After the relaunched Expo in Orlando and a year of positive economic news, the National Wood Flooring Association's 2013 Wood Flooring Expo will take place next week, April 2-5, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas. More than 240 exhibitors in 414 booths-an 18 percent increase over last year-will be displaying products on the trade show floor.
The full Expo schedule is available at the NWFA website; here are a few highlights:
Tuesday, April 2: Business and technical seminars start at 3 p.m., and the Welcome Reception will kick off at 6 p.m. at the Glass Cactus nightclub, where the Expo's signature drink-the Big Idea-will be served.
Wednesday, April 3: Former Southwest Airlines CEO Howard Putnam will deliver the keynote speech during the opening session at 9 a.m. Four tracks of seminars will begin at 11 a.m. The show floor will open to distributors at 1 p.m. and will be open to everyone from 2-6 p.m., with technical demos starting at 2 p.m. and a nailing contest starting at 3 p.m.
Thursday, April 4: Beginning at 8 a.m., there will be a general session discussing industry issues. Educational seminars begin at 10 a.m., and at noon HGTV celebrities Cousins on Call will emcee the Awards Luncheon, featuring the Wood Floor of the Year awards. The trade show again opens at 2 p.m., running until the Closing Party from 5-7 p.m., which will be held on the show floor. During the party, the NWFA will give away myriad prizes, including a man cave or kitchen makeover.
Friday, April 5: The NWFA Certified Professionals Inspector Symposium and the Field Equipment Repair Workshop will both take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A digital version of the Expo Guide to be distributed at the show is available here. It has the full schedule, the exhibitor list, show floor map and exhibit previews from advertisers in the April/May issue of Hardwood Floors.
Online registration closes tomorrow, Friday, March 29, after which prices increase for on-site registration. Attendees can register online at www.nwfaexpo.org.
(Photo Courtesy of the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center)
