Environmental Experts to Host 'Green Desk' at AWFS Fair

Furniture World Magazine

AFWS®FAIR announced that a new feature called the Green Desk will be launched at the AFWS®FAIR this summer in Las Vegas. The Desk is a place where anyone in attendance can stop by to ask questions related to “green” practices and issues that are impacting virtually all businesses. The Desk is one of several new features of the 2009 show, designed to impart additional benefits to attendees as well as exhibitors in a climate of change and economic uncertainty. Experts from a variety of professional organizations will act as hosts on the Desk throughout all four days of the show. They will address questions on sustainability practices, environmentally friendly products, building and product certifications, as well as state and regulations affecting the industry. The Desk will be located in the main lobby of the show and readily accessible to all show goers. Desk hosts are experts from national environmental organizations and industry associations with sustainability programs. They include the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Lean and Clean program, which combines the strengths of lean manufacturing with green strategies; the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resource Board (CARB), initiators of the regulations on formaldehyde in composite wood products. Groups that monitor forest management and chain of custody will include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). Also represented are the Sustainable Furnishings Council and the U.S. Green Building Council, originators of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification. Trade organizations with environmental programs up and running include the Composite Panel Association and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. Attendees interested in environmental topics can also take advantage of seminars in the Safety & Environment and new Going Green tracks of the show seminar program. The AWFS®Fair College of Woodworking Knowledge (CWWK) is the largest education program in the industry. The CWWK is a once-every two-year opportunity for attendees to gain economical and practical knowledge to bring back to their businesses. Fifty seminars and workshops will be offered over the course of five days in 2009, beginning on July 14, the “pre-show” day. Registration is now open for AWFS®Fair, scheduled for Wednesday, July 15 – Saturday, July 18, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. To register or get more information, go to www.awfsfair.org. AWFS®Fair brings together the entire home and commercial furnishings industry, including manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, construction, materials, bedding and other supplies to furniture, cabinet manufacturers and custom woodworkers.