
14-15 November 2018
Rotorua, NEW ZEALAND
20-21 November 2018
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Event Details
Background
What happened last year?
Over 270 delegates attended the ForestTECH series in November 2017. All of the major forestry companies in Australia and New Zealand were represented along with representatives from major Indonesian and South African forestry companies.
Last year new data collection technologies were highlighted. ForestTECH 2017 reviewed advances being made on accessing, processing and better interpreting the associated big data streams that were being collected out in the field. The task that was been grappled with by many forestry companies was how best to sort through and use the collected data and convert it into something that’s usable for all stakeholders.
The focus for ForestTECH 2017 was “unlocking the true value of data”. New systems for better measuring, managing and analysing this information was again reviewed as part of the 2017 technology series. Emphasis was also put on research findings from recent in-forest trials and from a world class three-year, AU$1.8 million collaborative research project on remote sensing jointly funded by Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA), forestry companies, universities and government.
Leading Australian and New Zealand researchers who’ve been working alongside local forestry companies were for the first time able to share their results. ForestTECH 2017 was also able to review some of the disruptive technologies that were showing real promise for research, in business and operationally, out in the forest. These included technologies like; artificial intelligence, the IOT, machine and deep learning, robotics, automation, UAV’s and the use of virtual and augmented reality.
What’s planned for 2018?
Research into remote sensing of plantation forests in this region for resource assessment is world class. We’re leading the world right now in how new platforms and sensor technologies are being used to acquire, analyse, process and use 3D dense point cloud data. What is unique to Australasia is the collaboration that exists between researchers (with a range of disciplines both inside and outside the forestry industry), the key technology providers and industry on both sides of the Tasman who have been working on these projects.
Also, what is unusual, compared to other parts of the wood supply chain, is the sheer speed of change. UAV’s for example, just two to three years ago were being looked at as a potential and maybe cheaper tool for getting an eye up in the sky for forestry operations. They’re now been routinely used for functions like; acquiring inventory data, forest health surveys, tree survival counts, quality assurance and tree height measurements. In just 16 months, over 65 UAV pilots have been trained from forestry companies in New Zealand. Similar numbers are being trained by larger forestry companies in Australia. Small, robust lightweight UAV’s are now part of the technical tools being used by field foresters.
There is also a very short lag time (often just six months at the moment) between the time research results are being relayed to forestry companies to the time that it’s being implemented operationally. ForestTECH 2018 will provide local forestry companies with a timely and independent overview of recent advances, both in research and in the operational use of the technology, made in just 12 months on forest data collection tools and systems that have been developed to better measure, analyse, report and act on this captured information.

Key Themes for 2018
- Storage, processing and management of "big data"
- The practical application of automation, robotics and sensors by forest managers
- Integrating virtual and augmented reality into forestry operations
- Results and lessons from reconciling remote sensing data into the field
- New innovations in mobile forest apps and collection tools
- Mobile communications advances in more remote locations
- Results from remote sensing research and in-forest trials
- Workflow solutions for data collected from airborne and UAV systems
- New mapping and GIS applications
- Changing skill sets required by today’s forest resource managers
Who Attends?
Programme
We have worked closely with a wide range of New Zealand, Australian and international companies, service suppliers, researchers and government bodies to develop a strong and innovative programme. If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the Brent Apthorp on brent.apthorp@fiea.org.nz or (+64) 3 470 1902.
Programme at a Glance
Pre-Conference Workshops
- Developments in Forest Management & Wood Procurement Software [NZ & AU]
- ArcGIS [NZ only]
- Mixed-Reality Applications for Forestry [NZ & AU]
- VR Assessments for Forest Inventories [NZ & AU]
Conference Day One
- Session 1: Disruptive Technologies - What, Why and How?
- Session 2: Virtual, augmented and mixed reality - Gaming or a real potential for forestry operations?
