TIMBER MART’s First Hybrid Buying Show Kicks Off

TIMBER MART’s National Buying Show kicked off in Toronto, ON, Thursday with an anticipated 1,000 dealers and vendors expected to attend the two-day event. After a couple of years of virtual shows, this year is the group’s first hybrid event with the virtual cloud-based tradeshow platform taking place at the same time as the in-person event. In addition, a show app has been introduced this year to communicate pertinent show information, allow for online chat between attendees, and schedule appointments between dealers and vendors. “After a couple of years of virtual shows, you can see, overwhelmingly, the vendor community and the dealer community love getting back together one on one,” says Bernie Owens, president and chief executive officer of TIMBER MART. "In the last couple of years, a lot of new people that have entered into the vendor community, so this is an opportunity to start building those new relationships.” The show features the TIMBER MART hub, which showcases services and programs such as lumber and building materials (LBM) distribution, dealer marketing, procurement, merchandising, and banner support. Several hundred vendors have their products on display along with business solutions. In light of its partnership with the CFL, the CFL Grey Cup is prominently positioned on the show floor for photo opportunities.