitors already surpassed the official goal of 20 million by 2020 last year and now the target is 40 million visitors in 2020. As a result, Japanese hotels are running at full capacity so many operators are making investments in both existing and new properties. The organizers of the Japan Home Show have been watching this trend and have decided to target this industry by adding a new zone for interior fixtures to this year's show. This along with Japantex, which will again be held together with the JHS, will mean that the show will draw in more architects and designers than ever before.
Additionally, the JHS organizers are for the first time adding a dedicated kitchen and bath zone which will tie in nicely with this new design focus for both the housing and hospitality industries. It has always been strange that Japan did not have a kitchen and bath show so it is great to see the Japan Home Show adding this. To make room for these new zones, the organizers moved the hospital industry exhibition to a separate show and thus freeing up all six of Big Sight's East Halls for this year's Japan Home & Building Show. It will be big!
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| Europe Market Update | |
BC Wood at the BAU 2017 Show
Brian Hawrysh
BAU is the largest and best known building products show in the European market. The BAU fair, held every two years, attracts over 240,000 attendees. Some 50,000 of these attendees come from neighboring Western European countries and the ex-Soviet Bloc countries. This year, the event will be held from January 16 to 21, 2017. A unique feature of the BAU show is that it consolidates companies featuring wood products and wood building systems in one of its sixteen halls. So while the show is very large, the majority of potential customers for wood based products and building systems are concentrated in one display hall.
Throughout Western Europe and particularly in resort regions that have a high percentage of second luxury homes (such as the Alps in France, Germany, and Italy and the Pyrenees region of Spain and France), there exists good potential for manufacturers of log and timber frame homes. The BC handcrafted style, featuring large diameter logs and heavy timbers, have a unique appeal to these wealthy homeowners.
High quality finished building materials such as decking, siding, roofing, flooring and millwork are all in demand. Specialty lumber such as Douglas-Fir, Hemlock, and a range of hardwoods are also highly sought after by manufacturers in the emerging markets of the post-Soviet bloc countries.
In January 2017, BC Wood plans to organize a large display at the BAU fair for member companies and other Canadian forest products associations. While the show is not for another ten months, its' high-profile means that the show sells out quickly and our organizational efforts need to start now. Space is limited, so, for more information regarding the BAU show, BC Wood's participation, and costs, please contact Brian Hawrysh at 604-882-7100 or directly at bhawrysh@bcwood.com.
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Show Report
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HD Expo 2016 Show Report
Randi Walker
 BC Wood and members participated in the HD Expo in Las Vegas, May 4th to 6th. Four member companies attended including Barker Manufacturing from Victoria, Live Edge Design from Duncan, Stick & Stones Furniture from Squamish, and Nico Spacecraft from Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast. We were thrilled that the Kawa Table, a collaborative piece from Live Edge and Stick & Stones, won the award for best Casegoods & Freestanding Furniture!
This is a very important show for our furniture and design sector as over 900 exhibitors from around the world present their products to interior design companies, architecture firms, resort developers, specifiers, and purchasers that are looking for the latest, most innovative and creative products for their renovations and new builds. Some of our exhibitors sold product directly off the floor!
We turned our 600 square feet into a cohesive, attractive display of our member's products and received many accolades from visitors on the overall presentation.
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Marketplace
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In this section, you can post for free anything from job listings (for employees looking for work, and employers looking for new staff), to machinery for sale/wanted, to a request for a particular type of wood or service. If you would like to include a posting in our Marketplace section, please email me at rmann@bcwood.com or call 604-882-7100 and ask for Rumin.
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| Upcoming Events |
June 22-23, 2016: PCBC, San Francisco, CA, USA July 12-14, 2016: AFN-Circle of Trade, Niagara Falls, ON July 12-13, 2016: Reform Show, Tokyo, JapanAugust 17-20, 2016: Techno Mueble Expo, Guadalajara, Mexico September 8-10, 2016: Global Buyers Mission (GBM), Whistler, BC For a list of all trade and industry events, please visit our |
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Sincerely,
Rumin Mann
BC Wood |
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If you are seeking importers, distributors, architects, developers in the growing Mexico market, participate in the BC Wood trade mission and Techno Mueble trade show, in Guadalajara, Aug 16-21st, 2016. 
