WOODTALKS™
AT THE GBM

2026 WOODTALKS™ AT THE GBM

BC Wood will be hosting the 23rd Annual Global Buyer’s Mission (GBM), September 10th to 12th, featuring WoodTALKS™ at the GBM, designed to enlighten, inform and inspire on the use of wood in design and construction. This live event, presented by BC’s wood industry suppliers and partners, will explore current Architectural projects and Manufacturing Advancements.

WoodTALKS™ at the GBM is back in full force, providing accredited seminars to architects, designers, developers, and other specifiers.

This year, in addition to the usual GBM activities, we will be holding a symposium that highlights current completed and anticipated high-crafted wood Architectural projects, and your choice of a factory site tour or a Squamish Canyon Tour. Join us for the opportunity to connect with 600+ industry leaders and earn up to 10 accredited learning units.

Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your network, and explore the future of wood design, construction, and manufacturing in one of Canada’s most breathtaking destinations.

For inquiries, please email gbm@bcwood.com.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

Attend upto 10 hours of Educational Learning Sessions: The program is structured across three days and includes:
- Factory site tours on the drive up to Whistler
- Dedicated WoodTALKS sessions on (modular timber housing, prefabrication, and digital design innovation)
- Meet tradeshow exhibitors & attend manufacturer workshops
- WoodTALKS Symposium including a keynote speaker

Access the Full GBM Tradeshow: WoodTALKS registration ($395 CAD) includes full access to the GBM trade show floor and meals – the largest gathering of BC’s value-added wood manufacturers. Attendees can meet suppliers face-to-face, discover new products, and build the kind of supplier relationships that normally take years to develop.

Unique Networking in an Unforgettable Setting: This isn’t a hotel conference room. WoodTALKS and GBM events include:
- Welcome Reception at the Roundhouse Lodge, Whistler Mountain – accessible by gondola, set against stunning mountain views
- Evening Networking Dinner/Reception at the Audain Art Museum – one of Canada’s premier contemporary art venues
- Workshops led by exhibiting manufacturers, and curated networking throughout including a Sip & Learn

Hear From Industry Leaders: Day 3 features a keynote speaker at the WoodTALKS Symposium, and new projects featured by BC Manufacturers and their project partners.

It’s Rare Access: WoodTALKS is invitation-based and tied to the GBM – this is not a publicly listed conference. Architects who attend get exclusive, curated exposure to BC’s wood industry in a way that’s simply not available anywhere else.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

*Registration is from 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM at the Delta Suites, with lunch and the Specifier Workshops to follow

Thursday, September 10

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Site Tours – on the drive up to the GBM in Whistler

Option A – Squamish Canyon: Designing with the Land – Lessons in Timber, Engineering, Stewardship & Craftsmanship (1.5 Educational Hours)

Option B – Timber/Glulam Tour at FraserWood Industries, Squamish, BC (1.5 Educational Hours)

11:30 AM – 12:45 PM: Registration and Lunch – Whistler Conference Centre, Grand Foyer

12:45 PM – 2:45 PM: Modular & Prefabrication Sessions – Whistler Conference Centre, Rainbow Theatre

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM: From Bespoke to Scalable: Rethinking Housing Delivery Through Modular Timber (1 Educational Hour)

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM: A Tale of Two Mass Timbers: How Vienna House & SFU Residence Phase 3 are informing BC’s DASH Program (1 Educational Hour)

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Sip & Learn Networking Forum, Wood as a Driver of Architectural Innovation (1 Educational Hour) – Westin Resort & Spa

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Welcome Reception – Whistler Gondola upload (starts at 6:15 PM- closes at 7:00 PM) to Roundhouse Lodge, Peak of Whistler Mountain

Friday, September 11

8:00 AM– 9:00 AM: Breakfast & Grand Opening Ceremony – Whistler Conference Centre, Grand Foyer

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Trade Show and WoodTALKS Workshops – Whistler Conference Centre, Sea to Sky Ballroom

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: The Power of Partnership: How Strong Industry Connections Win Better Projects and New BIM Toolkits for Collaboration (1 Educational Hour)

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Designing Durable Wood Facades – The Role of Rainscreens/Installation Systems & BC Solutions in Thermally Modified Wood (1 Educational Hour)

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Lunch available on the trade show floor

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM: Western Red Cedar and Pacific HemFir – Natural and Thermally Modified Choices for Architectural Design (1 Educational Hour)

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Beer Garden Open

[NEW] 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Women’s Networking Event at the GBM, co-hosted with Women of Lumber and Forestry (WOLF)* – Whistler Conference Centre

* Pre-registration required; please see the GBM registration email for the link.

6:30 PM – 10:00 PM: GBM International Food Fair & Networking Reception – Whistler Conference Centre, Grand Foyer

Saturday, September 12

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM: Breakfast – Whistler Conference Centre, Valley Foyer

8:45 AM – 12:30 PM: WoodTALKS™ Symposium – Reshaping the Structural Landscape – Whistler Conference Centre, Rainbow Theatre

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM: Opening Remarks

9:00 AM – 11:15 AM: Reshaping the Cultural Landscape – The Povolny Project in Lakeville, Minnesota + Crafting Complexity: Delivering a Double-Curved Timber-and-Glass Pavillion (2 Educational Hours)

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Keynote Speaker – Beyond the Module: Lessons From Designing with Mass Timber Modular (1 Educational Hour)

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch boxes available

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Unaccredited project site visits in Whistler – TBA

The GBM is brought to you by BC Wood