California here we come! Registration opens for Closets and Wood Pro Expo
San Diego Convention Center Night

The San Diego Convention Center, located in "America's Finest City," is the site of the 2022 Closets Conference & Expo, co-located with Wood Pro Expo California.

SAN DIEGO – Registration is now open for the 2022 Closets Conference & Expo and Wood Pro Expo California (WPE). The only conference and expo dedicated to all closet professionals, and the only 2022 woodworking show in the west, run April 27-29 at the San Diego Convention Center.

The co-located events look to build on the success of this year’s show held in West Palm Beach, Fla., when more than 1,000 closet, cabinet, and woodworking professionals gathered. It marked the wood product industry’s first in-person event to take place since COVID-19 was declared a national pandemic in March 2020.

“The San Diego show is shaping up nicely,” said Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Organized Storage, one of the organizers of the event. “We’re still six months out and we already have commitments by many major hardware and machinery companies to exhibit, as well as some key component manufacturers.

2022 Closets Conference & Expo registration

 

“Machinery and supply companies are excited because there hasn’t been a woodworking show in Southern California since the AWFS Fair moved from Anaheim to Las Vegas. It’s been long overdue,” Didier added.
“There are literally thousands of closet, cabinet, and woodworking shops operating in the region. Many do not have the time or the means to travel to a national show, but they can afford to take a day or two to drive to a tradeshow that is local.”

‘America’s Finest City’ to host Closets & WPE
San Diego bills itself as ‘America’s Finest City.’ It is renowned for its idyllic climate, 70 miles of Pacific Ocean beaches, and a wide variety of destination family attractions including the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, SeaWorld, and Legoland.

The San Diego Convention Center is only three miles from San Diego International Airport.

“We are extremely fortunate that we were able to get the San Diego Convention Center for the 2022 event,” Didier said. “It’s a state-of-the-art facility that is right on the ocean. It’s a fantastic location.”

The Hilton Gaslamp Quarter, the headquarters hotel for the event, is located opposite the San Diego Convention Center and just three blocks from Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. The historic Gaslamp Quarter is filled with bars, restaurants, and entertainment, including Balboa Theater, the House of Blues, and the San Diego Civic Theater.

Wood Pro Expo Florida
Wood Pro Expo will be the first woodworking show held in Southern California in over two decades.

Where design meets manufacturing’
The Closets Conference & Expo is the annual national event for closet manufacturers, designers, and installers. Wood Pro Expo is a regional marketplace for woodworking professionals. WPE will be making its West Coast debut having previously been held in other locales including West Palm Beach, Charlotte, N.C., and Lancaster, Pa.

The unique synergistic pairing of the two events is summed up in the slogan, “Where design meets manufacturing.”

The three-day event kicks off with a dual-track, full-day conference, on Wednesday, April 27. The Closets Conference is co-sponsored by Closet & Organized Storage and the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals. The Wood Pro Conference is co-sponsored by FDMC and the Cabinet Makers Association.

Laurie Haefele Design
Award-winning designer Laurie Haefele will serve as keynote speaker of the Closets and Wood Pro conferences.

Laurie Haefele, owner of Haefele Design and winner of multiple design awards for high-end closet, kitchen, and bath projects, will serve as the opening keynote speaker. She has built a well-earned reputation for her extreme attention to detail and knowledge of the latest trends. She is a member of the AIA, ASID, and NKBA.

"Our keynote speaker comes highly recommended," Didier said. "She is well regarded as a speaker and for her award-winning designs and solid business professionalism. We're thrilled to have her on board."

Another dynamic presenter lined up for the conference is Jim Bouchard, founder of the Sensei Leader Movement. "Jim Bouchard's message about the importance of leadership is especially important today because finding good employees is so difficult," Didier said.."Jim really hits the mark with creating a workplace culture that makes people want to give their best, and stay and grow with the company." 

The two-day Closets Expo and WPE will include displays and demonstrations of woodworking machinery, hardware, components, software, and much more. The expo will also feature the Great Closets Challenge at the Woodworking Network Live Stage. "We're calling this version 2.0 because we learned so much about how to improve on how the installation challenge was staged at the AWFS Fair. It's going to be a lot of fun.

A new-and-improved version of the Great Closet Challenge is planned for the Closets/WPE expo floor on oth days of the show.

The three-day event will also include plant tours, roundtable sessions, and a networking reception to celebrate the 2022 winners of the Top Shelf Design Awards. Additional presentations and events are still in the works. Check out the current 2022 conference and expo schedule.

"We’re trying to pack as much education and information into the show to maximize the opportunities and engagement for our attendees," Didier said. "There will be much more to do and more things to stop and watch throughout both days of the expo." 

2022 Wood Pro Expo California registration

Register now and save
Registration is open for the dual Closets and Wood Pro conference tracks, as well as for attending the expo only. Early pricing is $350 for one of the full-day April 27 conferences, which includes admission to the expo hall. Discounted early-bird expo-only registration is $30.

Learn more at Closets Expo & Conference or Wood Pro Expo California.

About the 2022 Closets Conference & Expo and Wood Pro Expo California
The Closets Conference & Expo is the annual national event for closet and home storage professionals. It is co-located with Wood Pro Expo California (WPE), a regional marketplace for woodworking professionals. The events are organized by Closets & Organized Storage and FDMC magazines respectively, each part of Woodworking Network. The twin-bill event is scheduled for April 27-29, 2022, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.

The Closets Expo and WPE each kick off with a separate full-day conference on April 27, followed by the two-day expo, April 28-29, featuring woodworking machinery, supplies, and components. Additional educational programming is offered on both days of the expo. Tours of local manufacturing plants and the popular Top Shelf Design Awards networking reception are also key features of the event.

For information about exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, contact Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Home Storage. For all other inquiries, contact Kim Lebel, show manager. 

View the interactive exhibitor prospectus.

More upcoming Woodworking Network events
Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo, Feb. 24-26, 2022, International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario.

Executive Briefing Conference, September 15-17, 2022, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Wood Pro Expo Lancaster, October 13-14, 2022, Spooky Nook Sports Center, Manheim, Pa.

Salon Industriel du Bois Ouvré (SIBO), October 27-29, 2022, Centrexpo Cogeco, Drummondville, Quebec.

 

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About the author
Rich Christianson | President/Owner/C-Level

Rich Christianson is the owner of Richson Media LLC, a Chicago-based communications firm focused on the industrial woodworking sector. Rich is the former long-time editorial director and associate publisher of Woodworking Network. During his nearly 35-year career, Rich has toured more than 250 woodworking operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has written extensively on woodworking technology, design and supply trends. He has also directed and promoted dozens of woodworking trade shows, conferences and seminars including the Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo and the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo, Canada’s largest woodworking show.