Anaheim, Calif. – November 9, 2020 — The 2021 AWFS®Fair show cycle is under way and the Call for Proposals for the show’s “College of Woodworking Knowledge” (CWWK) educational seminar program is now open.
Technical experts, exhibitors with an educational segment, business owners and managers, consultants and other wood products manufacturing professionals are invited to submit proposal ideas for seminars to be held at the AWFS®Fair, July 20-23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The deadline for proposal submittal is December 1, 2020.
Seminars are presented in a variety of time slots ranging from 60 minutes to three hours. The program includes classroom-style presentations, panels,[...]
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Anaheim, September 22, 2020 -- The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS) will host its 12th biennial Fresh Wood student furniture competition. The competition, which will be showcased at the 2021 AWFS®Fair, July 20-23, in Las Vegas, is open to high school and post-secondary students in woodworking or related programs. Entry applications will be accepted until May 3, 2021, and it is free to enter.
2021 Special Theme Announced
In light of the pandemic and the resulting significant increase in remote learning for students, the 2021 Special Theme category topic is “Remote Woodworking”. Any wood project made while remote learning, or[...]
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You can now watch the eight WED Talks (Wood Education Talks) that took place at the 2019 AWFS®Fair on YouTube.
Find information on each presentation, speaker and the video links on this page.
Norm Abram speaks at the 2019 AWFS Fair WED Talks
The 2019 AWFS®Fair WED Talks featured wood industry professionals and focused on topics including workforce development, industry skill standards, generational collaboration, social activism through woodworking, furniture design and the creative process, and the importance of diversity in the workforce. Speakers include Whitney Pyle and Thomas Allott, both members of the Woodworking Network “40 Under 40”; highly-respected and industry leading educator Patrick Molzahn; recognized artists Wendy Maruyama, Scott[...]
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Two unique educational opportunities that took place at the 2019 AWFS®Fair enhanced the experience for teachers, students, and general attendees by providing more resources and information related to career awareness.
The Industry-Education Networking Breakfast on Thursday morning was a jam-packed event, with over fifty teachers and industry professionals coming together to share their challenges and how they can work together to find solutions and “bridge the skills gap”. A big conversation was the “language barrier” between industry and education, which many people find a common issue when trying to address the skilled careers gap and work with partners on the other[...]
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The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) educational program, the College of Woodworking Knowledge® (CWWK®), was held at the AWFS®Fair and provided value for thousands of AWFS Fair attendees through current topics and addressing business questions and concerns.
Designed to meet the current needs of the show audience demographics, the 50 sessions spanned topics to strengthen corporate culture and grow workforce, enhance business management expertise, improve skill sets, and increase knowledge of the latest technologies.
CWWK Educational Track Highlights
Business Management: Expert Tom Grandy spoke on mastering your cash flow. Marketing pro Jonathan Mills dove deep into digital marketing, including the role[...]
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Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) Southern California Chapter members and volunteers helped AWFS®Fair attendees make an item out of wood at the Make and Take booth. Attendees could choose to make a tea light candle holder, a cell phone holder, or customize a work apron. There was a raffle for a table top drill press, donated by SWM, and a set of clamps from Bessey Tools North America. Kayleen McCabe, a skilled trades advocate, spent time at the booth helping attendees, as did Ethan Abramson, a woodworker and social media influencer.
Festool provided a Kapex saw, and Weinig Holz-Her provided pre-milled[...]
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[caption id="attachment_12971" align="alignleft" width="170"] Norm Abram and Nathan Gilbert on Generation Next[/caption]
Eight exciting presentations were made as part of the inaugural WED (short for “Wood Education”) Talk series, held on Thursday, July 18 at the AWFS Fair. The talks and speakers ranged and included topics such as social activism through woodworking; strong women in the woodworking industry; a professional woodworker’s career journey; and how to attract more young people to careers in our industry, culminating in a session with Q&A featuring This Old House team members Norm Abram and Nathan Gilbert and the Generation Next initiative to increase career awareness. The[...]
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adam Kessler, Education Manager
adam@awfs.org
(323) 215-0312
LAS VEGAS − (July 20, 2019) – Nicholas Maraldo, a student at Furniture Institute of Massachusetts won the Best of Show award in the 2019 AWFS® Fresh Wood Competition after judges reviewed 42 finalist projects of from 25 different high schools and colleges in the U.S. at the 2019 AWFS®Fair in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thirty-three Fresh Wood student finalists went home with monetary prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000, along with trophies and software prizes.
[caption id="attachment_12958" align="alignleft" width="177"] 2019 Fresh Wood Best of Show: Nautical Marquetry Table by Nicholas Maraldo[/caption]
Maraldo was awarded an[...]
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Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-1) will speak at the Student Awards Ceremony on Friday, July 19 at 4:00 p.m. in Room N110. The awards ceremony is open to all registered AWFS Fair attendees and exhibitors and the winners of the Fresh Wood and Turning to the Future student competitions will be announced. “We are honored to have Congresswoman Titus with us at the AWFS®Fair”, says AWFS Executive Vice President Angelo Gangone. “We recognize that since she has been in office, she has been a supporter and advocate for workforce development and Perkins funding.” Representative Titus is acutely aware of the value[...]
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A new feature at the 2019 AWFS®Fair, will offer various presentations and sessions throughout the show. All sessions are complimentary and are open to all registered AWFS Fair attendees...Read more...[...]
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