Jim Ivanoff | [email protected]
For the second year in a row, BC Wood exhibited on behalf of the Canadian wood products industry at the “Hotel Restaurant Show”, better known as HoteRes, at Tokyo’s Big Sight from February 19th to 22nd. This is the largest show in Japan for the hospitality industry and covers everything for that sector from building products to industrial coffee machines. The show takes up all eight of Big Sights East Halls with over 67,000 attendees coming through over the 4 days.
Our purpose for taking part in this show is to target specifiers involved with resort projects in Japan. This show is unique in that it attracts both architect and builders as well as the owners and upper management of resort properties. Last year we exhibited with a WRC themed single booth. This time we focused on furniture and finishings which proved to be very attractive for the show visitors. Over the four days we collected almost 200 new contacts that will help us develop new leads for our log & timberframe, furniture, millwork, and engineered wood sectors.
In collaboration with the Japan Commercial Design (JCD) Association, BC Wood also hosted a kick-off event in our showroom on the first night of the show. The night started with a talk on North American furniture trends and also included a tour of the neighbouring Log Road facility which demonstrates the use of WRC on an urban, commercial project. BC Wood has been engaging the JCD more and more as their designer/architect members are heavily involved with hotel and resort projects across Japan as well as in many parts of Asia.
With the continued growth in Japan’s inbound tourism market leading to more and more new developments as well as renovation projects, BC Wood is increasing efforts to develop and nurture key contacts in the hospitality industry. The HoteResu Show is one key activity that helps us deliver on that strategy.