IWF Expands Education

IWF 2008 will feature an expanded technical and business conference program, including a new symposium the day before the show opens and sixteen sessions during the show. Show officials say the conference is designed to educate buyers with the latest information on technology, manufacturing and business techniques. Experts from a wide variety of industry segments will headline the program at the International Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Supply Fair—USA®, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga., August 20-23, 2008.

Show officials say the 2008 conference program will focus on advancing business management skills; implementing profitable, efficient and safe production strategies; and providing information on new technology, processes and manufacturing techniques and industry and environmental standards and regulations. An all-day symposium on the latest developments in wood finishing and technical and business sessions will be included, incorporating subjects such as the economic and logistical impacts of going green, how to create a winning factory, CNC processing, lean manufacturing, expanding into new market segments, improving the bottom line and recruiting and retaining quality employees. 

“Cutting edge technical and business sessions and the latest technology on the show floor combine to make IWF 2008 the best opportunity for woodworking industry leaders worldwide to get the information and products they need for business success,” says Charles R. (Tommy) Tomkins, IWF 2008 chairman and president of Cresent Fine Furniture Company in Gallatin, Tenn.  “IWF 2008 will present more than 1,300 exhibits of machinery, supplies and services for woodworking and related industries in more than 800,000 net square feet of floor space.”

“Everything you read and hear from industry leaders and market research, stresses the importance of education, training and professional development for our industry,” Tomkin says. “Buyers will have the ability to gain the knowledge they need to improve their business at the Finishing Symposium and the expanded Technical Conference Sessions. The greatest assets we all have are our people and we cannot as an industry fail to give our staff the education, training and access to new technology they need to ensure our industry remains strong now and in the future.”

Full information on the technical sessions and online registration is available at www.iwfatlanta.com.

In addition to the Technical Conference, show officials say the 2008 Fair will feature a New Product Showcase, The Challengers Distinguished Achievement Awards® and a student Design Emphasis Competition.

IWF 2008 is owned and sponsored by American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA).

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