‘Dubai WoodShow Forum 2010’ highlights challenges and opportunities in tapping into Middle East wood market

‘Dubai WoodShow Forum 2010’ highlights challenges and opportunities in tapping into Middle East wood market

Interactive presentations to help industry professionals enhance skills and capabilities offered through ‘Dubai WoodShow Workshops’

April 14, 2010

The inaugural ‘Dubai WoodShow Forum 2010’, a series of exclusive keynote sessions currently being held as part of the ‘Dubai WoodShow 2010’, the Middle East's biggest wood-focused exhibition of its kind, is highlighting the challenges and opportunities in tapping into the Middle East wood market. The 4-hour conference is being held daily during the show’s three-day run from April 13 to 15, 2010 at the Dubai Airport Expo, and is supported by AHEC as the ‘Official Knowledge Partner’ and the American University in Dubai as the ‘Academic Partner’. Interactive presentations to help industry professionals enhance their skills and capabilities are also underway at the ‘Dubai WoodShow Workshops 2010’, another new activity at the ‘Dubai WoodShow 2010’.

The first day of the Forum focused the spotlight on logistics, with talks on the subject delivered by two high level officials from Damco Middle East (formerly Maerks) - Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Elwine, who discussed ‘Logistics & Supply Chain for the Wood Sector in the Middle East’; and Chief Operations Officer Steffen Steensbaek, who presented a case study on ‘Identifying the Key Requirement for Successful Logistics Partnership Selection’. In addition, Mohammed Al Banna, Vice President, Economic Zones World (JAFZA) - UAE, also talked about the perspective of logistics hubs developer and free zone authorities on scalable and flexible logistics opportunities for the fast growing and transforming needs of the wood industry.

With a focus on sustainability and green building, the second day of the forum witnessed a broad discourse on the latest regulations, policies and trends in the wood industry. Rupert Oliver, Director, Forest Industry Intelligence (UK), Orn Gudmundsson, Chairman, American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) - USA, and Nabyl Chenaf, Chair, Architecture and Interior Design Department, American University of Dubai, UAE will lead the discussions. The forum will conclude with several talks that will review forward-looking trends and technological innovations on the woods sector, and will feature leading experts including Michael Pfeifer, President, M+M Wood Solutions (Canada), Joseph Hamouch, President, J. Hamouch Lumber (France), Tom Johnston, General Manager, BM Trada - Middle East; and Alasdair McGregor, Business Development Executive, BM Trada Certification.

“Expansion, diversification, and further growth opportunities are the goals we have set for this year’s show and the motivation for the introduction of the ‘Dubai WoodShow Forum’ to our annual agenda,” said Dawood Al Shezawi, Managing Director, Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions. “We are anticipating excellent results for the Forum in terms of the value of information exchanged and the networks bridged during its inaugural edition.”

Representatives from the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), BM TRADA Certification and HOMAG Group (Germany) are conducting the ‘Dubai WoodShow Workshops 2010’, which offers small groups of 20-30 registered delegates reliable methodologies and tactical reviews of their operational requirements. The workshops’ curriculum includes both European and American timber grading sessions, which was presented by Bob Sabistina, Grading Consultant, AHEC, during the opening day.

A lecture on sustainability and certification for the timber industry, delivered by Alasdair McGregor, Business Development Executive, BM Trada, was one of the highlights of the second day. The final day of the workshops, which will include an onsite visit to the Homag Training Centre & Laboratory in Jebel Ali, Dubai, will be followed by a discourse on sanding and finishing technologies by Finishing Technology Expert Joachim Voigt from Venjakob Maschinenbau (Germany) and Paul Mosley, a Sanding Technology Expert from Butfering Shleiftechnik (Germany).

“The high impact discussions within the Forum and the Workshops covers a wide range of issues, which will provide a practical learning experience for players, especially in terms of generating revenues, reducing costs and unlocking the unexplored market opportunities, particularly in the Middle East region. I believe that ‘Dubai WoodShow 2010’ holds significant potential to create a major effect on the wood industry through high value information exchange and the vast opportunity it is providing executives from across the globe for networking and expansion, and we look forward to utilizing the response we have obtained this year to offer our features on a bigger scale in the coming years.” concluded Al Shezawi.


About Dubai WoodShow 2010
‘Dubai WoodShow 2010’ aims to provide business opportunities to its participants by enhancing the confidence of manufacturers and traders and facilitating high value sales transactions. The event features the participation of major technology brands in the world covering the entire production chain in the wood sector. They will showcase top quality lumber and highly-polished hardwood, in addition to environmentally friendly systems of processing they employ for all wood types. The 2010 edition is dubbed as the largest exhibition of wood and woodworking machinery in the Middle East, and is expected to witness the successful participation of more than 150 companies from 40 countries.