I am pleased to announce the 14th Annual SEA & GRCH AHEC Convention will be held in Shenyang, Liaoning on June 10-11, 2009 at the Sheraton Shenyang Hotel.

Shenyang, the capital and commercial and economic centre of Liaoning and the centre of China's Northeastern Province, provides great opportunity for interior design, furniture and timber products manufacturing including doors and flooring.

Liaoning province has registered over 1200 furniture companies in 2007 with a solid foundation, employed over 120,000 workers with total furniture production(mainly solid furniture) value at RMB 13 billion among which US$460 million were for exports. The total annual production of flooring and cabin values at RMB4 billion = US$590 million in 2007.

Liaoning is the most southern of China’s three northeastern provinces and is the gateway to the area the Changchun and Helianjian provinces. Liaoning is also the gateway to Japan and Korea, becoming the most important trade partners and manufacturing centre with Japan and Korea.

I would like to thank our supporting organization-The Liaoning Furniture Association comprised of 375 furniture companies, 300 flooring and door companies. The industry is seeking for higher quality timber to improve yield and productivity for furniture design and manufacturing.

On behalf of the American Hardwood Export Council SEA & GRCH, I cordially invite you and your organization members and representatives to attend the convention, the VIP reception and the breakout sessions and also, to meet the AHEC members, keynote speakers, media and panelists.

The convention themed "The Sustainability and Diversity of US Hardwoods Manufacturing and Design Solution" is scheduled on June 11, 2009 with the media conference scheduled on June 10. Both events will be held at the Sheraton Shenyang Hotel, Shenyang, Liaoning, China. In sharing the experience of the applications of US hardwoods for furniture, interior design and flooring manufacturing, six world renowned speakers from North Carolina,, Washington DC, of USA, Hong Kong and UK will make keynote presentations.

Who should attend: Architects, interior designers, furniture designers and producers, flooring and door producers, media and magazines editors and also, professors of architecture and interior design academies and everyone else interested in US hardwoods.

AHEC's Hong Kong office has worked to strengthen our presence in Southeast Asia and Greater China in the past seventeen years. Moving forward, AHEC will continue to enhance its effort to promote US hardwoods: a sustainable and diversity hardwood resource as manufacturing & design solution.

John Chan, Regional Director
AHEC SEA & GRCH