SHANGHAI, CHINA—Anyone interested in learning about the growing flooring demand in Asia; the differences in channels—Europe vs. U.S. vs. 
Asia—environmental and legal issues affecting the industry, including an update on the ITC investigation; the growing pressure, opportunities and influence of sustainable building, or why marketing the environmental advantages of wood flooring is more important now more than ever should attend the Wood Flooring Forum (WFF) on March 21 here.
Scheduled to take place the day before Domotex asia/Chinafloor (DACF) opens, WFF is an overview of opportunities, obstacles and innovations in major flooring markets and the driving influence of sustainability and is geared toward industry executives, buyers and marketers, noted Jim Gould, president of the Floor Covering Institute and strategic director of the WFF.
The all-day event features a short, formal general session with an overview of key forces affecting the global flooring industry followed by a panel discussion by major wood flooring manufacturers including Armstrong, PowerDekor and Nature.
This will be followed by afternoon breakout sessions, which offer intimate access to experts and practical information on market issues, channels and practices. Sessions will be presented in two tracks— one with an Eastern market focus and the other concentrating on Western markets.
Among the breakout sessions will be a panel discussion moderated by Matthew Spieler, senior executive editor of Floor Covering News. Titled, “Western Expectations from the Buyers,” the panel will include Frederik Dreesman of Home Décor International and Rob Banks of Canada’s BuildDirect. The other panelists, including a large buyer from the U.S., were still being finalized at press time.
Some notable people confirmed to participate in the event include Frank Ready, executive vice president of Armstrong World Industries and CEO of Armstrong Floor Products Worldwide; Ed Korczak, executive director/CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association; Guo Hei, president of Power-Dekor, China’s largest flooring manufacturer with more than 2,300 retail stores; Raymond Yuen, deputy general manager of manufacturer Elegant Living with more than 800 retail stores in China; Jurgen Fruchtenicht, editor of Parkett Magazin and president of the European Federation of Parquet Importers, a Brussels-based association of leading European importers of engineered and solid wood floorings, and Ruud Steenvorden, a noted expert on European channels and logistics.
WFF will take place at the Kerry Hotel in Pudong, Shanghai, just minutes from the DACF venue. Cost to attend is $280 but you can register as a “friend of the Floor Covering Institute” for a reduced rate of $99, which includes lunch and translation services. Doors open at 8 a.m. to allow time to pick up materials and translation equipment, and the event begins at 9 a.m.
For more information or to register, contact Gould at 314.812.2700.
Complete details of the event are available on the WFF website.