AWFS reports growth in attendance and exhibitor participation

The attendance for this year’s AWFS fair grew as the show hosted 9,150 registered attendees and nearly 13,500 total participants with 503 exhibiting companies occupying 11 percent more floor space than 2011 and drawing industry professionals from 58 countries around the world, according to the producer.

“This is the first time since 2005 that our trade show expanded in all categories including buyer and exhibitor attendance, total number of exhibiting companies, exhibit space sold, and seminar attendance. It is a very positive sign for our industry as early indications strongly suggest this trend will continue for our 2015 show,” AWFS executive vice president Angelo Gangone said in a statement.

“AWFS is certainly the most important industry event for North America this year. We are very pleased with our results. After four straight quarters of steady growth in orders, the solidity of the North American market is no longer in doubt," Biesse America president Federico Broccoli said in a statement.

“It was exciting to see both the quantity and quality of buyers at this year’s AWFS fair,” added Dan Hershberger of Stiles Machinery, the 2013 trade show chairman and an AWFS board member. “The results are a definite confirmation that the AWFS staff’s commitment to provide a first class event, has paid off. From my personal experience, I felt that booth traffic was similar to what we saw during the peak years — very busy. I just want to say a great big thank-you to the staff of AWFS for recognizing the needs of our industry and producing a show that addressed those needs in such a way that drew buyers to Las Vegas in order to attend the AWFS Fair. I am really looking forward to seeing what 2015 has in store.”

The 2015 AWFS fair is scheduled for July 22-25, 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.