TRIDS ry

Marks Forest Products Co.. Birmingham, Al. "If you're anybody in the business, you can't afford not to be there. All the front-line buyers and sellers are there in the same room."

And. while overall attendance continues to grow, Marks also has noticed "an increase in the number of upper management people, who want to see what all the talk is about. I've seen Duane McDougall in the Willamette booth and Duncan Davies in the Interfor booth."

According to Amy Curtis, Curtis Lumber & Plyrvood, Alexandria, Va., "Anyone and anything you want to see is there mill representatives. new products, even competitors and associates, who share many of the same problems and concerns."

', Look Who's Talking

The market's packed aisles and high energy encourage an open, talkative atmosphere that helps wholesalers keep current. "With industry consolidation and continued market changes, it makes sense to attend and stay up with the industry every year," Roberts & Dybdahl's Roberts said.

"The chance to see so many people heips me stay up on the latest industry gossip," said Bob Bell, BolenBrunson-Bell Lumber, Memphis, Tn. "You'll hear things that you don't hear over the phone. Every year, I pick up a lot of things. I debate every year whether to return, I finally decide to go, and when I get back I always decide it was worth it."

7. s,rct a Deal

A primary reason for the show's success is its affordability to attend as well as to exhibit. Money is not an obstacle to anyone attending or exhibiting. There are no three-storytall, million-dollar booths. In fact, the show was originally designed for a small, no frills hotel at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. "With the cheap venue at DFW, we had a captured type of audience. But we quickly outgrew it," said Marks, a past chairman of the Traders Market committee. ffimfumw#wffiffi

The market's current quarters, at the snazzier Anatole, is away from the airport and, of course, more expensive. Still, NAWLA remains committed to keeping costs down. "We realize we have a golden goose and we're determined to do the things to keep it golden," Marks said.

"It's reasonable to attend," confirmed Cascade Empire's Haroldson. "You get a good bang for your buck. You receive a huge opportunity to network, more than you could ever do on the road traveling."

Thursdoy, fttober ll

Noon-9 p.m. Exhibitor Set-up

5:30-7 p.m. Earlybird Cocktail Party

Iridoy,0ciober 12

8-11:30 a.m. Exhibitor Set-up

Continues

8-10:30 a.m. Educational Program: "Guaranteed Successful Selling through Listening" by Dr. Manny K. Steil

11:45 a.m.- 1p.rn. All Delegate

Lunchon & Keynote Presentation: "Rebuild a Brand--or Build a New One from Scratch; The Rise, Fall & Rise of Harley-Davidson" by Ken Schmidt

1:15-5:30 p.m. Traders Market Open

5:30-6:30 p.m. Ice Breaker Reception

Soturdcy,0ctober 13

8-9:15 a.m. Magellan Club

Breakfast*: "Global Influences on the North American Wood hoducts Market" Dr. Sam Shenill, C.C. Crow Publications

* Requires separate registration

9:30-10 a.m. Educational hogram: "Softwood Lumber Agreement Update" by Jon Anderson, Random I*ngths ll a.m.-4 p.m. Traders Market OPen Noon-1:45 p.m. All-Delegate

Luncheon

5-6 p.m. Lumber Trader's Happy Hour

8. No waste

Time is also money. So, the Traders Market isn't held in the middle of the week and it doesn't last for four or five days. There aren't days filled with endless speeches. The agenda is bare bones, with a handful of targeted seminars coinciding with two days on the show floor, four hours the first day, five hours the next.

"It's very much a working show, and very well organized," said AmY Curtis, Curtis Lumber & Plywood, Alexandria, Va. "In general, I'm not a big fan of trade shows. They take you away from the office and give you an excuse to spend money. This is the exception. I love that it takes place over a Friday and Saturday, so you're only out of your office one day-or two if you need to fly in early to set up a booth. It's very convenient and easy to get in and out of Dallas from about anywhere."

ll 7 Qualified Attendance

Faced with exhibitor complaints of low attendance, other trade shows have loosened their attendance requirements to get more bodies on their show floors. The Traders Market, on the other hand, prequalifies visitors by restricting admission to "bona fide wholesalers," including wholesaler-processors, foreign wholesalers, and off-shore agents. Manufacturers, service providers and importers are eligible to attend only if they exhibit.

That means no manufacturer representatives. retailers. buying cooperatives, builders, contractors or nonexhibiting primary manufacturers, service providers or importers may attend.

Exhibitors also are scrutinized.

Most manufacture wood Products, although several producers of related services (such as software); related products (such as hardware), and competing products (such as composites) have been allowed-to the displeasure of some lumber producers. But, in the end, the show should benefit the wholesalers, who increasingly are adding companion and substitute products to their inventories.

7 0. vou'llBe Back

And, of course, there's no time to visit the Traders Market like the first time. The same two representatives from Lumberman's Wholesale regularly attend the market, with a different associate each year. Keltner said, "Phil Duke and myself go every Year, because we have the most contacts, and we usually bring someone from the engineering department or someone from sales and let their eyes be opened to all the different products. Occasionally we take mill trips, but this is like taking 100 mill trips in one weekend."

About 26 salespeople from NorPac will attend this year, several for the first time. Unfortunately, with over 320 total salespeople, the company

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