Anaheim show turns the big four-oh.

As the show celebrates its 40th anniversary, this summer's Woodworking, Machinery, and Furniture Supply Fair is expected to be bigger than ever.

The woodworking, machinery and furniture supply fair had its inauspicious beginnings in the basement of Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel in 1957 with 10 exhibitors and 200 attendees. Forty years later it is the second-biggest North American woodworking trade show, with more than 750 exhibitors and 18,000 attendees expected at the show this summer.

The biennial Woodworking, Machinery and Furniture Supply Fair, sponsored by the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS), will be held July 31 to Aug. 3 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The Convention Center features 700,000 square feet of exhibition space - the size of 13 football fields - that win be filled with woodworking supplies and machinery from all over the United States and from more than 20 foreign countries.

"The five halls at the Anaheim Convention Center will be packed with the latest in equipment, products and services for the woodworking industry," said Karen Rockhold, exhibit sales manager for the show. "Hall E, which includes the show's registration area, has been redesigned to increase visibility and traffic flow," she added.

The show hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 31 through Saturday, Aug. 2, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. each day.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

The conference program for the show begins the day before the fair opens, on Wednesday, July 30, with six different full-day seminars from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"This year's program features new subjects including exporting and financial assistance, scanning and optimization, decorative overlays, vacuum veneering, outsourcing and the Internet," said Sharon Coyle, conference manager.

Ninety-minute panel discussions and 2 1/2-hour skill workshops are offered Thursday through Sunday.

Also, before the show opens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 13 different 90-minute Special Machinery Orientation Programs (SMOPs) will be offered. (For a complete list of seminars in the conference program, see page 63.)

The SMOP program began in 1991 and has become popular both with exhibitors and with attendees, according to Coyle. SMOPs are hosted by various exhibitors to give attendees a chance to see machinery and technology in action.

"We're not getting people from outside to come in and talk about machinery or just show slides," Coyle said. "It's not a sales presentation either - it's an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and see, first hand, the answers, because the presenters actually know the nuts and bolts of operating these machines. Also, the programs take place before the exhibits open each morning, so it doesn't take any time away from the show."

Attendees are encouraged to pre-register for the conference program by July 11 to receive a discount on all seminars and discussion panels.

ANAHEIM FAIR WEB SITE

The Anaheim show has propelled itself into the next millennium with the creation of a Web site for this year's fair.

"We're very excited about adding a Web site for this summer's show," said Ellen Schwartz, show manager. "As we get closer to the event, the site will continue to grow and provide more information for attendees and exhibitors."

The site, which can be accessed at www.woodweb.com/zzwoodweb/anaheim, includes details on exhibitors and the conference program. The site also allows users to sign up for classes or pre-register as an attendee, and provides travel information for visitors to Anaheim.

The Anaheim/Orange County area also has its own Web site at www.anaheimoc.org. The site contains information for visitors including: transportation, attractions, dining and entertainment, down-loadable maps, lodging, beaches, event calendars, arts and culture information and a list of links to other sites about the Orange County area or Southern California in general.

SPECIAL EVENTS

In addition to the exhibition and the conference program, this year's Anaheim Fair will also include several awards presentations.

AWFS is again sponsoring the Sequoia Awards competition, which recognizes products and techniques that promote a healthy environment, such as cleaner air, water or conservation of natural resources. The contest is open to all exhibitors, and winners will be announced at the fair.

Anaheim Fair officials say they have received more entries for the Sequoia Awards than they did in 1995, from both large and small companies. The competition will be judged by a panel of five environmental experts chosen by AWFS.

Also at this summer's fair, AWFS presents the second annual design exhibition, "Design '97." The exhibition will consist of an on-site display of original designs in wood and a photo exhibition of winning design pieces. The selections on display will be on loan from winners of a statewide woodworking competition in California, and from winners of Custom Woodworking Business magazine's "Design Portfolio Awards" and American Woodworker magazine's "Excellence in Craftsmanship."

"The response to the '95 exhibit was great and we're proud to provide a showcase again for craftsmen and women to show off their beautiful, award-winning designs," Schwartz said.

AWFS will also present Showstopper Awards in four different categories for exhibiting excellence to companies whose booths are judged to be outstanding. The booths are judged on five different criteria by a panel of experts in the area of tradeshow exhibiting from outside the woodworking industry. Judging will be held on the opening day of the fair, and awards will be presented on Aug. 1.