Preview
Carrefour International du Bois (F)
NEW PRESIDENT, NEW IMPETUS AFTER FOUR LONG YEARS, THE SHOW IN NANTES CAN FINALLY BRING WOOD PROFESSIONALS TOGETHER AGAIN On the last day of the Carrefour International Wood Show in 2018, no one could have imagined that it would be another four years until the next edition. Now that the fight against covid 19 finally seems to be (almost) over, the players can attempt to set new record figures during the show’s thirtieth anniversary. To remind you, in 2018, the 563 exhibitors welcomed a record 11,500 visitors.
with wood playing a major part. This show is a unique and ideal place for wood consumers and users to meet each other. It’s also a place for manufacturers, traders, institutions, and such like to find solutions for all their needs. Carrefour is undeniably a summit for sharing insights and perspectives on the present markets, but it’s also the opportunity par excellence for visitors to replenish their stocks.’
The biannual Carrefour International Wood Show saw the light of day in 1992, with Pierre Piveteau as president. The aim was to organise a show for the entire wood industry. Carrefour was designed to attract the major players from the wood industry for an exchange of views about all sorts of subjects related to wood and, therefore, wooden floors as well. The venue was the Exhibition Park in Nantes, and that’s still the venue today.
Various seminars and talks will take centre stage and wood as a raw material is the main theme.
New president: Jean Piveateau During the anniversary edition, the 16th in total, visitors will certainly notice one visible change. The familiar face of Pierre Piveteau is being replaced by that of his brother Jean. Jean Piveteau took over as president in October 2021 and led his first committee meeting on 26 October. And so, he’s ideally placed to talk about the hopes and ambitions of the show, which runs from 1 to 3 June inclusive. He’s certainly making his debut during a turbulent period, not only due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, but also and especially due to the effects of those things on the wood market, which is under more pressure than ever. On the one hand, there is an ever increasing demand for wood, but, on the other hand, there are growing tensions on the market.
Important themes for new seminar formats
Jean Piveteau concludes: ‘The sector has to reassure users of our material. There’s enough wood in the forests. For instance, each year, only 80% of the biological growth of French forests is cut. As a show, we want to offer three new seminar formats as an extension of that: round tables ‘in long format’, televised seminars on our own set, and pitchformats in the innovation area in hall 1.’
Visit the Floor Forum International booth In keeping with tradition, your favourite professional medium has a stand to welcome our clients, readers, and other interested parties. The Floor Forum and Floor Forum International stand will once again be an ideal place for an informal chat or business discussions. You can familiarise yourself with our various publications (the Franco-Benelux and international ones) and we can look ahead together to what 2022 has to offer. You are welcome in Hall 3, booth H 2 !
Jean Piveteau comments: ‘This show is an essential instrument for the industry. When my brother Pierre founded the show, with the organisation by the interprofessional Fibois Pays de Loire in co-operation with the port of Nantes, the idea was to set up a tool to enable companies in the wood industry to exhibit their products and know-how. Carrefour Wood Show soon proved a great success and took on an international dimension in terms of both exhibitors and visitors.’
Stands are selling fast The new president has noticed that there is a great desire from the market to meet again. Obviously, there are no definitive figures as yet, but stands are selling fast. ‘Stand sales have been very encouraging and this illustrates the need for the sector to meet again. Both exhibitors and visitors have plenty to talk about after four long years of ‘isolation’. There’ll certainly be plenty to talk about now that we’ve seen how the use of wood and derivatives is scaling great heights in all sectors and in all parts of daily life.’ ‘I’m certainly not surprised that wood is doing so well. I think it’s linked to the spirit of the age, where we’re undergoing an energy transition,
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Some exhibitors Denderwood Denderwood, 3rd generation family business based in Erpe-Mere, Belgium, is specialized in importing and processing of tropical hardwoods (Asia, Africa & South America). Quality is key: “We are
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