John Chan

Director, Southeast Asia & Greater China Office American Hardwood Export Council

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) 15th Southeast Asia & Greater China Convention will be held on June 18, 2010 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Chengdu, China. This year's theme will be "Sustainable US Hardwood: The Timeless Yet Modern Choice For Interior Design". On behalf of AHEC I cordially invite you and your organization's members and representatives to attend. This is an excellent opportunity for traders, manufacturers and designers to meet US hardwood exporters as well as participate in educational sessions given by an international panel of experts to exchange information and opinions on design, manufacturing and trade issues. Furniture, flooring and door producers, architects and interior designers, developers and the media are most welcome.

Well known designers will be sharing their experiences of the applications of sustainable US hardwoods for interior design, architecture and furniture. Six renowned speakers from the USA, Europe and Asia will make keynote presentations on the following topics: Wood and Green Building; The Environmental Credentials of American Hardwoods; Furniture and Interior Design with Hardwoods; Specification and Use of American Hardwood Lumber and Veneer. In addition, a breakout session on market conditions featuring a panel of speakers from China and Southeast Asia will be held in the afternoon of June 18. The media conference is schedule in the morning of June 17.

Chengdu - home to over 3000 furniture and flooring factories - is a design hub, as well as the financial, economic, cultural and manufacturing centre of Southwest China, all of which make it an ideal city for the AHEC Convention.

Since 1992, AHEC's Hong Kong office has been working continuously to strengthen its cooperation with the timber products processing and design industries in Southeast Asia and Greater China. I would like to thank Chengdu Furniture Industries Chamber of Commerce, Chengdu Interior Decoration Association and CIID Chengdu for supporting this event.

John Chan, Regional Director
AHEC SEA & GRCH