Summary
• Carrefour International du Bois 2006 had 468 exhibitors and more than 9,000 visitors.
• Around 23% of exhibitors and 15% of visitors are from outside France.
• The show has an exclusive timber and wood products focus.
It’s not surprising that growing numbers of UK and Irish visitors are beating a path to Nantes. They can now fly there direct from a choice of airports and the city, sitting on a gentle curve of the Loire, has obvious appeal. It boasts windy, cobbled streets crammed with restaurants (seafood and local wines a speciality), scenic parks, a Gothic cathedral and, completing the picture-postcard perfection, a huge, 15th century chateau looking majestically out over the river.
Add to all this being voted the city offering the best quality of life in France (by the French), and it’s difficult to see how you could increase the allure of the place. But for timber traders the organisers of the Carrefour International du Bois exhibition believe they can. Their biennial show, they maintain, adds a valuable business incentive for visiting Nantes.
The Carrefour, held in the city’s Beaujoire exhibition complex, is the major showcase for the French timber sector and with its exclusive wood focus (there’s no machinery), is among the biggest and busiest of its kind for the industry in Europe. Last year it attracted 468 exhibitors and a record 9,050 visitors, with 23% of the former and 15% of the latter coming from abroad.
Wide spectrum
“The whole spectrum of the French timber trade is represented at the show,” said Samantha Padden, the exhibition’s British-born, French-resident co-ordinator. “The biggest exhibitor group are the sawmills, with such leading companies as Ducerf, Eurochêne, Monnet Seve and Piveteau Bois, but we also have importers, distributors and manufacturers of flooring, panels and engineered wood products, with some of the leading names in these markets including BerryWood, Belipa and Isoroy.” Overseas exhibitors also cover the timber supply and processing spectrum, among them Vandecasteele, Willy Carpentier, Scierie Fruytier, Woodlam, Finnforest, SCA, Nordlam, Stora Enso, Thermopal Binderholz and Tilly.
While continuing to grow in recent years, the Carrefour has also developed and diversified, with its latest major development being the launch of a new section, “Timber Techniques & Solutions”. This focuses on the timber construction market and exhibitors include timber building components suppliers, timber frame and other wood-based construction businesses.
Nantes has many attractions for visitors
“Timber building across Europe has had an incredible boom, growing at around 20% a year, so it was logical to dedicate space specifically to it,” said Ms Padden. “Products on show in 2006 ranged from engineered timber beams, cladding and structural panels, to whole timber construction systems.”
The Carrefour also includes a programme of presentations and seminars on key industry issues, most with simultaneous translation reflecting the make-up of the audience. In 2006, The American Hardwood Export Council was among the sponsors of this part of the event.
“Besides developing the Carrefour as a venue for doing business, we are also making it an international networking opportunity for the timber industry; a forum where it can address key commercial and developmental issues,” said Ms Padden.
UK and Irish interest
UK and Irish timber traders do not make up the biggest overseas visitor contingent (to date that has generally been the Belgians), but their numbers have grown over the years – and Ms Padden maintains it would be a valuable date to add to their diaries for many more.
“It’s becoming increasingly widely known as a prime venue for the International Timber trade to do business. Visitors can see the full range of timber and wood products offered by the French industry, plus a large number of leading suppliers from other countries, and it’s all under one roof in a compact, manageable space. In fact, to make it a more comfortable, user-friendly environment, we insist that all exhibitors, big and small, have the same-sized stand. That puts everyone on an equal footing and ensures no company is over-shadowed.”
Of course, the Carrefour has the added benefit of being in Nantes, which has attractions all of its own.
“After a day of meetings and touring or manning the stands at the show, visitors and exhibitors can finish off with a shellfish platter and a glass or two of fine Loire-valley wine,” said Ms Padden.
The next Carrefour Internationale du Bois takes place in Nantes from May 28-30, 2008. For information visit www.timbershow.com; tel +33 2 40 73 01 68.
