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New keynote speakers strengthen conference 

Rob Moonen

Loggers and forest managers have been quick to capitalise on the latest Forest Industry Safety Summit set to run next month in Rotorua with two new keynote speakers on the list. Source: Timberbiz

Registrations have exceeded expectations and the gathering is set to be the second largest forest safety conference ever held in New Zealand.

“We have had some really positive news in our speakers lineup as well,” conference organiser, John Stulen said.

“While we lost Cos Bruyn as a keynote speaker, we are really pleased to announce that we have two new keynote speakers who more than compensate for his unforeseen departure.”

Rob Moonen, CEO of the BC Forest Safety Council will be the keynote speaker on day one of the conference. He has been directly involved with running the BC forest industry’s SAFE certification system for most of the past decade.

“Mr Moonen’s involvement is very timely, with the work on our own safe certification program now in its final stages with our own Forest Industry Safety Council,” Mr Stulen said.

“The loggers and their safety teams in BC have learned a lot from experience in 10 years and Rob will bring their story to share with our industry safety leaders – which really is everyone on the forest floor.”

FIEA has also gained the services of Steve Carden, CEO of Landcorp.

Mr Carden is leading the large farming company to a new phase in safety and is keen to compare notes with people in forestry.

So, it should be the basis for some great conversations and information sharing according to Mr Stulen.

“All of our exhibitor stand spaces are sold out, even though we extended the capacity with a marquee in the hotel courtyard,” FIEA’s event manager, Gordon Thomson said.

“For the first time, FIEA has teamed up with the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) to organise a workshop as part of the Safety Summit.

“Working with Fiona Ewing of FISC has led us to include a series of workshops and panel sessions for people to interact – from the forest floor to the CEOs.”

Special offers are available to members of other industry associations across the forest industries. To take advantage of this visit http://forestsafety.events

The summit is on 1-2 March 2017 in Rotorua at the Distinction Hotel. The following week it moves to the Bayview Eden Hotel in Melbourne running on 7-8 March.