Guitar-maker shows off his hand-made wares at the Knysna Timber Festival.

The Knysna Timber Festival will be celebrating its 8th annual showcase of local excellence across the value chain, in the town where the country’s timber industry first took root. The festival will be held at Timber Village from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th March, 2020.

The festival has gained a reputation for professional displays of custom carpentry, exquisite furniture, wood turning, timber carving, woodworking hardware displays and demos, DIY and industrial wood working machinery and finishing products. The festival connects suppliers to buyers and promotes unity and collaboration across the industry.

In 2020, there will be more family and lifestyle orientated entertainment with additional events encompassing axemanship, chainsaw competitions, live music shows and much more.  Items of interest from Knysna’s timber related past and enhanced food and craft beverages will also be represented.

Summary of Events and Times

Wednesday 11th March
Manufacturer’s Gathering at Knysna Hollow: 14h00 to 17h00

Thursday 12th March
Industry Workshop at Knysna Hollow: 09h00 to 13h00
Grand opening Masters & Makers Expo at Entabeni by Invitation: 18h30 until late

Friday 13th March
Festival at Timber Village: 09h00 to 17h00
Masters & Makers at Entabeni: 13h00 to 20h00

Saturday  14th March
Festival at Timber Village: 09h00 to 17h00
NEW TIMBER SPORTS COMPETITION: 09h00 to 17h00
Masters & Makers at Entabeni: 13h00 to 20h00
NEW ‘BETTER LIVE’ MUSIC CONCERT at Festival Grounds (Timber Village): 18h00 to 21h30

Sunday 15th March
Festival at Timber Village: 09h00 to 14h00
LAUNCH OF NEW FUND-A-FOREST & INTERACTIVE AQUAPONICS EVENTS at Festival Grounds – family day: 11h00

Exhibition Tent Rates
The stand rates (no VAT applicable) for 2020 average R380 / m2. An ‘early bird discount’ of 5% will apply for stands confirmed by 13th December 2019.

The stalls still available are displayed on the www.timberfestival.co.za  website under the ‘Exhibitor Information’ tab and regularly updated as confirmed bookings are received – minor adjustments to the stall positions may become necessary.

How to register as an Exhibitor
Complete the ‘exhibitor application form’ or download it from the website stating your preferred stall position and choice of display area size.  You may forward this form to info@timberfestival.co.za.

Outdoors Areas
Open display and demonstration areas will be available by separate, individual agreement – please submit any requests with your application form to Nadine at info@timberfestival.co.za.

Crafting surf boards from wood … on show at the Knysna Timber Festival.

Background
One of the most important towns in South Africa’s timber history, Knysna’s timber heritage has played, and continues to play, an important role in the area.

Since the South African timber industry first established its roots here in the 18th century, the Knysna Forest has been the source of hardwoods for personal, commercial and industrial use – from wagon- and boat-building to fuel, heating, housing and furniture.

By the 1890s, timber harvesting and sawmilling in the Knysna district was the primary source of employment and income for the community – the industry had expanded into woodworking and turning, followed by the manufacture of furniture components such as chair and table legs.

Then came contracts for Yellowwood railway sleepers and the making of handcrafted furniture by several firms, for which Knysna became renowned.

Today, the timber industry in Knysna has once again been earmarked as a key segment
for economic development by local government – and many of the country’s finest timber manufacturers, woodworkers, furniture designers, construction companies, boat-builders,
and fine artists now choose to call Knysna ‘home’.

The Knysna Timber Festival is just one of the initiatives designed to accelerate the evolution and growth of the local timber and woodworking value chain into an end-to-end product and service offering for clients across the country and the world.

Now, offering a mix of industry interest, tourism entertainment and lifestyle value, ‘Knysna Timber’ enters the next stage of its evolution - while retaining its heritage...

From a modest beginning in 2012 the event has grown in stature and attendance with each year, and the primary aim has remained the same: To provide a common marketing platform and showcase for timber related products in the Garden Route area, and to highlight their relevance, both nationally and internationally.

The aim is to create career-awareness of, and opportunities in, this sphere of activity and promote skills development within the local timber industry. Knysna’s timber history provides the ideal background from which to launch timber related products, social awareness, tourism interest and future sustainable growth – in a real-world working environment.

Funds raised by this festival enable the Knysna Timber Initiative to promote additional projects involving the security of raw materials, in the area, pilot programmes in reforestation technology, augmented skills training and the promotion of small to medium entrepreneurs in the sawmilling and production industries.

The devastating fires of 2017 and the raging wild fires of November 2018 saw some 90,000 hectares of prime forests completely destroyed. This has created an opportunity where the small to medium sawmiller could thrive in the milling of class A and class B logs that will be the thinnings of a major replanting programme initiated by South Africa Forestry authorities.

Enquiries: Nadine at info@timberfestival.co.za
Web: www.timberfestival.co.za