Japan Market Update

New Year’s receptions are an annual custom in Japan that are very important for business people to greet clients, re-establish contacts, as well as to meet new people. BC Wood takes part in many of these events each year, but we never had the opportunity to host our own, until this year.

BC Wood is a member of the “Imported Building Materials Forum” in Japan, which is an association of companies that works together to deal with new building regulations and potential trade barriers that would affect imported building products. The group usually holds its New Years reception at a restaurant, but we were able to host the event this year in our new Tokyo Showroom. The association members were able to enjoy some BC wine and Canadian themed treats while learning about the various members’ products we have on display in the office. These guests were impressed by the showroom and its versatility in being both a fully-functional office as well as an events space.

We have hosted several such evening events in the showroom since it was officially opened in November and they have proven popular with our Japanese contacts. Going forward, we look to hold more functions in our office, in particular around trade shows when we have members in-market, to extensively promote ourselves to the Japanese construction industry as a resource centre and to maximize the exposure of our members’ products. We have already seen an increase in foot traffic as contacts readily stop in when they are in the neighbourhood. The new office’s convenient location has also been a big factor in encouraging clients to visit.