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WMS attendance up over 2009

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Woodworking professionals gathered in Toronto last month for the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo (WMS), Canada's largest woodworking event. 

The 2011 edition of the show, which was held Oct. 27-29 at the Direct Energy Centre in downtown Toronto, was smaller than in previous years, but attendance was up and many exhibitors said they were pleased with the number and the quality of attendees. Show organizers said they had 2,800 pre-registered to attend Canada's largest woodworking event and always expected to surpass visitor numbers from the previous show.

WMS featured a wide selection of woodworking machinery, technology, suppliers, software and services from Canadian and international exhibitor.

"We think the success of this year's Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo reflects the improving woodworking marketplace in Canada and aggressive marketing efforts to engage all segments of the Canadian woodworking industry,” said Steve Reiss, vice president of Vance Communications Canada.

“We entered this year's WMS Expo with high expectations based on the pre-registration numbers and got much positive exhibitor feedback that the actual quantity and quality of woodworkers who attended WMS exceeded those expectations.”

Reiss added that their preliminary attendance numbers of some 3,650 visitors is nearly 10 per cent more than the attendance at WMS 2009.

“We were especially pleased with the amount of traffic on Saturday, the last day of the show,” Reiss said. “We literally had to ask attendees to leave when the show closed."

"We are currently working on the 2012 SIBO (Salon Industriel du Bois Ouvrè) show to be held next fall in the Montreal area. We are also surveying WMS 2011 exhibitors and attendees to determine how we can make the 2013 WMS show an even stronger and more valuable event for the Canadian woodworking industry."

WMS offered attendees a chance to see live demonstrations of new woodworking machinery, software and supplies; to shop and compare vendors; and to network with old friends and make new ones. The 2011 edition of WMS also featured the most comprehensive and enhanced education conference in the show’s history.

Presentations covered key issues related to profitability and industry trends, from how to find new customers and break into new markets and how to run your shop leaner and greener.

On Wednesday before to the show, two busloads of woodworking professionals took part in CNC Automation's Tech Tour, a daylong visit of several area woodworking facilities, shops and showrooms. The tour offered participants a rare opportunity for an in-depth look at five very different operations in Southwestern Ontario.

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