Woodworker West (July-August, 2013) | Page 7

Largest Woodworking Show of the Year The 2013 AWFS®Vegas Fair—July 24-27 at the Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV—reflects the industry’s growing optimism, in the recovering economy. Past exhibitors are returning to this 53rd biennial show, and registrations are running 20% ahead of 2011, all indicating the prospects for a fabulous show. Of course, the major focus of the AWFS Fair is the exhibit hall filled with more than 500 companies, displaying their product offerings of woodworking hardware, tools, and machinery; board and panel products; upholstery material; wood components; supplies; services; and new technologies for the hobbyist shop through large manufacturing concerns. Here, you will see everything from scrollsaws to huge machinery that simply output furniture—all in operation with knowledgeable representatives to answer questions. Many exhibitors will be conducting demonstrations and workshops on the exhibit floor. Others offer SMART (Special Machinery and Relevant Technology) seminars at their booths—early each morning before the show opening—for more in-depth discussions of their products. More formal education opportunities are provided through the College of Woodworking Knowledge. These 50 sessions follow along eight tracks: Handcrafted Furniture, Techniques, Cabinet/ Millwork, Management, Technology, Small Shops, Safety, and Teachers. Among the handcrafted furniture instructors are Tim Celeski, Roland AWFS FAIR RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS Johnson, Darrell Peart, and Paul Schürch (see pages 49-50). The smartSHOP provides experience with a fully operational cabinet shop, demonstrating how automated woodworking equipment can increase small shop efficiency. And the Woodwork Career Alliance will conduct Accredited Skill Evaluator training for documenting woodworking proficiencies. An always-popular feature is the exhibition of the finalists in the Fresh Wood: Student Design Competition. Top ??????????????????????????????????????????????9????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????$???????????????????????]???M????? ????????????E???????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????U?????M?????????]???? ????????????????????????]L?????????? ???M?????I???????????????e?9??????? ???????????I????Q?????????? ???????M??????????????????Q??????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????=???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????]L???????())????????????$()]???????]???$()A?????$((0