WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Early-bird discount registration is now open for the 2021 Closets Conference & Expo  and Wood Pro Expo Florida (WPE). The co-located events take place June 8-10 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Loaded with how-to education, design inspiration, a well-rounded variety of woodworking machinery and supplies and plentiful networking opportunities, the double-barreled-event will help usher in a return to face-to-face events. Attendees can expect to get up to speed with marketing intelligence, industry best practices, business strategies, and new products to help jump-start their businesses in the post-pandemic economy.

“With the nation ramping up COVID-19 vaccine inoculations, Closets and Wood Pro Expo look well timed to safely bring professionals together to resume or forge new business relationships,” said Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Organized Storage magazine. “I’ve been talking with a lot of exhibitors and closet professionals in recent weeks who are really looking forward to coming to West Palm Beach to reconnect with their peers. That light at the end of the tunnel is the bright sunshine of south Florida.”

The Closets Conference & Expo is the annual national tradeshow and conference for closet and home storage professionals. WPE is a regional marketplace for woodworking professionals. The Closets Conference & Expo has not been held in West Palm Beach since 2007. This year marks the first time that WPE will be held in Florida.

The three-day event kicks off with a full-day, twin-track conference program for closet and custom woodworking professionals respectively, anchored by a tour of three local manufacturing operations. The action shifts on days two and three to the expo hall where attendees will see woodworking equipment and software demonstrations, plus an abundance of hardware, components and other core products on display.

June 8 Conference Highlights
The full-day Closets and Wood Pro conferences, Tuesday, June 8, will call to order with a joint keynote presentation by Rich Harshaw. The author of Unlocking Unlimited Lead Flow: A Blueprint for Remodeling & Home Services Contractors will draw upon his vast experience in the marketing and advertising industry. He will discuss how to create more engaging and powerful websites and marketing promotions that generate more high-quality customer leads and sales.

The conference program then splits off into the separate Closets and Wood Pro tracks.

Harshaw will build on his keynote presentation with a hands-on marketing workshop tailored to closet professionals. The closets track will be moderated by Closets & Organized Storage editor Michaelle Bradford and is co-sponsored by the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP). The Closets program includes timely topics including Post-COVID-19 home design, Designing spaces for flex use, Marketing panel discussion; and Installation best practices. Speakers include business owners Eric Marhsall, Wendy Scott, Mike Foti and others.

The Wood Pro track is being presented by FDMC magazine in partnership with the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA). The program includes separate presentations by a pair of FDMC personalities. Gene Wengert, aka The Wood Dr., will address troubleshooting common and costly wood manufacturing problems while Will Sampson, editor of FDMC, will offer tips for pricing products more profitably. Other topics on the Wood Pro docket include:

• CNC essentials for the small shop presented by Brian Clancy of Clancy Woodworking; and
• Bold ideas for the post pandemic world, a panel discussion moderated by CMA Executive Director Amanda Conger and featuring Edward Jan Juan of E.F. San Juan Custom Moulding & Millwork; Kelly Victor Burke of Burke Architectural Woodwork; and Lois Snider of Perwinklers Custom Cabinetry & Millwork.

Rounding out the conference are visits to three area manufacturing enterprises, including:

• Doormark Inc., a manufacturer of 3D laminate, acrylic and TFL cabinet doors and components based in Deerfield Beach; 
• The Closets Company, a family-owned manufacturer and installer of closets, garages, home offices and other home storage solutions based in Pompano Beach; and 
• Ultrapan, a manufacturer of ultra-modern acrylic panels used in the manufacture of cabinets, closets furniture and other applications for the home and office, based in Coral Springs.

Free expo keynotes
The exhibit hall opens for business at 10 a.m. on both Wednesday, June 9, and Thursday, June 10. Representatives of key equipment and supply companies will be on hand to demonstrate their wares and answer questions. Show products run the gamut from CNC routers, edgebanders and cutting tools through slides and hinges, decorative panels and CAD/CAM software.

The opening of each day of the Closets/Wood Pro Expo will be preceded by a free keynote presentation open to all attendees and exhibitors.

9 a.m. Wednesday, June 9:  Tom Grandy of Grandy & Associates will present, “The 15 things all successful businesses have in common.”

9 a.m. Thursday, June 10: Kenn Busch, principal of Material Intelligence, will present, “Climate positive now: How to tell the world’s greatest sustainability story.”

Additional educational opportunities will spill out onto the show floor via the popular Running Machine Program (RMP). Each day of the expo will feature scheduled demonstrations by exhibitors of woodworking machinery. The RMP is an opportunity for woodworkers to see high-tech equipment in action and learn how the latest advancements and enhancements might transform their shops.

Top Shelf Awards Reception
Presentation of the 2021 Top Shelf Closet Design Awards will be held 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 9 at the gardens of the Hilton Hotel. The annual awards gala, which doubles as a networking reception for conference attendees and exhibitors, is sponsored by Closets & Organized Storage, CCF Industries and KCD Software. The Top Shelf Awards celebrate design excellence in multiple categories including master closets, garages, home offices and more. 

Register now and save $105
The advanced registration fee for the full-day conference package is $335 compared to the regular rate of $440.

The discounted conference package price fee includes:

• Opening keynote address;
• Choice of Closets or Wood Pro education track;
• Peer2Peer Luncheon;
• Refreshment breaks;
• Plant tours;
• Top Shelf Closet Design Awards Reception; and
• Expo hall admission.

View the three-day event schedule.

Book a room at the Hilton
The Hilton West Palm Beach, 600 Okechobee Blvd., is the headquarters hotel for the 2021 ClosetsCon and WPE Florida. The 4-Star hotel is connected to the Palm Beach County Convention Center by a covered walkway. It is strategically located near downtown shopping. cultural centers, restaurants and night spots. Reserve a room.

About the 2021 Closets Conference & Expo and Wood Pro Expo Florida
The Closets Conference & Expo is the annual national event for closet and home storage professionals. It is co-located with Wood Pro Expo Florida (WPE), a regional marketplace for the woodworking professionals. The events are organized by Closets & Organized Storage and FDMC magazines respectively, each part of Woodworking Network. The twin-billing event is scheduled for June 8-10, 2021, at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Palm Beach, Fla.

The Closets Expo and WPE both lead off with a separate full-day conference on June 8, followed by the two-day expo, June 9-10, featuring woodworking machinery and supplies. 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 components of the event.

For information about exhibiting, and sponsorship opportunities, contact Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Home Storage. For inquiries about WPE, contact Harry Urban, publisher of Woodworking Network. 

Additional 2021 Woodworking Network events
Wood Pro Expo Lancaster, Oct.14-15, 2021, Warehouse at the Nook, Lancaster County, Pa. -- Annual woodworking trade show and conference

Executive Briefing Conference (EBC) Sept. 8-10, 2021, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Annual forecast of economic, technology and design trends for the North American woodworking industry.

Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo (WMS), Nov. 4-6, 2021, International Centre, MIssissauga, Ontario -- Canada's national woodworking show.