Show puts timber on construction stage

The timber sector is one of the most ambitious and dynamic parts of UK construction, yet often bound by an old-fashioned and sluggish approach to market development.

For many years, the industry has spent too much time speaking to itself rather than engaging properly with its customer base. There is a degree of apathy to adopting new approaches and methods of interacting with those outside the hallowed timber circle.

This is something we at Radar Communications are trying to change, not just with the impending Timber Expo at Coventry's Ricoh Arena and the ProTimber Summit the day before the show, but via regular timber-related events, such as a Timber Buyers' Forum and the Fabric First and Solid Wood Solutions exhibitions. The aim is to bring timber's huge structural, aesthetic and environmental benefits to the mainstream built environment.

It is vital that in the face of competition from other materials, the timber industry promotes itself and its latest amazing levels of innovation. Currently, concrete and steel industries market themselves far better.

The challenge from non-timber structural solutions is a huge one, but has to be tackled full-on with a more dynamic and cogent approach to promotion of timber's material benefits, supply-chain dynamics and processing capabilities.

Marketing and communications have changed, with new and social media opening up a world of digital and mobile channels, which are ready to be exploited. It has also never been easier to combine pan-industry investment to hammer home the zero carbon benefits that only timber can deliver. I am often stunned at how little some parts of the timber sector actually do to market themselves, but perhaps the sector prefers more traditional forms of communication - face-to-face with established and trusted relationships or networks?

To address this approach we partnered with TRADA to create Timber Expo which has grown phenomenally since its September 2011 launch. Feedback on the show has been incredible, but frustratingly we have still failed to engage with some of the sector's major players - the ones that should stand fully behind 'their' event, as did our loyal early adopters.

This year's show is just around the corner and shaping up once again to be the main gathering ground for anyone involved with timber projects or wishing to learn and understand more about timber and timber techniques. Visitor registrations are up and the level of exhibitor and sponsorship involvement is extremely encouraging, as we already begin to focus on the 2013 event.

Events matter and most of the timber industry will testify that networking and face-to face business development matters more than ever in these austere times. We've created a focal point for the sector and, more slowly than we'd like but surely, we are gaining momentum.

We are engaging with new industry partners, encouraging collaboration, facilitating discussion, transferring knowledge and, above all, engaging with the clients, developers, architects, contractors and engineers who will take the timber industry to the next level by embracing the best of what we have on display and spreading the word on what's possible with timber.

It's not the best kept construction secret anymore, so we hope to see you at Timber Expo and we keep a firmly open mind for developing this platform further and faster in 2013. Please give us your feedback at darren.richards@radar-communications.co.uk.