More bang for your buck in Las Vegas this year

If you've been on the fence about attending the AWFS fair and The Furniture Society's annual conference, this could be the year. Both events will be held simultaneously in Las Vegas.

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"It's going to be a very busy seven months for The Furniture Society and our members. We have lots of stuff cooking," says Andrew Glantz, president of the studio furniture group.

The AWFS fair is scheduled for July 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which will also host The Furniture Society's three-day conference that opens July 21. There will be presentation space for the conference's events, including the keynote and Award of Distinction presentations, an area to offer merchandise and a large booth next to the AWFS Fresh Wood exhibition to show members' work and provide membership information.

"We welcome show attendees to become members and to join us in all of these spaces," says Glantz.

And there's more.

"Hosting our conference in conjunction with AWFS allows our members to take advantage of all of the opportunities that the fair provides - the vendors and institutions on the floor as well as their College of Woodworking Knowledge and satisfy the wish to attend our usual conference and renew their social networking and their commitment to the programs of the society.

"Discounts will be available for Furniture Society members who register with us for the show and who sign up for [College of Woodworking Knowledge] seminars. The Furniture Society will also host daily auctions of discount coupons and gift certificates, provided by our industry partners, good toward purchase on the floor of the show. And the experience of Las Vegas will provide attendees the opportunity to wrap a vacation into a professional trip with all that Las Vegas offers in the way of nightlife and entertainment."

Other upcoming Furniture Society events include an exhibition and auction in conjunction with the Architectural Digest Home Show, which is slated for March 17-20 in New York City.

"Although our high-end auction has always been at our conferences, we have been on the lookout for a way to get this amazing work in front of a much more sensitive audience," says Glantz. "This year our event will feature work by many of our Award of Distinction recipients, such as Garry Knox Bennett, Wendell Castle, Michael Fortune, Vladimir Kagan, John Makepeace, the Maloof Workshop, Judy McKie, Tommy Simpson and perhaps Bill Keyser, as well as from at least 10 members including Po Shun Leong."

The silent and live auctions will feature approximately 20 pieces.

"In conjunction with this event, we will be featuring the presentation of our 2011 Award of Distinction recipient. Actually, we will do this in two separate events this year - this one, as well as one in Las Vegas - where the recipient will have the opportunity to give a presentation to our members and other show attendees."

The Furniture Society will also have a booth at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, which runs May 14-17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our members to get a piece on the floor of this show for a very nominal amount of money," adds Glantz.

For information, visit www.furnituresociety.org.

This article originally appeared in the February 2011 issue.