The American Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers’ annual fair (AWFS) was held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., July 31-August 2. There were more than 26,000 people in attendance, including 17,723 attendees and 8,500 exhibitors.
“We had a 7-percent increase in our largest market sector, cabinet manufacturers, and they come ready to buy,” said Joan Kemp, chair of the 2003 AWFS Fair. “Walking the halls, exhibitors thanked us for bringing them new customers. The furniture and wood products manufacturing sectors have been hard hit by imports and our registration figures bore this out. Overall, our on-site attendance decreased by 6.7 percent, but the lower numbers didn’t seem to matter as the right people were there.”“We sold more machines off of our show floor than I could remember from any show we’ve attended,” said Dan Hershberg, distribution and training manager for Holz-Her. “That gave an indication as to the quality of attendees. They came prepared to make a purchase.”
(To learn more about products from this year’s show, read new products on page 56.)