THE WCAF EXPO CELEBRATES
YEARS
AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR THE ART AND CUSTOM FRAMING COMMUNITY By Alexis Orlacchio
D
esigned to be a one-stop shop for all things art and
encourage others to do the same.”
custom framing, the very first West Coast Art & Frame
The Expo welcomed 26 new exhibiting companies and
Expo was held at the Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.
also hit a high number of buyers in attendance this year.
It’s been 20 years since the WCAF Expo debuted in Las Ve-
“We received a lot of feedback saying how great the energy
gas, and even though the industry has changed dramatically
was at the show and a number of our exhibitors have told
over the last two decades, the need to bring the custom pic-
us it was their best show yet,” said Deborah Salmon, trade
ture framing community together has not wavered.
show director.
Attendees, exhibitors, and instructors from over 44
Jim McNickle, marketing director for the Fletcher Busi-
countries traveled to Las Vegas to attend the West Coast
ness Group, said the company had one of its busiest shows
Art & Frame Expo, which returned to the Paris Las Vegas
in years. “We were pleased with the interest we received for
Hotel & Casino, January 28-30, 2019, with The National
the company’s TA-350 Auto Saw, joining automation, and
Conference beginning a day earlier. Impressive and diverse
our saw blade technology offered through our Atlas Saw
CONTENTS
booth displays lined the show floor, which kept a steady
Group,” he said. This year, McNickle noticed a variety in at-
flow of attendees shopping and meeting with exhibitors
tendance with many customers from the graphic and sign
throughout the entire event. Among all the feedback from
as well as woodworking industries purchasing equipment at
the show, the same themes kept presenting themselves:
the show. He said, “This is continuing proof of the market
busy, high-energy, and successful.
crossover that we have anticipated coming into framing. It’s
THE EXPO
a good sign for the industry and manufacturers supplying this market.”
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“The show was well-attended and upbeat and our team’s
Attendees and instructors alike stressed the impor-
hard work in terms of new product design and merchandis-
tance of coming to the expo due to the drastically chang-
ing really paid off,” said Josh Eichner, executive vice presi-
ing technological advancements and their impact on run-
dent of Framerica. “Supporting the show helps the overall
ning a business. “The industry and technology is changing
industry by extension. We believe that there is an obligation
so quickly that if you miss a year, you miss a lot more than
among companies like ours to be at the show and we would
a year,” said Kent Untermann, president of Pictures Plus in
28 PFM April 2019
