MISSISSAUGA, Ont. –WMS - the national event for Canada’s wood industry, opened Nov. 2 to a steady stream of woodworking professionals on hand to see new equipment and supplies. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the biennial Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference and Expo, which runs Nov. 2-4 at the International Centre in Mississauga (Toronto).

A ribbon cutting signals the official start of WMS 2017. Pictured are (l-r): Sandra Wood, executive director of the Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Assn.; Michelle Morrell, association manager for the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada; Peter Gallagher, president of the AWMAC Ontario chapter; Mike Baker, executive director of Bluewater Wood Alliance; Tim Fixmer, president & CEO of CCI Media and show owner CCI Canada; Carson Fixmer, vice president/business manager, CCI Media; and Harry Urban, WMS show manager.

More than 270 companies and brands are represented in exhibitor displays, according to show management, including 50 first-time exhibitors. Based on pre-registration and day-one figures, attendance is up 25 percent from the previous WMS in 2015.

"The show continues to grow along with the Canadian economy," said Harry Urban, WMS show manager. WMS is produced by CCI Canada, which is owned by CCI Media, owner of Woodworking Network. "We're exceeding expectations and have furthered our commitment to WMS and Canada by announcing dates for 2019 and 2021."

WMS will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 2,  2019, and Oct. 28-30, 2021, at the International Centre.

"We're very pleased with the opening day crowd and the diversity of equipment and supplies on display for all types and sizes of woodworking operations," added Tim Fixmer, president and CEO of CCI Media. "We believe there's a brilliant future for technology, machinery and supplies in the Canadian market."

Click here to read more about the new technology and supplies on display.

The event kicked off Nov. 1 with a finishing symposium hosted by Taurus Craco, on topics including: Sanding and surface preparation; coatings regulations; abrasives and technology trends. Andrea Granzotto of the Doorland Group also presented a case study of the company's finishing operation.

Educational conferences on Nov. 2 included tracks on Finishing and Cabinet Design & Production. Presentations included a look at new material and equipment developments; troubleshooting tips and techniques; cabinet manufacturing optimization and case studies by Denis Staples of Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, Luke Elias of Muskoka Cabinets, and Jim Lawrence of Avondale Kitchens.

Sylvain Garneau presented a lunchtime keynote, which was sponsored by Acimall.

A keynote presentation was given by Groupe Lacasse CEO Sylvain Garneau, also the current president of BIFMA, the Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn.

Attendees can still register for Day Two conference tracks, which will be on Materials and Woodshop Best Practices. Included will be: woodwork standards, composite panel trends, hardware developments, information from the FDMC pricing survey, lean manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and a panel discussion on new technology. The keynote luncheon speaker is Scott Hodson, president & CEO of Superior Cabinets.

For more information on WMS, visit WMSCanada.ca.