International Woodworking Fair Sees Positive Registration of 10,000-plus

August 13, 2012

The International Woodworking Fair, which kicks off Aug. 22-25 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, looks to be on track for a successful show, with preregistration topping 11,000 attendees, more than 40-percent higher than the 2010 show.

All 50 states and more than 60 countries will be represented at the show, with 45 of the states seeing increased registrations, compared with 2010’s show.

“We are up across the board, more exhibits, more products and more buyers,” said Michael Burdis, IWF 2012 chairman and president of James L. Taylor Manufacturing Company.

He added, “The importance of seeing products first-hand and engaging face-to-face with industry experts is key to our growth.”

The biannual 2010 International Woodworking Fair drew 11,425 buyers, 20,697 total attendance, 972 exhibitors and 375,500 net square feet of exhibit space at the GWCC.

Besides a busy showfloor, IWF also boasts a robust education program for woodworking professionals.

Sessions include “Working Local and Regional Markets for New Sales of Cabinets, Furniture and Millwork”, “Regulatory Issues Affecting the Furniture Industry” and Recruiting, Retaining and Managing an Age-Diverse Workforce, to name a few.

IWF also partners with associations such as the International Surface Fabricators Association for some of the content, such as a Countertop Symposium serving that segment of the marketplace.

The symposium, “Exploring Countertop Options: Turning Opportunity into Profit”is designed to provide information to established countertop fabricatorsm as well as cabinetmakers and casework providers, who are exploring best practices for resourcing within the countertop market, according to sow organizers.

Put on by ISFA, the presenters include the owners of successful countertop and architectural millwork companies who are well versed in the technology, techniques and business requirements of countertop operations.

“This will be a great opportunity to gather intelligence on the countertop market as well get access to some of the greatest minds in the countertop industry today,” said ISFA President Russ Berry.

He added, “Anyone currently working in the realm of countertops or anyone considering it would really find this symposium of major benefit.”

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