Brian Hawrysh | bhawrysh@bcwood.com
With the travel restrictions mandated as part of the recent COVID-19 clamp downs, BC Wood has developed innovative ways to promote its’ members value-added products in offshore markets. In keeping with these new realities, BC Wood has found a safe, effective way for its’ members to participate in the in-person BAU fair in Munich, January 2021.
BAU is the largest and best-known building products show in the European market and the organizers are saying that exhibition space is already over 85% sold out. Held every two years, the BAU typically attracts over 270,000 attendees with some 55,000 of these attendees come from neighboring Western European countries. 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, all the potential customers for wood-based products and building systems are clustered into one display hall.
The market conditions for high-end and recreational housing in Western Europe, including the Alps in France, Germany, and Italy and the Pyrenees region of Spain and France) have remained strong over the past six months. These regional markets offer good opportunities for manufacturers of log and timber frame homes, as well as high-quality finished building materials such as decking, siding, roofing, flooring and millwork, which are all in demand. Specialty lumber such as Douglas-Fir, Hemlock, and a range of hardwoods are also highly sought after by manufacturers in Western European markets.
BC Wood will hire a German national who will represent the interests of BC Wood and its’ members at the BAU. The individual selected has extensive knowledge of Germany’s high-end housing sector and has imported from BC most of the high-value wood products we want to sell in Europe. BC Wood, working with its’ new representative in Germany, will coordinate the design and build-out of a modest size display at the BAU fair for member companies and other Canadian forest products associations. Our new representative will then represent BC Wood and its’ members at the BAU, providing company literature and collecting business leads for further follow up. For more information regarding the BAU show and the opportunity for you to be represented at this event, please contact Brian Hawrysh at bhawrysh@bcwood.com.