AWFS[R] Fair gains in world stature; all systems are go for North America's biggest woodworking event of the year.

Forty-six years ago the first show was held in a hotel basement. Today, the AWFS[R] Fair exhibits occupy more than 400,000 square feet of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Joan Kemp, president of J-K Enterprises and chairman of the 2003 AWFS[R] Fair, does not have much time to marvel at the show's astounding rise. She is much too busy assisting on the ironing out of the details that promise to add up to the show's best even ever.

Wood & Wood Products: How does this year's AWFS[R] Fair compare to years' past?

Joan Kemp: I think the AWFS[R] Fair just keeps getting better and better, and the 2003 AWFS[R] Fair will be no exception. We've added some new features to help both exhibitors and attendees match up together in a more efficient way.

This year, we have three showcases, located in Hall E, for attendees to browse and see what's new and who's new at a glance. The New Product Showcase and Awards features the new products from exhibitors at the show. The First-Time Exhibitors Showcase features our new exhibitors, and our Safety Showcase features products and procedures that our exhibitors either manufacture or use.

In addition to viewing the showcases and our 800 exhibiting companies, attendees can use part of their four days to learn from experts in the field on everything from how to manage their shop for greater productivity to how to find the best machine for them. The College of Woodworking Knowledge[R] has been redesigned to answer needs from small custom shop owners to large manufacturing executives. Our newly renamed SMART Program provides a unique opportunity to learn the real capabilities of some of the latest technologically advanced equipment in the world.

Our exhibiting figures for 2003 are close to 2001 figures, and preregistration is ahead of 2001, which is really remarkable in this economy. We've undergone tremendous changes in the past year: terrorism, world health alerts, war, a stagnant economy and continued industry consolidations. In spite of that--or perhaps because of that--people are realizing they need to be on top of what's new to keep their competitive edge.

What are the special goals for this year's event? Does this incorporate a focus on AWFS[R] being a national organization?

Kemp: AWFS[R] is a national organization with international membership. This year, our promotional materials supported this, representing the Western Hemisphere on the globe, with a star in Southern California, the location of the Fair. Positioned as we are on the Pacific Rim, we are in a prime location to attract attendees and exhibitors from Mexico, Central and South America, Western Canada and Asia. Our exhibitors and attendees to the AWFS[R] Fair come from all over the world. California plays a big part in this as the nation's largest woodworking manufacturing sector, buoyed in recent years with housing starts and remodeling efforts.

I am delighted to note that our goals for the 2003 Fair have already been realized. Our primary goal was to find new ways to meet both exhibitor and attendee needs at the AWFS[R] Fair. For the 2003 Fair, we have internalized show management, boosted staff, and now have a dedicated full-time group of professionals working on the Fair. Their hard work is reflected in expanded educational programs, new showcases for exhibitors and attendees and an expanded attendee promotional campaign.

The trade show committee had other specific goals as well. The 2003 Fair features the WoodWORKS for Children program, utilizing sample waste from exhibitors to build something useful. This year, we are making sets of toddler furniture for a children's shelter in Orange County. We have augmented the College of Woodworking Knowledge[R], building on an already great program to meet specific requests from past participants. Our program is simply terrific. We have an outstanding roster of experts as seminar leaders and panelists--people who have faced the challenges, found solutions and are sharing those solutions with CWWK[R] registrants. Our Student Design contest has inspired more students to participate; entries have doubled, many from schools new to the contest. Our Sequoia Awards continue to attract exhibitor entries with products and procedures that promote a healthy environment.

What importance does the AWFS[R] Fair have to the North American woodworking industry?

Kemp: This year, it is more important than ever. Economic realities have forced all of us to think of our business as a global business, even if we only sell regionally. Competing globally is no easy task. It requires constant focus on productivity and profitability in all areas.

We have to work smarter. How can we do this? One of the best ways is to be knowledgeable about the new products and techniques--and the best way to do that is to spend four days out of your year at the AWFS[R] Fair, taking advantage of the exhibits and the College of Woodworking Knowledge[R] program. It's also an important gathering point for the industry, inspiring new networks and connections with professionals from all over the world.

What steps has AWFS[R] taken to get the word out about the show both nationally and internationally?

Kemp: Our attendee promotional campaign has been extensive for the 2003 Fair. We have been very aggressive in all our communications: using direct mail, e-mail, fax, advertising and public relations to get the word out to our targeted audiences. This integrated campaign is focused so that potential attendees have seen the AWFS[R] Fair promotions at least three times during this spring and summer. We have worked with an expanded list of trade publications, nationally and internationally, as well as our fellow related associations. We were thrilled we found such terrific individuals that our committee felt were representative of various key industry segments to participate in our Face of the Attendee campaign.

What is AWFS[R] doing in both preparation for the show and at the show to spread the message that it is a national organization?

Kemp: People have long and erroneously perceived AWFS[R] as only a West Coast organization. This is not true. Our origins--over 40 years ago--began in California, but we quickly became a national organization with members from all over the country and, today, we have an international membership base. While our staff headquarters office is located in California, our Board of Directors come from all over the country, representing the geographic and product diversity of our members.

Particularly within the past decade we have built and created national and international services such as our large online Supplier Finder directory, our active support of WoodLINKS USA, our sponsorship of the annual Woodworking Industry Conference, our support of national research on the health effects of wood dust and our distribution of the highly respected RISI economic report for the wood industry to our membership this past year.

At the AWFS[R] Fair we are encouraging international participation through the Foreign Buyers Program, co-sponsored with the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America, our International Business Center and our outreach efforts to international audiences, with specific focus on Canada, Mexico, Australia and China. Now that the dollar value has lowered, our exhibitors can do business with other countries more effectively.

How will attendees and exhibitors at the show have a chance to interact with both national and international companies? Is this the main reason they should attend?

Kemp: The main reason the AWFS[R] Fair exists is for people to connect, to see new products and services and explore ways that buyers and sellers can benefit from a transaction with each other. That is true of everyone--wherever they come from.

The AWFS[R] Fair is set up to make it easy for people to connect with each other. Attendees can pre-plan their show through our AWFS[R] Supplier Finder site, which quickly shows exhibitors that sell products they need, and schedules appointments via e-mail. Our showcases are designed for attendees to quickly scan what's new and who's new so that they can connect with opportunities they may be unaware of prior to the show. People participating in the Foreign Buyers program will participate in a number of business and social opportunities during the show to interact with U.S. manufacturers. Finally, international exhibitors and attendees can arrange meetings at the International Business Center, operating during show hours and hosted by individuals that speak a variety of languages.