Crowds swell as AWFS 2017 commences
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LAS VEGAS – AWFS 2017, one of North America’s largest biennial tradeshows for the woodworking industry, will kick off Wednesday, July 19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. Running through July 22, the industry’s top manufacturers and professionals will exhibit the very latest woodworking equipment and technology – all in the same place.

With over 675 exhibitors – a 20 percent increase over 2015’s show - an expanded show floor will allow attendees to see the latest in CNC machinery, edgebanding, hardware, panels, fasteners, software, and more. An Industry 4.0 showcase will highlight artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics, 3D printing, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.

Educational sessions have always been one of the best reasons to attend AWFS, but in recent years, that’s even more of the case. Three day-long Woodworking Network sponsored symposia, held July 18, the day before the show, drew crowds to subjects ranging from leadership, to finishing, and closets. Many more education and technical training sessions, including 54 seminars sponsored by the College of Woodworking Knowledge, will be held until the 22nd when the show closes.

Bilingual shops should take note of all the seminars offered in Spanish at this year’s AWFS College of Woodworking Knowledge.

This year, sessions are divided into 10 separate tracks: Business Management, Workforce Development, Cabinet/Millwork, Furniture, Small Shops 10 and Under, Industry 4.0, Software and Technology, Techniques & Applications, Safety & Environment, and even a track just for woodworking industry teachers.

VISIONARY AWARDS

The Visionary New Product Showcase will include full-scale displays of the newest technology and products. Attendees can see all of this year’s entrants in the categories of environmental, ergonomics, safety, plastics supply and technology, and innovative technology and productivity.

Rockler's miter fold dado set is a Visionary Award finalist.

The Visionary Awards winners will be announced at a special awards presentation on Friday, July 21 at 9:15 a.m.

full list of finalists can be found here.

STUDENT COMPETITIONS

A total of 195 students entered the Fresh Wood student competition at this year’s AWFS Fair. Forty finalists were invited to attend the show. Entries came from 48 different schools across North America.

A student wood turning competition, hosted by the American Association of Woodturners, will showcase top national woodturning projects.

PLASTIC EMPHASIS

AWFS Fair will once again be placing a special emphasis on plastics and plastics fabrication, which offer sustainable, flexible and efficient solutions for many manufacturers.

Featured products include machinery and supplies used in the cutting, routing, and finishing of plastic materials as well as products specifically designed for that market such as adhesives and tooling. Plastics-related exhibitors will be clearly marked with the AWFS Fair Plastics Technology & Supplies logo.

Destroy Responsibly

AWFS Fair will once again host Destroy Responsibly during the exhibition. Weima America will return as the Official Recycling Partner of the 2017 AWFS Fair in partnership with AWFS, Freeman and Repurpose America. Weima America will supply a shredder system, complete with infeed and discharge conveyors. All wood waste from the show floor will be transported to a local Las Vegas location.


AWFS 2017 is held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 S. Paradise Road, Las Vegas from July 19-July 22, 2017. Show hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

For more information: awfsfair.org. 

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About the author
Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].