International Mass Timber Conference 2022

We are honored to host Arnie Didier, CEO and Founder of Forest Business Network with an interview about the upcoming International Mass Timber Conference in Portland (USA).

The International Mass Timber Conference (MTC) is one of the largest gathering of mass timber experts in the world and focuses on all aspects of mass timber manufacturing and construction, exploring opportunities and obstacles in the timber industry.
This year’s edition will be held at the Oregon Convention Center (Portland, USA) in a dual version: in person April 12-14th and virtual May 12th.

The conference started in 2016 with an educational and networking aim: to connect experts from the entire timber supply chain (designers, architects, builders, producers, logistics, manufacturers, policymakers, and more) and to learn from each’s other experiences.
In only 7 years the number of participants grew from 500 attendees of the first edition to over 1500 in 2022, coming from 30+ different countries and establishing MTC as a landmark in the mass timber environment. Moreover, this year Paul Kremer, founder of the International Association of Mass Timber Construction – the first global association for the mass timber construction movement – will be there with a stand.

The conference idea came from Forest Business Network, which also produces an annual report of the conference, and Portland was chosen as the site of the conference for its commitment and intellectual background regarding timber construction.

What can we expect from this year’s edition?

This year represents the 7th edition, and more than 60 speakers will be present at the 3-days conference to share their experience about completed and ongoing timber projects around the world.
The keynote speakers of 2022’s edition will be Shigeru Ban, the Japanese architect who received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014 for his innovative use of materials, and Jeanne Gang, American architect and founder of the Studio Gang, widely recognized for the “Aqua Tower” awarded with the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2009 as skyscraper of the year.

One of the current challenges in mass timber construction is the total height of its buildings. This is one of the topics we want to explore this year since, in the early 2000s, the majority of mass timber buildings were 2 or 3 storeys, but in 2021 a massive 25-storey apartment tower was built in Milwaukee (Wisconsin, USA). The tallest mass timber building in the US!

Check some of our mass timber projects!

Don’t miss this occasion to meet our director in Portland and discuss the challenges of mass timber buildings together!

In this edition, we also want to navigate the details to maximize timber benefits, from the process of digitization to the off-site and on-site assemble, with four different tracks: 1) Raw Materials and Supply Chains: Best Practices; 2) Development and Construction Principles; 3) The practicals of Mass Timber Design and Engineering; 4) Offsite and Housing

How has the market of mass timber evolved in the past 15 years in North America?

Timber – in North America specifically – is a relatively young market, but it has got a large growing area. In fact, in 2006 there were only 30 active mass timber projects in the US. This number has grown to over 1000 in the past 15 years denoting a growing interest in the mass timber market.
This trend refers not only to private houses, since even big tech companies, such as Google are looking to timber for their new headquarters.

There is a vibrant enthusiasm about timber as a construction material and we are very happy about that.

In your opinion, is the future bright for timber?

Timber is establishing itself as a global phenomenon in the construction market. Every year, we are seeing new challenging buildings in the world, setting new records for taller or larger mass timber structures.
I think that the percentage of timber used in construction will continue to grow in the future, and it’s clearer when we look at the CLT production levels, which have been rising since 2005.

Arnie Didier
COO and Principal /Founder at Forest Business Network

Arnie Didier, Chief Operating Officer and Founder of Forest Business Network have extensive experience in finance, management, and marketing for some of the largest forest products companies in the United States. Arnie leads the sales efforts for the International Mass Timber Conference. Arnie also has considerable experience in supply chain management for the forest industry and holds a BS degree in Forest Products Management from Southern Illinois University.