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From Empty Seats to Standing Room Only

Founded in 1946 as a nonprofit, BCWLA grew from a small group of lumber wholesalers into a province-wide network connecting all segments of the forest industry. For decades, its signature events and strong member network fostered industry collaboration. But after the pandemic, BCWLA’s traditional events lost relevance amid shifting demographics and changing business expectations. With no prior investment in marketing, the organization now faced an urgent need to redefine its identity and reconnect with a new generation of members.
Logo for BC Lumber Association featuring green and dark green text on a light hexagonal background.

Our Unique Approach

The Hive Way

The transformation began with a focus group, bringing together current and past board members to rediscover BCWLA’s roots and gather input on the organization’s future direction. Insights from this session shaped every next step. After that, the team prioritized marketing. Recognizing that selling out events would justify further investment in the brand. Efforts included:

  • Cleaning up and modernizing email marketing for greater credibility and consistency
  • Establishing a repeatable marketing process to ensure ongoing success for future boards
  • Adapting classic events with fresh approaches, making them relevant to today’s audience without losing their legacy appeal

After successfully executing the first annual event, BCWLA moved into a full rebrand: new logo, new colors, key messaging that honors the organization’s heritage and future, all developed with unanimous board approval. A complete website rebuild followed to reflect the new identity and support ongoing engagement.

A wall display of various sneakers in a shoe store, with each pair placed on individual shelves. The floor is wooden, and the wall is concrete.

The Results

The impact of these changes was immediate and measurable, demonstrating the value of BCWLA’s transformation for both members and the broader industry.

%

of golf tournament tickets sold.

%

estimated reduced marketing time for each event.

%

straight years of near-sellout events.

What Our Clients Are Saying

“As a not-for-profit association, we’ve always prioritized keeping costs low for our members. Marketing never felt urgent, until we realized our brand presence was almost non-existent. Our digital footprint was outdated, communication wasn’t streamlined, and we were missing opportunities to better serve our members. It became clear that investing in marketing wasn’t ‘nice to have’ anymore, it was essential. It wasn’t just about looking better, it fundamentally strengthened our strategy and identity. Working with Hive gave us an incredible amount of clarity about who we are and how we show up. The rebrand work helped us rethink and realign our mission, vision, and values, which in turn helped unify the board around a shared direction. The new website is now the central hub for everything our members need. Our email campaigns are gaining noticeable traction and we finally feel confident in the systems we have in place to support our members moving forward. For any long-standing organization that hasn’t invested in marketing yet: don’t wait as long as we did. Even small, strategic changes can make a significant difference in how you connect with your community.”
Lauren Chimko, President

See the Results in Action

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