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Article Excerpt
The site of the 57th Forest Products Society Annual Meeting is Bellevue, Washington, which is located just 3 miles east of Seattle, between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish, and about 10 miles west of the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Bellevue's resident population of 117,000 and daily workforce of about 121,000 make it Washington's fifth-Largest city. Bellevue is a prosperous, increasingly diverse city that has evolved from a "bedroom community" into the economic and cultural hub of the Seattle area's Eastside. The city has developed its downtown core into a major business and retail center while maintaining the safe, comfortable family neighborhoods for which it has long been popular.
Bellevue offers a broad array of cultural and recreational opportunities. This thriving, dynamic city is home to some of the Puget Sound region's finest performing arts organizations. The newly expanded Bellevue Art Museum opened in January 2001 after a successful fundraising campaign of over $23 million. In addition, Bellevue is home to the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, several art galleries, the annual Bellevue Art Museum Fair, more than 100 artworks displayed in public places, summer lunch time concerts, and an annual jazz festival.
Bellevue is widely known as the "City in the Park," and has preserved over 1,727 acres of parks and open spaces, with nearly 40 miles of trails for walking or biking. Ten of these city parks are on the water. Bellevue Downtown park provides 20 acres of green space in the heart of downtown, with formal gardens, a 14-foot waterfall and a reflecting pool. The Bellevue Botanical Gardens attract visitors from all over the world, and they have been featured in national and international magazines.
While the rather serene atmosphere of Bellevue has its advantages, Annual Meeting attendees will also want to experience the many offerings of downtown Seattle, just a quick 15-minute ride from Bellevue. The Companion and Youth program tours will incorporate various Seattle downtown attractions.
The 2003 Annual Meeting begins on Sunday, June 22nd, and concludes with the traditional Paul Bunyan Party on Wednesday evening, June 25th. On Sunday morning, the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST) is conducting their Annual Technical Meeting, which will run from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (including lunch) and includes a session on "Wood Science and Technology in the BioBased Economy." Sunday afternoon's Technical Sessions, which are cosponsored by SWST and FPS, will feature programs on theoretical and practical aspects of drying softwood lumber, pulp and paper, and wood and product quality as affected by forest management practices. A Technical Forum with poster presentations related to biology, chemistry, wood anatomy and quality, and physics and moisture relations will follow the Technical Sessions. Sunday evening's Host Reception, sponsored jointly by the Pacific Northwest Section and SWST, will offer attendees the opportunity to meet new colleagues and renew old acquaintances.
Industry Focus Day
The theme of this year's Industry Focus Day on Monday morning, June 23, is "Engineered Wood Products in the Pacific Rim: Technology Making a Difference." This half-day session will explore several of the technological developments emanating from both sides of the Pacific Ocean, and their influence on established and emerging markets. Several perspectives will be offered, ranging from industry trade associations, to government and academic research institutions from both North America and Asia. The session, moderated by Robert J. Tichy, Research Engineer, Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, will include the following presentations: "The Asian Market: Illusion or Opportunity?" by David L. Rogoway, President, APA--The Engineered Wood Association, Tacoma, Washington; "Technology and the Changing Markets in Japan and China" by Ivan L. Eastin, Professor and Associate Director, and Paul Boardman, Professor and Director, Center for International Trade in Forest Products (CINTRAFOR ), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; "Engineered Wood Materials in China" by Kelin Ye, Professor and Director, Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, People's Republic of China; "Trends in Engineered Wood...
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