Forest products leaders to discuss new markets and explore opportunities for innovation and growth at PwC conference

VANCOUVER, May 3, 2012 /CNW/ - Faced with an uncertain economy, new sources of competition and shifting customer demand, forest, paper and packaging CEOs are looking to innovation, new products, services and emerging markets to drive longer term growth. Industry leaders understand that significant changes to their strategy and business must be made to ensure success.

Over 450 CEOs, industry executives, customers, service providers, analysts and policy makers from around the world will gather at the 25^th Annual PwC Global Forest and Paper Industry Conference in Vancouver, BC on May 10. They will share ideas on new markets and opportunities to drive innovation and growth in an uncertain economy.

The theme of this year's conference is Delivering value, innovation and growth in a volatile world.

What: 25th Annual PwC Global Forest & Paper Industry Conference

When: Thursday May 10, 2012

Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia

Agenda and speakers:
8:00 am Conference welcome
	Bruce McIntyre, Canadian Leader, Forest, Paper & Packaging Practice, PwC, Vancouver, BC
8:10 am Global geopolitical landscape
	Willis Sparks, Analyst, Global Macro, Eurasia Group, New York, NY
9:00 am Financial performance
	Bill Hoffman, Managing Director, High Yield Research, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, New York, NY
	Jock Finlayson, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, Business Council of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
10:30 am The future of paper and communications in a digital world
	Kevin Bent, Executive Vice President, Western Canada, Postmedia, and President & Publisher, Pacific Newspaper Group, Vancouver, BC
	John Cruickshank, Publisher, Toronto Star, Toronto, ON
	Douglas Knight, President, St. Joseph Media, Toronto, ON
1:30 pm Market outlook
	Hans Sohlström, Executive Vice President, UPM-Kymmene Corporation, Helsinki, Finland
	Robert Flynn, Director, International Timber, RISI, Washington, DC
	Don Roberts, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, CIBC World Markets Inc., Ottawa, ON
	Adam Grant, Senior Associate, World Resources Institute, Washington, DC
3:45 pm Executive perspectives
	John Williams, President & CEO, Domtar Corporation, Montreal, QC
	Ken Shields, Chairman & CEO, Conifex Timber Inc., Vancouver, BC
	Richard Garneau, President & CEO, Resolute Forest Products, Montreal, QC
5:00 pm Adjourn

Accredited media are invited to attend the full day conference, please pre-register. Contact Jim Nelson at: [email protected], or [phone]. Pre-registered media may pre-book 15 minute one on one interviews with PwC spokespeople.

Also of interest: PwC's Conference is part of the week-long Global Forest Products Leadership Summit 2012, a five day series of events and conferences focused on the global pulp, paper, wood products and fibre-based packaging industries. Organizations participating in Summit 2012 are The Pulp and Paper Products Council (PPPC), International WOOD Markets Group, and PwC.

Follow PwC on Twitter at @PwC_Canada_LLP and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pwccanada.

About PwC Canada

PwC Canada helps organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. More than 5,700 partners and staff in offices across the country are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, consulting and deals services. PwC Canada is a member of the PwC network of firms with close to 169,000 people in 158 countries. Find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/ca.

© 2012 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership. All rights reserved.

PwC refers to the Canadian member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

"PwC" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity.

Jim Nelson
Tel.: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

OR:
Kiran Chauhan
Tel.: [phone]
Email: [email protected]