— Furniture Today,
HIGH POINT — Global conservation group the Rainforest Alliance will hold its second annual workshop on certification and sustainability for furniture manufacturers.


The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 in the South Cone Trading Company showroom at 410 English Road here.

Discussions and presentations will focus on current initiatives in the furniture industry to promote responsible sourcing and procurement, and how furniture makers can achieve Forest Stewardship Council certification through the Rainforest Alliance’s Smartwood program.

Also on the agenda are discussion of trends in certified products and national and international sourcing as they relate to the use of sustainable hardwoods and other raw materials.

Speakers will include Penny Bonda, eco-editor of Interior Design magazine and an expert on sustainable interiors; South Cone principal Gerry Cooklin; Bill Perdue, American Home Furnishings Alliance vice president of environmental, health/safety standards; Amy Chender, director of social responsibility at ABC Carpet & Home; Lou Newett, corporate manager of environmental health and safety at Knoll Furniture, and Matt Gilchrist, vice president of Virginia operations at Northland Forest Products.

The event costs $85 per person, which includes lunch. For more information or to register, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org/furnitureworkshop , or contact Helen Rock at hrock@smartwood.org or (802) 434-5491, ext. 750.