Four years in the making, IWF 2022 was a resounding success with thousands of attendees from across the world visiting nearly 1,000 exhibitors and learning about some of the latest in technologies.

Robotics and automation were the most prominent technologies of the show, with seemingly every aisle, especially in the A, B, and BC halls, operating a robot or automated technology.

Despite this prevalence, these technologies were not part of the industry's most prevalent awards competition. The Challengers Award. 

The IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award has become known throughout the world for recognizing outstanding companies who have distinguished themselves by developing innovative technology in products, services, or manufacturing techniques that will advance the industry.

Winners of the 2022 Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award were announced on Aug. 23 during the International Woodworking Fair.  The Challengers Award promotes the development of innovative new technology in woodworking machinery, supplies, and services for furniture, kitchen cabinets, architectural woodwork, store fixture, upholstery, or specialty and general wood product industries.

Selected from a field of 20 finalists, the seven award-winning companies and products are:

A panel of 9 distinguished judges, who are all industry professionals representing a broad cross-section of the industry review and analyze each entry. The finalists will perform live demonstrations for the panel of judges, who then make their final decisions on the most innovative product development. The finalists will be on display in The Challengers Award Gallery throughout the show.

The Design Emphasis Showcase was a “must-see” at the International Woodworking Fair. This gallery will be located in the lobby of Building C and displayed furniture pieces designed and built by students from colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Winners of the 2022 Design Emphasis contest were announced during the International Woodworking Fair (IWF), being held August 23-26 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Six winners were chosen out of 48 finalists.

Design Emphasis is widely acclaimed as the foremost furniture design competition for students and offers design students a unique opportunity to demonstrate their talent and originality before a judging panel of furniture industry designers, manufacturing and retail executives, and members of the trade press who have design-oriented backgrounds. It also provides a unique chance to experience an international industry trade show, make important career contacts, and exchange ideas with other students from around the nation.

The Best in Show winner was Rebecca Juliette-Duex, Haywood Community College for her Tea Towel Cart. To view the rest of the winners, click here.

Note from editors: Stay tuned for more coverage of IWF.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).

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