From June 10-12th, I attended the NeoCon Design Show in Chicago. Alongside Chief Inspector Dana Spessert, Chief Operating Officer Renee Hornsby, and Chief Development Officer John Hester, we operated the Real American Hardwood booth, funded by NHLA with USFS grant monies. Our booth was in the Climate Smart Pavilion, where we showcased the North American Hardwood Species Guides and displayed samples of 14 common Hardwood species. Thousands of attendees visited the show floor and stopped by our booth. We handed out hundreds of species guides, which were very popular. People were eager to handle the wood and explore the unique features of each species. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. A piece of wood is worth a million. Why? There’s nothing quite like the tangible experience of feeling the wood versus hearing flat information.
My main takeaway from the show is that the experience of touching, feeling, and creating is more valuable than just providing information. The booths that attracted the most attention were those offering engaging, hands-on experiences. For instance, Behr Paints had an interactive painting station where attendees could paint a large ceramic bear, while other booths featured craft activities and takeaways. While our species guides offered a tactile experience that attendees enjoyed seeing and touching, we realized it wasn’t enough. For our future shows, we plan to create a more interactive experience, possibly allowing attendees to make charcuterie boards from small wood blocks or participate in other hands-on crafts. It’s essential for them to connect with the wood in a meaningful way.
I’ve observed a similar phenomenon when taking my kids hunting. It’s one thing for them to see a gun and an animal but experiencing the act of hunting firsthand instills a newfound respect for the power of the weapon, the majesty of the animal, and the circle of life that provides our food. My kids have grown more from the hands-on experience of hunting than from simply learning about guns, animals, and the sport itself. I no longer need to convince them of the value of hunting; they now appreciate and express its significance based on their own experiences.
The same principle applies to the Hardwood industry. Simply talking about the benefits of Hardwoods won’t significantly change the perception of harvesting deciduous trees. With our limited budgets, spreading the message through words alone isn’t enough. We need to provide people with hands-on experiences with Hardwoods so they can see the quality for themselves and become advocates for using Hardwood in their projects.
We can support our friends, neighbors, community members, customers, potential customers, and contacts in creating something out of Hardwood, making their experience positive and memorable. By providing a creative and personal experience, they will naturally share our story more effectively than we ever could. Instead of talking until we’re blue in the face, we should prioritize fostering their hands-on experience. Why Knot foster their engagement with Hardwood rather than just providing information?