- Session 3: UAV’s - From research and trials to forest operations. Innovations, uses and implementation
- Social Function: Refreshments & Networking (Drinks & canapes will be provided amongst the exhibits)
Conference Day Two
- Session 4: The Practical Application and Operational Use of Remote Sensing Data
- Session 5: Advances in Forest Inventory Technology - Research, Trials & Practical Implementation
Post-Conference
- GeoMaster Users’ Meeting | Australia Only
Pre-Conference Workshops
ForestTECH 2018 conference delegates also have the opportunity of registering for a series of pre-conference workshops. This provides those attending the technology series some additional time with some of the key presenters in smaller groups. The workshops are free to ForestTECH 2018 conference delegates and will run late morning and on the afternoon before the main conference runs at each venue.
Note: Interest in attending the workshops can be made during registration. Space for each workshop is limited though. A maximum of 40 delegates can be accommodated at each workshop in New Zealand and 35 delegates at the workshops in Melbourne. The numbers relate to the size of the additional rooms available at each venue. Based on previous pre-conference workshops, spaces are likely to go very quickly. Registrations for the workshops will be taken on a first come-first served basis.
New Zealand Workshops
Tuesday 13 November 2018
11-12pm
Workshop 1: Developments in Forest Management & Wood Procurement Software
Andrew Zhu, APAC Sales Manager, Trimble Forestry, Canada.
The workshop will discuss overall industry trends in forest management & wood procurement software and explore what Trimble is doing in this space to help industry.
1-1.50pm
Workshop 2: ArcGIS - Esri’s mapping and analytics platform
Eagle Technology, New Zealand
Updates for the forestry user.
2-3pm
Workshop 3: Mixed-Reality Applications for Forestry
Martin Hooper, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Taqtile, Singapore
Martin Hooper will provide an overview of AR/VR/MR technology, including the Microsoft HoloLens and Microsoft’s Mixed Reality ecosystem. He will demonstrate various use cases as to how mixed-reality can be applied to forestry planning and operations today. Martin will showcase Taqtile’s HoloMaps and Manifest mixed-reality solutions and how current customer case studies can be applied to the forestry business.
3.30-5pm
Workshop 4: VR Assessments for Forest Inventories
Winyu Chinthammit, Research Leader, Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab), Australia & Chris Scoggins, Lead UAV Pilot, Interpine Group
The workshop will cover:
- Workflow of the VR application in tree assessment
- Detailed Features of the VR application
- Hands-on experience
Australian Workshops
Monday 19 November 2018
1-1.50pm
Workshop 1: Developments in Forest Management & Wood Procurement Software
Andrew Zhu, APAC Sales Manager, Trimble Forestry, Canada.
The workshop will discuss overall industry trends in forest management & wood procurement software and explore what Trimble is doing in this space to help industry.
2-3pm
Workshop 2: Mixed-Reality and Why it Matters
Rocky Heckman, Mixed Reality Business Development Manager, Microsoft
The workshop will cover why, where and how mixed reality is been used and future opportunities.
3.30-5pm
Workshop 3: VR Assessments for Forest Inventories
Winyu Chinthammit, Research Leader, Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) & Chris Scoggins, Lead UAV Pilot, Interpine Group, New Zealand
The workshop will cover:
- Workflow of the VR application in tree assessment
- Detailed Features of the VR application
- Hands-on experience
GeoMaster users’ meeting | australia Only
Integral will be hosting a GeoMaster users’ meeting, primarily for Australian users, the day after ForestTECH 2018 in Australia, Thursday 22 November 2018. This will be held at the same venue - Bayview Eden Melbourne. Any GeoMaster users wanting to attend, please contact Christian Pilaar: christian@integral.co.nz to register your interest.
Event Updates
Keep Updated
Event Sponsors, Partners & Exhibitors
Event Sponsors
FIEA Partners
Media Partners
Event Supporters
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
ForestTECH offers a tremendous opportunity for companies involved in developing innovative tools, technologies and resources for forestry planning and management to maximise their exposure to New Zealand and Australia’s forestry companies. Exhibition spaces are always at a premium. FIEA has a well-deserved reputation of providing both sponsors and exhibitors with a unique platform for promoting their products and services to the industry in BOTH New Zealand and Australia.
ForestTECH 2018 is already being planned. We already have strong interest in the sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities available. Early partners will benefit from exposure in the the newly updated website, www.foresttech.events, which is now providing monthly communication to well over 1,000 resource managers and inventory foresters in this region.
