MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Day 1 saw thousands of attendees streaming through the halls of the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo, getting a closeup look at the more than 200 machines and thousands of supplies on display by 180-plus exhibitors.

Canada's largest woodworking show, the biennial WMS takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. With two days remaining, walk-ins are welcome, and attendees can still register for Day 2 conference tracks.

"We are off to a great start after Day 1," said Harry Urban, show manager and publisher of FDMC magazine. "Feedback from attendees and exhibitors has been very positive."

Jump starting the 2019 show was an opening keynote by Mike Holmes Jr., professional contractor, and star of DIY Network's Holmes & Holmes.  "Mike Holmes Jr. was a fantastic opening keynote, kicking off a solid morning of education," Urban said."Luke Elias anchored the program with a fascinating keynote lunch, inspiring attendees to embrace technology."

"This is the largest show in Canada in more than 15 years," said Tim Fixmer, CEO of CCI Canada, the show's organizer. CCI Canada is owned by CCI Media, owner of Woodworking Network.

Fixmer added, "Our attendance is pacing well ahead and we look forward to continuing to build this show for years to come."

In addition to seeing a wide range of machinery and supplies on display, attendees also had the opportunity to expand their knowledge through a host of education sessions. Seminar topics on Day 1 included: lean manufacturing by Brad Cairns of the Center for Lean Learning; nanotechnology and design trends by John Topic, North American marketing manager of Willis; and how to produce NAAWS-compliant shop drawings, by Ian Christie and Nick Anastas, members of the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC). Also featured were WMS Live show-floor presentations by the Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association on industry challenges, advanced finishing techniques by Taurus Craco, and a discussion of workforce challenges led by Conestoga College's Wood Manufacturing Council.

"We're expecting another good turnout tomorrow and our keynotes, Will Sampson and Daniel Drapeau will be equally motivating," Urban added.

More on tap for Days 2 and 3

Kicking off Day 2, at 9 a.m. will be a free keynote by FDMC Editor Will Sampson, titled, “Solving the pricing puzzle.” Drawing on lessons learned from his experience organizing FDMC’s annual Pricing Survey, Sampson will provide tips and best practices for putting together profitable project bids.

The luncheon keynote will be by Daniel Drapeau, president and CEO of Miralis. Drapeau will discuss the leap of faith taken en route to his company’s transformation from producing wood components to utilizing robots and other cutting-edge technologies to manufacture contemporary kitchen cabinets.

Also of interest are Day 2 education opportunities, with two sessions on finishing, by Jason Chiu, managing director at UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, and Joseph Kim, also from UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing; and two presentations by Gene Wenger - the Wood Doctor, on the topic of improving profitability and reducing costs, and eliminating gluing and machining defects.

Free WMS Live presentations on Nov. 1 include: optimizing your machine's tooling optimization by Scott Burton of Royce//Ayr; a learning and networking event by Bluewater Wood Alliance, lean for the custom shop and a presentation on Industry 4.0.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, Sampson will also give a special WMS Live presentation on the "Path to professionalism." Visit WMSCanada.ca for more information on all the sessions. WMS Live takes place adjacent to the concession area in Hall 1.

For more than four decades, WMS has connected Canada's professional woodworking buyers with prominent machinery manufacturers and suppliers. Other events by CCI Media include SIBO, the co-located Cabinets & Closets Conference and Expo and Wood Pro Expo, Executive Briefing Conference, and Wood Pro Expo Lancaster.

CCI Media’s flagship publication, FDMC magazine, circulates monthly in print and digital formats. CCI Media also publishes the bi-monthly Closets & Organized Storage magazine. Woodworking Network is the umbrella brand for the combined portfolio of wood manufacturing print, digital, and web products and industry events operated by CCI Media.