Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® Moving AWFS®Fair to Las Vegas “AWFS®Vegas” To Be Held July 27 – 30, 2005, Las Vegas Convention Center Commerce, CA

Furniture World News

The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) announced that it is moving the AWFS®Fair to the Las Vegas Convention Center starting in 2005. The AWFS®Fair, which began in Los Angeles in 1957 and has been held biennially at the Anaheim Convention Center since 1987 averages 27,500 participants including attendees and exhibitors, with more than 760 exhibiting companies. By moving the show to Las Vegas, organizers predict an increase in both of these categories. The show is scheduled to utilize over 420,000 net square feet. “A great deal of research and investigation went into this decision,” said Tom Orlando, President of AWFS®. “We selected Las Vegas for numerous reasons. First and foremost, the Board of Directors believes the AWFS®Fair, which will be known as AWFS®Vegas (pronounced “aahfs”-Vegas), will gain a greater national and international presence as a result of moving to one of the premier convention destinations in the world. In addition, we were encouraged by several surveys, which indicated that potential attendees and exhibitors would be more likely to attend the show if it were held in Las Vegas. Nevada is a right-to-work state, making it easier for exhibitors to assemble their booths; and lodging for both attendees and exhibitors will also be easier due to the frequent and inexpensive airline flights from many of the major US and international hubs, as well as the huge variety of hotels in every price range within a very short distance of the Las Vegas Convention Center.” The new show dates are Wednesday, July 27 through Saturday, July 30, 2005. Show days and hours have also been modified in order to better accommodate attendee traffic. AWFS®Vegas will be held Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Founded in 1911, AWFS® is the largest national trade association in the United States representing companies that supply the home and commercial furnishings industry. Starting with less than 20 members, AWFS® today has an international membership that includes manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, upholstery, materials, bedding and other supplies to furniture, cabinet manufacturers and custom woodworkers. The AWFS®Fair is a biennial event in which buyers and manufacturers gather from around the world to buy and sell the latest products and services related to the wood and home furnishings markets. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 128,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 9 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com. For more information, go to www.AWFSFair.org or call (800) 946-AWFS (2937).