IWF Atlanta
We are very excited to be attending the IWF in Atlanta this year. Tom has been many times before, but this will be my fist time going to the IWF, not to mention my first time in Atlanta. We are looking forward to seeing some old friends like the wonderful people at Whiteside, Southeast Tool, Woodpeckers, Popular Tool, Vortex and many more of the people we have done business with over the years. We are always looking for more unique and great tools to sell on our site and are excited to see what incredible things we may come across this year at IWF in Atlanta. For anyone interested in attending the IWF 2012 Atlanta, here is information on what things to expect, places to stay nearby, and a schedule of some of the events going on. Hope to see some of you there!
2012 IWF in Atlanta:
Here are some tips that the IWF site suggests for making the most out of your experience:
IWF is an extensive trade show. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and be sure to plan ahead so that you can optimize your time there and experience the most of what this year’s Atlanta IWF has to offer.
A few weeks before the show, read trade publications or visit IWF’s web site (http://www.iwfatlanta.com/home) for up-to-date lists of exhibitors and their booth locations.
Use this information to determine your objectives for attending the show. Establish three priorities: (1) exhibitors you absolutely must see; (2) secondary exhibitors that you would like to see; (3) exhibitors with new ideas and new technology. Be sure to leave some time in your schedule for exploring. Then, using the Pocket Guide, Official Fair Directory you will receive at registration, the IWF website or myGPS kiosks on site, locate the exhibitors on your list to establish an efficient route of all your “must see” booths. For the best results: plan your visit, then follow your plan. Some of the exhibitors we will be visiting are our old friends at Southeast Tool (booth 4753), Whiteside Machine (booth 6516), Woodpeckers– who we met at a previous IWF – (booth 6160), Vortex (booth 6556), and Popular Tools (booth 7324). We will be stopping by to say hello to our old friends and hopefully be meeting some new friends as well.
There will be discounts and special deals for all IWF attendees at many places located near the woodworking fair. You can print a special coupon to get discounts on restaurants, special events and attractions and even lodging. You can print your coupon from the IWF site (http://www.atlanta.net/savings/print_card_iwf.aspx?mtg_nbr=86285)
There are great educational conferences being held Tuesday August 21 – Friday August 24th like the Wood Bioenergy symposium, Reshoring Made in America Symposium, Business Strategies for a changing market Syposium, Automating your shop and Wood 101- The basics symposiums. You can find a full list of the symposiums as well as pricing and how to sign up below or by going on the IWF website.
IWF 2012 Education Conference Schedule At A Glance
Click for detailed session information.
Tuesday, August 21 – IWF All-Day Symposiums
All day
| Symposium | Presenter | Time |
| From Low Tech to High Tech – The Finisher’s Guide to Perfect Results | NueMedia, LLC | All day |
| Wood Bioenergy | BBI International w/ Biomass Power & Thermal Magazine | All day |
| Getting Lean, Green and Keeping up with Market Trends in Door and Window Manufacturing |
Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine | All day |
| Closets – Your Niche for Growth | Association of Closet & Storage Professionals | All day |
| Exploring Countertop Options: Turning Opportunity Into Profit | International Surface Fabricators Association | All day |
*A continental breakfast and lunch are included with the purchase of an all day Symposium
IWF Education Conference – Regular Sessions
Wednesday, August 22
| Session | Track | Time |
| Reshoring – Made in America | Furniture and Upholstery | 9:00 – 11:00am |
| Business Survival and Growth | Business Management | 9:00 – 10:30am |
| Business Strategies for a Changing Market | Business Management | 9:00 – 10:30am |
| How to Specify Engineered Hardwood Products |
Manufacturing | 9:00 – 10:30am |
| Mass Customization | Manufacturing | 1:00 – 3:00pm |
| From Strategy to Results | Business Management | 1:00 – 2:30pm |
| Working Local and Regional Markets for New Sales of Cabinets, Furniture and Millwork | Business Management | 1:00 – 2:30pm |
| Wood Properties and Identification: What You Need to Know | Business Management | 1:00 – 3:30pm |
| Marketing 101: Basic Advertising and Marketing Techniques (CMA Session) | Marketing | 9:00 – 10:30am |
| Marketing 102: Advanced Marketing Strategies for an Established Company (CMA Session) | Marketing | 12:30 – 2:00pm |
| Sales 101: Qualifying A Sales Prospect (CMA Session) | Sales | 3:00 – 4:30pm |
Thursday, August 23 – IWF Education Conference – Regular Sessions
Friday, August 24 – IWF Education Conference – Regular Sessions
| Session | Track | Time |
| 7 Rules for Great Web Content | Marketing | 9:00 – 11:00 am |
| Color Matching | Manufacturing | 9:00 – 11:00 am |
| Leapfrog from Laminate to High End Concrete | New Business Sectors | 9:00 – 10:30 am |
| Lean Manufacturing and the Theory of Constraints (CMA CEU)* | Manufacturing | 9:00 – 10:30 am |
| Recruiting, Retaining and Managing an Age-Diverse Workforce |
Business Management | 1:00 – 3:00 pm |
| Increasing Lumber Yield With ROMI | Manufacturing | 1:00 – 3:00 pm |
| How to Use Dyes | Manufacturing | 1:00 – 3:00 pm |
| Systems for Sales: Using Software for Sales Success | Marketing | 1:00 – 2:30 pm |
| Finance/Insurance 101: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential (CMA Session) | Finance/Insurance | 9:00-10:30am |
| Wood 101: The Basics of Wood Properties, Sawing, Shaping, Gluing and Fastening (CMA Session) | Wood | 12:30-2:00pm |
| Finance/Insurance 103: Cost/Benefit Analysis Systems for Major Business Investments (CMA Session) | Finance/Insurance | 3:00-4:30pm |
Tags: IWF, IWF Atlanta, Popular Tools, Southeast Tool, Vortex, Whiteside, woodpeckers
2 Responses to “IWF Atlanta”
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I am so excited to attend IWF for the first time, and hopefully meet Tom of Carbide Processors, and other great suppliers. Mostly I look forward to building relationships with more great sources for woodworking tool sharpening news and general trends in the industry. —Sharpeners Report monthly newsletter Editor.
Don’t get too excited about meeting Tom Walz. I didn’t promise you anything but dinner Thursday. So far it is you, Steve Bergerson, Whitney and I. there is room for more but most of them head directly to the parties.
Mike Lindsay is a great person and knows many of the ISKA people much better than I do. See if he can help you. (I know he told you that I was the expert. He is really selling himself short.)
It is an industry with some incredible people in it The problem we have is that many of them are manning a booth and talking to customers. We don’t want to interrupt them. It might help if you had a short with Sharpener’s Report in big letters front and back. Many. many contacts are made by accident in the aisles.
Tom