The AAW extends a huge thank you to everyone who attended AAW’s 32nd Annual International Symposium in Portland, Oregon.

We hope you enjoyed your experience and took away useful techniques, treasured friendships, and maybe even a little something from the trade show and auctions as a memento!

We are especially indebted to the more than 200 volunteers whose contributions were instrumental in making the event a success. As a nonprofit organization, we rely very heavily on volunteers to make each symposium happen. On the ground locally under the direction of team leads, volunteers worked diligently on a variety of tasks before and during the event. All our volunteers contributed a tremendous amount of work and without them there would not have been a symposium.

For Registered Attendees & Their Guests

For Public Guests

For Official Partners

The American Association of Woodturners
32nd Annual International Symposium
Portland, Oregon
June 14-17, 2018

Symposium Facility

• Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Portland, OR 97232

Host Hotel

• Doubletree by Hilton Portland, 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland, OR 97232

Gain insights and motivation. Fast-track your learning curve. 

Join us for the AAW's 32nd Annual International Symposium! The conference will bring together more than more than 1,200 turners from around the globe to learn, share, and celebrate the art and craft of woodturning making it the largest woodturning event in the world. No other event offers as many opportunities to learn from the world’s best.

For registered attendees, the symposium features classroom-style demonstrations led by internationally known woodturners and top woodturning talent, as well as topics that appeal to wide variety of skill levels — bowls, boxes, vessels, hollow forms, spheres, spindle turning, multiaxis turning, segmented turning, natural edge turning, ornament, jewelry, finishing techniques, surface design, texture and embellishment, to name a few.

Many events are open to the public, including an enormous trade show jam-packed with the newest woodturning products, tool and lathe manufacturers, and supplies; an Instant Gallery and themed exhibitions; as well as benefit auctions and opportunities to support local charities.

Planning Guide

Special Interest Night

The action begins on Thursday evening, June 14, with and sessions for focused disciplines, including Ornamental Turners, Principally Pens, and Segmented Woodturners. Specialty group meetings, such as Women in Turning, woodturning teachers, and young turners, will take place along with forums on other relevant woodturning subjects.

Christian Burchard - A Life Made with These Hands: Predictable Unpredictability and the Nature of Wood

Also on Thursday night, Christian Burchard, globe-trotting woodturner, sculptor, furniture-maker, house-builder, goat-tender, cheesemaker, and much more, will reflect on his journey in woodturning in a presentation, "A Life Made with These Hands: Predictable Unpredictability and the Nature of Wood." Burchard will discuss the importance of using our hands and being creative in these uncertain times, as well as the pleasure of working with unpredictable materials, and not knowing exactly where you're going.

Rotations and Events

The revelry continues Friday through Sunday, June 15-17, with a broad selection of educational demonstrations and panel discussions that will appeal to a wide variety of skill levels and interest areas—bowls, boxes, vessels, hollow forms, spheres, spindle turning, multiaxis turning, segmented turning, natural-edge turning, ornamental turning, jewelry, finishing techniques, surface design, texture and embellishment, and more.

Symposium Facility

• Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Portland, OR 97232

Host Hotel

• Doubletree by Hilton Portland, 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland, OR 97232

Want to be an exhibitor in our trade show? Want to learn about advertising opportunities?

Please contact Erica Nelson at erica@pierreproductions.com or 763-497-1778.

We salute our sponsor partners!

JET Powermatic (JPW Industries)

Exclusive lathe sponsor and supplier

On Loan: Powermatic 3520 lathes and Jet 1221 mini lathes for demonstrators, 

Jet bandsaw for tool room

Donation: Powermatic 3520C lathe, 

Jet 1221 mini lathe and stand

Want to buy a new lathe?

This year, JET Powermatic (JPW Industries) will be selling floor model lathes, demonstrator lathes, and trade show equipment from their own booth, at 20% off retail price. If you are interested in purchasing any of the equipment in advance, please contact Tobias Bridges, at tbridges@jpwindustries.com or 870-275-1705.

• Click here for details of lathes, equipment, and pricing.

Jet Powermatic (JPW Industries)

25 Jet mini lathes and stands for the Youth Turning Program, 1 for Lighthouse Visually Impaired

Crown Tools

25 sets of tools for the Youth Turning Program, 1 for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

NovaTeknatool

25 chucks and revolving centers for the Youth Turning Program, 1 for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Easy Wood Tools

25 sets of mini tools and a custom turning smock for the Youth Turning Program, 1 set of tools for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Woodcraft

26 full faceshields for the Youth Turning Program, 1 for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Robust

25 tool rests for the Youth Turning Program, 1 for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Craft Supplies

Project supplies for the Youth Turning Program

KC Tools (Kip Christensen)

Project supplies for youth program

Vince's Wood N Wonders

Abrasives for both programs

Penn State Industries

Penturning supplies for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Arizona Silhouette/Barry Gross

Pen blanks for Lighthouse Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Cousineau Wood Products

Wood blanks for the Youth Turning Program