ATLANTA -IWF 2016, North America’s largest woodworking industry tradeshow, kicks off today and show organizers are expecting a sizeable turnout.
More than 1,080 exhibitors will be showcasing the wood manufacturing industries' latest equipment and supplies. IWF’s Sales & Marketing VP Jim Wulfekuhle says over 240 companies are exhibiting for the first time.
With double-digit exhibitor growth and 30 percent higher registration rates, IWF 2016 attendance looks to soar past 2014, with informal forecasts of total attendance - including exhibitor personnel - running as high as 24,000.

IWF, operated in a partnership by the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America, and the Wood Machinery Industry Association, is also more than a tradeshow for the North American market. Serving as a gathering place for the members and boards of wood industry associations, most of whom are exhibiting on the show floor at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, in the background the boards of these groups are also business with meetings both formal and informal.

A large number of educational sessions at IWF has already set additional records for tickets sold in advance. Yesterday, six full-day symposiums drew hundreds to subjects ranging from finishing to countertops to engineered wood. Many more education and technical training sessions will take place through August 27, when the show closes.