Program

Friday 5 – Sunday 7 April, 2013 - Gallipoli

A possible pre- conference tour of the famous WWI battle grounds of Gallipoli where the Turkish army and armies from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and France clashed for several months in 1915 - 1916, in one of the bloodiest campaigns of that war. A senior Commander of the Turkish army, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk later became the founding father of modern Turkey.

Monday 8 April, 2013 - Pre conference field trip

A field visit to the world's largest single site (500,000 sq. metres, producing 3,500 m3 of MDF per day) MDF production complex owned by Yildiz Entegre A.S. They import woodchips from several European countries with a limited capacity. Generally we are buying woodchips from North and South American countries, Brazil ,Venezuela and Canada and exports wood panels to several markets. A visit to the Yildiz Entegre woodchip import port close by will also be included.

Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 April, 2013 - Conference

Two days of conference presentations covering a wide range of global and regional woodchip and woody biomass resources, exports, trading company, shipping company and end user trends. The program will include four keynote presentations on:

The growth and outlook for international pulp production and demand
The growth and outlook for international wood based panel production and demand
The growth and outlook in bulk sea transportation of pulpwood woodchips, and biomass woodchips and pellets
The growing role of very short rotation energy tree plantation crops in Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa.

In addition, there will be two very popular panel sessions covering specialised topics and new projects.

Presentation topics and speakers are being finalised and will be updated on the web site over the next few weeks.

Thursday 11 and Friday 12 April, 2013 - Post Conference field trip

A 1-2 day field trip to Western Hungary (via a short flight from Istanbul to Vienna, Austria) to visit US Timber Investment Management Organisation (TIMO) RMK Timberlands- owned 3 year rotation hybrid poplar plantations, including planting, harvesting and chipping; and a visit to a biomass power plant using this woodfibre for energy.

The Conference timetable overview:

[Possible pre- conference tour] Friday 5 April: Travel from Istanbul to Canakkale- Gallipoli
Saturday 6 April: Visit Gallipoli battlegrounds
Sunday 7 April: Return to Istanbul
Conference Pre-registration
Monday 8 April: One day field trip to the Yildiz Entegre MDF manufacturing complex and woodchip import port
Conference Pre-registration and welcome
Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 April: Two day conference
Thursday 11 April: Fly from Istanbul to Vienna and on to Hungary to visit RMK Timberlands hybrid poplar plantations and operations
Friday 12 April: Continue field trip and visit to a biomass power- heat station
Friday 12 April (evening) tour to conclude at Vienna airport.