Sponsorship and branding opportunities are also available for other Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) events and in the region’s most widely read weekly e-newsletters, Friday Offcuts and WoodWeek.
For a full range of sponsorship, exhibition and branding options, please contact Gordon Thomson, Sponsorship Manager, (+64) 7 921 1384 or (+64) 27 275 8022, gordon.thomson@fiea.org.nz.

Venues
Distinction Rotorua Hotel, NEW ZEALAND
390 Fenton Street, Rotorua, New Zealand
With its beautiful garden setting and located just minutes from the city centre, Distinction Rotorua Hotel is the perfect place to relax and unwind after a big day at the conference.
After the event, this hotel is also a great base to enjoy the wealth of attractions and activities Rotorua has to offer. Free car parking is available at the venue, however, spaces are limited and hotel guests take priority.
Special accommodation rates (incl. GST):
- Superior Room | $170 per room/night (single, double or twin share)
- Deluxe Room | $190 per room/night (single, double or twin share)
- Hotel Suites | $250 per room/night (single or double share)
Bayview Eden Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
6 Queens Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Perfectly positioned for business and pleasure.
Bayview Eden Melbourne is located adjacent to the beautiful Albert Park Lake & Golf Course and close to all Melbourne has to offer.
The following special accommodation rates are available to delegates:
- Superior King Room | $162.00 room per room/night. Breakfast is $20 per person per day.

Registration Rates
Standard Rate
(from 6 October 2018)
$990 + GST per person
Group (3-5) Rate
(3 to 5 attendees)
$795 + GST per person
Group (6+) Rate
(min 6 attendees)
$625 + GST per person
Supporters Rate
(with discount code)
$890 + GST per person
Pre-Conference Workshops
Free (delegates only)
Please Note
- All prices exclude 15% GST for the New Zealand event and 10% GST for the Australian event.
- Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) member discounts of 10-25% apply on ALL listed Conference Rates. FIEA Membership Details and Benefits can be seen on www.fiea.org.nz. Membership status and discounts available can be checked by calling our FIEA offices.
- A credit card fee of 2.5% applies to New Zealand credit card transactions and 2.2% for Australian credit card transactions.
- The Association Rate is available to all Supporting Association Members. A list of Associations can be found via this link. A discount code is required and can be obtained by contacting your Association directly.
- To be eligible for any special rates, registrations and payment must be received on or BEFORE the dates listed. All discounts require payment at time of registration and before the cut-off date in order to receive any discount.
- Any discounts offered (including group discounts) require payment at the time of registration.
- Your conference registration payment covers the morning and afternoon teas, lunches, refreshments, a conference handbook and access to presentations (electronic download for those presentations where presenter approval has been given).
- Cancellation policy: For cancellations made on or before Friday 5 October 2018, a 10% administration fee applies. Cancellations received after this date are non-refundable, however, they are transferrable. Please allow 30 days for refunds to be processed. If you wish to transfer your registration to another individual from within your company, please provide us with at least 24 hours advance notice.
- The organisers reserve the right to change the programme when required.
- Click here for our full terms and conditions.

Contact
FIEA
Since 1998 the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA), a division of Innovatek Ltd, has run an extensive series of technology related events for Australasian forest products companies. Over 500 conferences, trade shows and exhibitions have been run for local companies in Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.
FIEA’s key objective is to provide an independent platform to showcase new and emerging technologies to enable local companies to improve both their financial and operating performance. Now firmly established on the calendar of all forestry companies, FIEA technology events provide one of few real networking opportunities that are available to industry to network, exchange ideas and to set up long lasting contacts and strategic alliances.
FIEA is recognised as one of the most effective information and technology brokers’ available to Australasian forestry & wood products companies.
FIEA Contact Details
(+64) 7 921 1382
1800 126 398 (from Australia)
www.fiea.org.nz
- Rotorua Office
Forest Industry Engineering Association
Building X91, Sala Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
PO Box 1230, Rotorua 3040, New Zealand
Ph (+64) 7 921 1382
- Dunedin Office
Forest Industry Engineering Association
c/o Distinction Dunedin Hotel, 6 Liverpool Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
PO Box 904, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Ph (+64) 3 470 1902
Forest Industry Engineering Association: A division of Innovatek Ltd