AWFS Moves Into New Home

Woodworking tradeshow gains both exhibitors and attendees in Las Vegas

By Heidi Genoist -- Tradeshow Week, 8/8/2005

Las Vegas—If 2005 results are indicative of future shows, the Assn. of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers won't be leaving Las Vegas any time soon.

The biennial AWFSVegas drew more than 20,000 professional attendees (according to preliminary registration numbers) to visit 900 exhibitors spanning 420,000 net square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center July 27–30. That compared with 17,723 attendees, 750 exhibitors and 347,170 net sq. ft. in 2003, when the show placed 51st on the Tradeshow Week 200.

In other words, the exhibition grew by more than 20 percent.

The association cited growth potential as a driving factor in early 2004 when it announced it was moving AWFSFair after 17 years in Anaheim.

At the time, the move was widely supported by members and buyers. Their enthusiasm carried over to the Las Vegas debut, with attendees and exhibitors saying they liked the new location.

"This was the right move. We think Las Vegas is a great venue for attracting potential customers," said Stiles Machinery spokesperson Chris Fox. He added that the new venue would allow for more future expansion of the show. The Anaheim Convention Center has 815,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, compared with the LVCC's 1.9 million.

So with its growth spurt, could AWFSVegas catch up to its even-year Atlanta counterpart, the Intl. Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair—USA?

IWF in 2004 came in at No. 10 on the TSW 200, with 24,090 professional buyers visiting 1,372 exhibitors spanning 832,813 net sq. ft.

Patrick LaFramboise, IWF president and CEO, said the biggest difference between the two shows is, "AWFS is for smaller manufacturing applications; ours is for small and major applications."

LaFramboise, who manned IWF's booth at AWFS, said he believed Las Vegas would draw more East Coast attendees to the Western U.S. show. "There will be a spike in attendance," he said. "There's a curiosity factor. People who didn't go to Anaheim might come here to check it out."

But he wasn't worried about losing IWF participants to the competition. He said his 2006 show was already ahead of 2004, the second largest in its history.

And he and AWFSVegas Show Director Angelo Gangone agreed that growth in either show is not a threat to the other.

"Exhibitors need good shows every year. Since we're in opposite years, and on opposite coasts, our success will be good for both shows, because it demonstrates the industry is healthy," said Gangone.

One thing that was down at AWFSVegas was the number of Californians. The move to Las Vegas created more of a national and international draw, increasing the number of attendees from all 49 other U.S. states and doubling those from overseas, Gangone said.