AWFS earns high marks

The 2023 Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) Fair, held July 25-28 in Las Vegas, was a bustling industry event that drew positive reviews from exhibitors, attendees and show management.

“I thought it was very successful for both exhibitors and attendees,” says Rob Howell, president of the AWFS and WSI Machinery. “Most attendees seemed to be from the West Coast, but we felt good about the Midwest presence. Earlier in 2023, we were notified that some of the larger exhibitors were not attending. This opened the door for other exhibitors to take advantage of the opportunity.

“The fair had over 170 first-time exhibitors and filled over 95 percent of the West Hall, helping to boost the show’s overall attendance by 13.5 percent, which also included a big boost from international attendance. This made it a very successful show for the association. We had a 45 percent increase in the number of exhibitors in 2023, helping the show to increase by 9 percent in exhibit space over our previous event. Currently, AWFS has already started re-signing exhibitors for the 2025 show and sales are on track to match this past show in early re-signs.”

The fair’s education program, the College of Woodworking Knowledge, experienced a particularly high turnout, according to AWFS director Adria Salvatore.

“It was great to see the CWWK program back in full swing with over 50 sessions throughout three days. We were excited to introduce some new, more interactive sessions which were well received by attendees,” says Salvatore.

“The three-hour, hands-on CNC training workshop for teachers was sold out, where teachers programmed name signs in software and then produced them on ShopBot CNCs. This is a project that they can now introduce to their students. Sessions on mainstay topics such as finishing, including HVLP spray finishing, water-based finishing, Diane Shattuck’s popular Finishing Failures, and pricing and job costing had a large attendance. A panel discussion on succession planning was well received, as was Steve Baker’s workshop on the Great Game of Business, sponsored by the Architectural Woodwork Institute.”

Brian Boggs, a furniture maker in Asheville, N.C., was involved in many aspects of the show, from presenting a Wood Education (WED) Talk to creating the Best of Show trophy for the Fresh Wood Student Competition. He was also on the lookout for products and technology that could help his business.

“This was my first AWFS,” he says. “I have been meaning to go for years, but it just never worked out. As a certifiable woodworking machinery and tool geek I found a million things to attach my curiosity to. I loved being able to see so many machines in action and talk to innovators of new tools.”

“I really enjoy browsing and visiting with people I get to know at these shows, and just seeing what is new and how it could improve my workflow,” adds David Yoder, owner of Creative Woodworks in Sugarcreek, Ohio. “One thing I noticed that was very cool is a robot arm on a production drawer dovetailing machine at the Mereen Johnson booth. It has my mind spinning.

“Without attending these shows, you really miss out on these opportunities.”

This article was originally published in the October 2023 issue.