Every two years, the woodworking industry braves the summer heat and the cacophony of slot machines to attend AWFS — the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers fair, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s one of the largest trade shows in the world for our craft, and this year we’ve been told there will be some 500 exhibitors displaying the very latest in woodworking tools, supplies, finishes, accessories and, well … you name it. If you can process and finish a board with it, chances are there will be at least one company, if not a dozen, showcasing that widget here.
Rob Johnstone, contributing editor Sandor Nagyszalanczy and I are already packing, planning and anxiously anticipating our chance to walk the show floor, along with some 10,000 other folks this year. And, thanks to the wonders of the internet, we’d love for you to come along with us, too!
Each day, we’ll be interviewing select companies on video, and posting their new and exciting product releases on this special AWFS blog!
We’ve done it before, and your traffic to the blog in previous years tells us that this sort of show coverage is just what you want to see. So, we’ll be spending four days next week — Wednesday, July 24 through Saturday, July 27 — to bring it to you again! It’s worth the roar of woodworking machines conducting their demos, the (really) bad convention center food and sore feet.
And why not? Here’s where the leading woodworking companies roll out the very latest and greatest products to help make our shop time the most enjoyable — or if you’re a pro woodworker, profitable — experience it can be. 
And, you can keep pulse with the industry from the comfort of your computer, tablet or smart phone, just by checking back with our blog each day.
If you’re not already familiar with AWFS, or if you’re curious about what the show has in store next week, click here for an overview.
So, come along for the ride! We’ll do our best to find the cool stuff and pass a sneak peek along for you. If you have a question or concern about something you see on the blog, let us know by leaving a comment, and we’ll try to get an answer for you right from the source. Happy to oblige! And, by all means, if something we share suddenly shoots to the top of your wish list, let us know that, too. Exhibitors will be watching our blog, just like you.
See you from the show floor!
Chris Marshall, Senior Editor
