IWF returned to Atlanta

After 4 years, the International Woodworking Fair is returning to Atlanta. 

ATLANTA -- North Americ a's largest woodworking technology and design trade show and conference and the first U.S. global woodworking fair since 2018 opens Tuesday, August 23, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

With 925 exhibitors showcasing products and services in more than 540 categories, IWF 2022 will display a plethora of equipment including new lines and designs and exclusive U.S. product introductions.

iwf_closets_symposium DB

Along with the hundreds of vendors displaying the latest technologies and supplies, IWF features an education conference with more than 50 sessions and numerous opportunities to network. Here are a few more reasons to attend:

• Thousands of top brands will be on display, with many cutting-edge demos live on the show floor.
• See award-winning exhibits. Check out the products entered in the IWF Challengers Award to look at the latest woodworking innovations. Winners of the distinguished Challengers Award will be announced at 11:00 a.m. on Aug. 23, at the IWF Challengers Award Gallery located in Hall B, Level 2, overlook area.
• Also, check out the Design Emphasis Showcase featuring furniture pieces designed and built by college/university students. Categories include Seating, Case Goods, Commercial/Office/Hospitality Furniture, Accent Furniture/Accent Tables, and Design Creativity. A prize is also given for the Best of Show. The winners will be announced, and prize money will be presented at 3:30 pm on Aug. 23 in the Design Emphasis Gallery in Hall C.
• Network and take advantage of the opportunities to learn new methods and solutions to your business challenges from industry leaders during booth visits, conferences, or just talking on the show floor.  Help your company work more efficiently and become more profitable.

New to IWF 2022
Embracing the social media age, IWF will host a Woodworking Influencers Lounge for the first time during the show. The lounge will be adjacent to the IWF Network News exhibit, in BC hall.

According to show organizers, it will serve as a gathering spot for the dozens of woodworking social media personalities to meet with their fans during the show. In online social media channels like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and podcasts, woodworking influencers have risen in prominence in recent years. They have become important in communicating technology trends, tools, materials, and techniques for producing furniture, cabinetry, and casegoods.

IWF’s education sessions are always a huge draw. To expand those offerings, IWF is launching Exhibitor EDU sessions, which will provide woodworking industry professionals with practical learning and development opportunities relevant to contemporary business operations and management in a focused setting just a few steps away from the show floor. These sessions will run from one to two hours and be presented during the show. 

IWF is owned and sponsored by the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (wmma.org) and the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (wmia.org). At IWF 2022, for the first time, more than 20 of the woodworking industry’s top trade and professional organizations are also coming together in an all-new program, The IWF Industry Partners Alliance, to deliver members-only benefits. Showgoers can visit these IWF Industry Partners Alliance associations at their booths or attend the education sessions many will produce during the show. Organizations in the IWF Industry Partners Alliance include:

  • Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP), closets.org;
  • AIMSAD, turkishwoodworkingmachinery.com;
  • APA – Engineered Wood Association, apawood.org;
  • Appalachian Hardwood Association, appalachianhardwood.org;
  • Architectural Woodwork Institute, awinet.org;
  • AWI Quality Certification Program, awiqcp.org;
  • Cabinet Makers Association, cabinetmakers.org;
  • Composite Panel Association, compositepanel.org;
  • Decorative Hardwoods Association, decorativehardwoods.org;
  • Forest Products Society, forestprod.org;
  • International Saw & Knife Association, iska.org;
  • International Wood Products Association, iwpawood.org;
  • NBMDA, nbmda.org;
  • Powder Coating Institute, powdercoating.org;
  • National Hardwood Lumber Association, nhla.com;
  • National Wood Flooring Association, nwfa.org;
  • Stairbuilders & Manufacturers Association, stairways.org;
  • Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association, twma.org.tw;
  • Wood Component Manufacturers Association, wcma.com;
  • and, Wood Products Manufacturers Association, wpma.org.

 

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About the author
Larry Adams | Editor

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).