"Cluote" Yof .u. MOnth

"When p:rtners can't agree, their business fares disastrously. "

- Ivan Krylov []769-rA4l

Conferences In Cyberspace

Did you miss the Nov. 2 forestry conference in Beaverton, Or., or the Nov. 7-8 wood residue conference in British Columbia? Not to worry, the meetings are still going on in cyberspace.

Those unable to physically attend the conferences will have access over the next few months to "virtual conferences" over the World Wide Web. The conference speakers were recorded and their audio presentations converted to digital files. A Web user is now able to click on a list of conference speakers and listen to one or all of them. The user can also follow the audio with a printed transcript.

By early December, users will be able to view a multimedia presentation similar to a slide show from their computer monitor. Conference papers, charts and graphs will be posted on the Web page to allow users to collect additional data. Users can also post questions or comments.

"Virtual conferences offer an opportunity for users to obtain information from conferences without having to spend thousands of dollars for travel and time expenses," said Martin Desmond, president of ForestNet. "Our company will be pushing the technological envelope to make virnral conferences a cost-effective mechanism to transmit information in our increasingly busy world."

The meetings can be reached via the Internet at http://www.forestnet. com./log&saw.html and http://www. forestnet.com./westfor/wfca. html.

WHO'S H00: Attendino Hoo-Hoo International's 103rd annual conv'ention Sept. 10-14 at the Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wi., were (1) Kevin MacPhee, Tom Lynn, Tom Stumpf. (2) Bernie Barber, Bob Johnson, Jimmy Jones, Bill Harley. (3) Bruce Bell, Jan-Everts Hermans, Jack Jacobson, John Bowles. (4) Neil Carr, Andy Blackwell. (5) Doug Howick, Al Meier. (6) Kevin Kelly, Dick Wilson, Lee Roberts. (7) Von Simpson, Dan Brown, Frank Aranza. (8) Charles Cabe, Beth Thomas, Anita Cabe. (9) Fred Frudd, Dave Rinell. (10) Tony Vecchiolla, Al Dummer, Jane Smart. (11) (back row) Tom O'Meara, Ed Foley, Patti Stasiak, Mary O'Meara Moynihan, Jim O'Meara; (seated) Kevin Kelly, Ed Roche. The forest products fraternity's next annual meeting is in Australia, Seot. 1 996.

Plastic Leads Fence Growth

Plastic fencing is the strongest growth market for factory fence products, with sales increasrng 2l.6Vo annually over the last eight years to about $56 million in 1995.

Overall factory fence product shipments in dollars have risen 8% annually since 1987 to reach an estimatcd $1.2 billion this year, according to Specialists in Business Inforrnation.

Slower growth is forecast over the next five years, with shiprnents projected to rise 5.5% annually to $1.6 billion fbr the year 2000.