AWFS® Figures

The preliminary attendee numbers from the 2007 AWFS®Fair are in and although they show a 5% decline (19,923 vs. 18,987) in overall registration from the record breaking 2005 inaugural Las Vegas show, the base of potential buyers actually grew. What has been the most vibrant and growing segment of the attendee base for the last decade, cabinet manufacturers, continued to expand with an 8% increase over 2005. Other categories that showed expansion were Plastics/Metals, up 33%, Mill/Primary Processing, up 70% and the Dealer/ Distributor Category which increased by 3%.

The overall decline in attendee registration was a direct result of decreases in two categories, “furniture,” which declined by 23% and the “non-manufacturer other” category which was off by more than 50%.

The most telling statistic, however, is that exhibitors were able to register 5.2% more leads than they did in 2005, a show that saw a record 40% increase over the last AWFS®Fair held in Anaheim.

In addition, according to Angelo Gangone, V.P. of Tradeshows for AWFS®, “Exhibitors have already started reserving space for 2009 and we are very happy to see that many companies continue to expand their booth space. 2007 was a solid follow-up to the most successful show in our history and early indications suggest that AWFS®Vegas is still clearly on its growth path.”

For more information, contact AWFS®Vegas, 800-946-AWFS (2937), Web: www.awfsfair.org.