Representing the Wood Sector at International Mass Timber Conference with Passion and Purpose: A Conversation with Candra Burns of Talking Forests
With a unique combination of lived experience, technical knowledge, and deep industry involvement, Candra Burns has become a recognisable and respected voice within the international mass timber community. As the founder of Talking Forests and a global marketing consultant in the wood sector, her journey bridges communications, advocacy, and on-the-ground engagement—connecting companies, communities, and conversations across continents. From her early days volunteering in Washington State to supporting logistics and outreach at the International Mass Timber Conference (IMTC), Candra brings a distinctive perspective grounded in both personal story and sector-wide vision.
Held annually in Portland, Oregon, the International Mass Timber Conference is the largest gathering of mass timber experts in the world, convening over 2,000 professionals from more than 30 countries. Organised by the Forest Business Network, the event serves as a central platform for architects, engineers, builders, developers, manufacturers, and policymakers to share insights, showcase innovation, and advance the uptake of engineered wood technologies in construction. Through a mix of keynotes, technical sessions, project tours, and exhibition showcases, the IMTC fosters collaboration across the supply chain—from forest to frame—while championing sustainable building practices, carbon-smart materials, and scalable timber solutions.
Photography & Authored by Candra Burns
What’s your role in the industry and who do you represent at the International Mass Timber Conference?
I started going to the IMTC when I was living in Germany in 2019! That gave me a chance to see my family in Washington State after living in Germany as a military spouse for 1.5 years. I was born in a fishing and forestry coastal town that is “The Lumber Capitol of the world”, Aberdeen, Washington. It was very cool to go to a tour that was in the Tacoma Brewing Blocks and also onto Joint Base Lewis McChord to see the Mass Timber Hotel called: Candlewood Suites being constructed. I named this blog: Tacoma Wooden Wonders
Since then, I have been helping behind the scenes of the IMTC Conference with the Forest Business Network Crew. I learned a great deal about the Oregon Convention Center and feel comfortable at any IMTC knowing the staff and security are professional. From 2021 – 2023, I brought my Service Dog, Rhett and he was always helpful to bring me in and out of crowded spaces all day.
I started volunteering behind the Facebook pages of the forestry sector in Washington State in 2015. I pioneered the role of social media marketers in the wood sector back then. I was the first social media chair of Washington State Society of American Foresters and continued my role while living in Germany, helping me stay a-foot in the state and sector while living abroad. My communication and marketing agency was born in 2016 from the needs of the sector being online. I brought as many companies as I could onto social media platforms. After almost a decade of this work, I have traveled 11 countries and 25 states. I hope to visit mass timber projects in the future in places I have never been like in the New England USA States and other Canadian Provinces other than British Columbia. I created a blog about the European Wooden Tree Towers I visited.
I am going to Vancouver Island in a few weeks to document the Malahat Skywalk, a wooden tree tower up in the air for recreation and public education overlooking the Salish Sea. We need to be building these in America for watch towers and for recreation for our public to learn more about forests. Europe has a squirrel mascot named “Emil” at these towers. Brilliant!
As a global marketing consultant in the wood sector, I represent all the companies in the event. I assist companies with anything that is needed in their marketing and communication strategies to help their voices be heard and have a presence in the sector.
How many times have you come to this conference? and How has it changed since you started coming?
After attending for 6 years and being behind the scenes of the conference, I have seen the logistics, size, exhibitors, and opportunities on the exhibitor hall floor change dramatically.
We no longer give goodie bags to everyone which is a blessing and kind of hard because it brought us together. As a bus captain, the amount of tours has expanded and they always need people to help keep those mass timber building tours on track. Oregon traffic and weather makes this a bit challenging, but our communication keeps it all on track.
Some of my favorite things to do are be on the exhibitor hall floor and play the games provided or sit up on the tallest building. Timberlab’s life sized JENGA was my favorite game. Having a built in bar for drinks is always fun. In 2025, Sauter Timber brought a coffee stand, I was so grateful for that. I love anything other than drip coffee, being from the PNW, we get spoiled with amazing espresso barista stands on each corner.
2024 – The IMTC Entry Way Sign and the Trees were amazing props by Tozo Surface & Trillium.
2025 – Truly the biggest exhibitor hall floor changes with more tall tree stands, and an angled showroom floor with the live construction and Cambuim’s notable campfire exhibit in the back, that we could see from the front! Freres Wood was the last stop of tour #3 and they had the best swagger handouts and the warehouse was a long span marvel.
2025 – A new effort from PNW is Washington Mass Timber Accelerator aka MASSTAC!
What were some of the highlight keynotes and site visits? What innovations did you see in projects?
Cedar Stone Design Build CEO, Adrienne H. Fainman, Talking to IMTC tour members about the 1,000 square feet mas timber residential project she has near Eugene, Oregon.
What are some things you have learnt through networking in this industry?
That once you are a member of the wood community, you ARE family.
What challenges does the industry still have?
I do marketing and communications for the entire supply chain. I am a “Forest to Frame” person and I think our mill manufacturing is still #1 in the challenge we have. It is expensive!
The manufacturing of mass timber and the machines come from Europe by boat.
Some things we have to worry about are:
Competition from other materials.
The supply chain supply and demand.
Risks may be financial, time, social aspects…etc..
But I am to help the entire industry with this every day!
Here is a short story I wrote about the sector supply chain:
The start of mass timber comes from the first part of the supply chain: forests. 🌲🌱
Then we move into concepts humans design to use nature as a physical asset in our daily lives.
The #wood coming from the #forests goes through machines to make it laminated timber.
Then it gets transported to a #construction site to be built into a physical structure. 🏢
Once wood is placed into a structure, it stores carbon for the remaining time it stands.
Tree stands which are forests. Help sequester carbon and have an entire life cycle. ♻️
Some challenges humans face in building with wood are: moisture, fire, and extracting too much.
At the International Mass Timber Conferences, we come together as a sector to provide solutions to these challenges and I am grateful to be here every single year.
What takeaways did you have after coming to this years conference? How do you see the industry going forward?
I would like to see the industry more forward in accepting collaboration and ideas from each other, from every kind of person. I have not had the easiest path in life and I am lifting myself up from my bootstraps every day. The Mass Timber community should be more understanding of any woman or minority that comes up to you on the floor or even after the event and they need to be heard. Just listen to us, we may ask questions to further understand details in your booth, that’s okay.
