Attendee registration and housing blocks are officially open for the 36th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition (EXPO 2021), and the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) took a big step towards getting back to in-person events for the industry. This three-day event will be held from August 11-13, 2021 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.
Sponsored and conducted by SFPA every two years since 1950, EXPO includes many of the biggest names in the business displaying everything from commercial and portable sawmill machinery to materials handling equipment, attracting key representatives from the nation’s largest wood products manufacturers. EXPO provides a space for both hardwood and Softwood sawmillers to gather, celebrate new technology, network, and learn about the industry’s latest products. EXPO 2019 featured over 54,000 square feet of exhibit space and 181 exhibiting companies.
The show for 2021 is shaping up to be a key event. Not only will EXPO be one of the first large events in the industry to take place in-person in over a year due to COVID-19, SFPA and Timber Processing have announced a collaboration on a conference to be held in conjunction with EXPO. Productivity & Efficiency: A Conference will take place August 12 and will be co-located at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. The conference will feature 12 topical presentations for the lumber industry, covering project implementation, lumber recovery and an in-depth look at continuous dry kilns.
“We are extremely fortunate that we are able to move forward with planning for an in-person event,” states SFPA exposition director Eric Gee. “EXPO is such an important event for the sawmilling industry, and we are looking forward to seeing everybody in person in August. Planning a show at the tail end of a global pandemic presents certain challenges, and we are prepared to follow all state and local COVID-19 guidelines to provide exhibitors and attendees with a show floor that prioritizes their health and safety.”
As for the show floor, more than 115 companies are set to exhibit the latest sawmilling equipment and services for the forest products industry, across nearly 37,000 square feet of indoor space. Some exhibit space remains. “The floor plan is nearly sold out,” notes Gee. “Many exhibitors returning from the 2019 show have expanded their displays for EXPO 2021, plus we have several first-time exhibitors,” he adds.
Advance attendee registration for EXPO 2021 is available on SFPAexpo.com and costs just $25 per person. Productivity & Efficiency: A Conference is available as an add-on to EXPO registration at an additional cost. Contactless digital registration will also be available during the event, but attendees are encouraged to register in advance. The housing block for EXPO includes 750 rooms at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center, which is connected to the Georgia World Congress Center.
