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BC Wood goes virtual amid COVID-19

COVID-19 is changing the way BC’s value-added wood product companies pursue their marketing and sales objectives, and BC Wood is helping lead the way. For individual wood product companies, the virus-related travel and large-group restrictions means more video conferencing with existing clients, and a broad range of online and in-market strategies to secure leads and develop new customers. The latter includes online product brochures, video factory tours and participation at virtual trade shows.

Given its mandate to assist value-added manufacturers prosper, BC Wood is going virtual with all of its business development support activities and services, including its market intelligence and in-market assistance, and efforts to connect wood sellers and buyers — such as the annual Global Buyers Mission. BC Wood is also introducing new programs to help companies adapt to the new business environment such as workshops on“ retooling sales and marketing in a post-Covid-19 world” and “managing a workforce from home.” These timely program changes are made possible thanks to the emergence of new digital tools developed as a result of the restrictions.

The new virtual programs are as follows:

Virtual 2020 Global Buyers Mission

The virtual platform will replicate the GBM experience which has become a one-of-a-kind meeting-place for buyers and sellers of wood products. Utilizing a virtual format, BC Wood expects to attract many more qualified buyers than the 450 that have traditionally attended the in-person event. For more information contact Randi Walker at rwalker@bcwood.com.

Virtual Trade Missions

BC Wood’s in-market representatives will coordinate virtual group meetings of four to six companies with design and construction professionals in the US and Asia. Through participation in these missions wood product companies will develop business contacts and sales leads as well as valuable market intelligence. Target buyers include builders, architects, construction specifiers and building product distributors. For more information on Asia markets contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@bcwood.jp; for North America contact David Farley at dfarley@bcwood.com.

Virtual Marketing Programs and One-to-One Meetings

BC Wood’s in-market representatives in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea will help companies develop virtual market strategies for specific products, find qualified clients, and stick-handle the follow-up. BC Wood will also organize and host one-to-one meetings using its extensive database of contacts and in-depth knowledge of key markets. For more information on Asia markets contact Jim Ivanoff at ivanoff@bcwood.jp; for North America contact David Farley at dfarley@bcwood.com, and for South Korea contact JC Lee at JCLee@bcwood.com.

Virtual Trade Events

BC Wood will offer companies the opportunity to participate in virtual trade shows and conferences that are delivered by third parties or in some cases by BC Wood itself. Many of the organizers of traditional wood products and construction sector trade shows are rapidly developing and delivering virtual alternatives, including several established conferences that match manufacturers with architects, builders and wholesale distributors. For more information contact Randi Walker at rwalker@bcwood.com.

Virtual Capacity Building

BC Wood will deliver virtual workshops on business development and marketing topics that help companies adapt to the new business environment and continue to grow their markets and sales. Example topics include “Managing a Workforce from Home,” “Retooling Sales and Marketing in a post COVID-19 World” and “How to Produce Videos For Effective Communication.” For more information contact Rumin Mann at rmann@bcwood.com.

This article was originally published by the Tree Frog Forestry News.