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"Other" Symposiums

Will Armstrong

Will Armstrong

Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
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Location
Toronto, ON
I was delighted to attend my first Symposium in Portland this year. It was an amazing experience and gave me the taste for more! Unfortunately I may have a scheduling conflict with 2025 in St. Paul. It got me wondering about other Symposiums. I would love to hear anyone's impressions/insights with regional or international Symposiums. Thanks!
 
I love Swat but have a conflict on the dates this year. Going to Rocky Mtn symposium instead.
For anyone who goes to swat for the first time don't be fooled by the upper 90 temps of Waco. You will still want long pants and long sleeve shirts inside the convention center. The AC in there works really well and the thermostat is set on low. Great bunch of people though.
 
I compare Regional symposiums to a major league game and the AAW like the All star game.

At the major league game you will see all of the allstar players in a season along with other fine players - a bad major leaguer is an exceptional ball player.
I have been fortunate to demo at:
AAW (3)
SWAT(2)
Florida Symposium(5) - Iocal guy for this one.
Rocky Mountain symposium
Totally Turning

They are all terrific.
For me the regionals offer a much better opportunity to spend quality time with friends.
The AAW you get to say hi to lots of friends and maybe have dinner with a couple.

Post Covid is still settling out.
SWAT is big and has a big trade show. Pre Covid Craft Supplies used to have a booth at SWAT and 6 or 8 booths at AAW.
But Craft Supplies and Packard stopped their road shows. So AAW advantages over SWAT are getting fewer.
AAW has the edge on Demonstrators, Offers more for advanced turners, panels, opportunity for non mainstream demos.

It would be hard to have a bad time at any AAW or regional symposium.

Another comparison.
I’ve done instant gallery critiques at SWAT, Rocky Mountain, and Florida Symposium.
I would never be considered for doing the Instant Gallery critique at the AAW.
 
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I have only been to AAW once in 16 in Atlanta. It was very much overload and the only bad I could say is food access was poor.

Been to SWAT once and going again this year. Great show and hopefully more vendors this year. Food was great with lunch included and easy access outside the venue. Galley hall was gigantic and easy access so lots of people could fit in the room. Demo rooms were spacious and sound and camera work very good.
 
SWAT last year was my first symposium. Had a great time and going again this year. Lots of information shared, plenty of vendors with interesting items for sale, and all of the people were friendly. Can't beat that!
 
I have been to 12 AAW symposiums, 5 or 6 times at SWAT, a few other local symposiums but my favorite is the Cincinnati Club's symposium "Turning (the year goes here)". Every year they have had it since 2005. The Cincy symposium is far and away the symposium I personally like the best followed by SWAT. My take is this, the AAW Symposium to go as a woodturner can cost up to and above $2000 for me. I can go to the Cincy Symposium for about $700 or so and I can see just as many rotations that I can see at an AAW Symposium and they feed me 3 times a day! I have never been dissatisfied about anything at the Cincy Symposium The SWAT Symposium costs a little more than Cincy but I do have to travel a lot farther but it is a better bargain than the AAW. Now this is my take you will have to decide on your own. The important thing is that you do go to a symposium for so many reasons.
 
Dwayne Watt said:
SWAT in Waco, Texas is very similar to the AAW symposium in size and quality. This year SWAT is August 23, 24, 25. Just like the AAW symposium, it is sensory overload with instant gallery offerings and huge range of demonstration topics.
Click to expand...

I'd enjoy attending SWAT, but I'll be swatting (mosquitos) in the Canadian wilderness. Texas in August is tough for us northerners to get excited about. 🥵
 
Wife and I went to SWAT last year as our first "major" symposium. We made a full vacation out of it (went to Space Center in Houston, San Antonio, and then back to Dallas for the flight home). We were planning on going back this year but opted to travel to the Rocky Mountain Symposium this year. Like Bill mentioned the cost of AAW symposium was a concern for us. SWAT and Rocky Mountain are significantly lower in cost to attend and as we are new turners just as many relevant rotations to learn new things. I need to check out the Cincy event for future as that is a drivable distance for me.
 
I have been to the TAW Symposium in Franklin Tn every year since I started turning and have enjoyed and learned something there each time It is a Friday and Saturday event and in a nice Marriott Hotel with plenty of shopping and food to be had all around the site. Here is the link to the website:

TAW 2025 Woodturning Symposium - Tennessee Association of Woodturners

www.tnwoodturners.org www.tnwoodturners.org
Not sure if that posted as a link but you can copy and paste it and it will get you there. Always 4 or 5 well known turners and a good trade show or at least good enough that I come home broke... :)
 
Russell Nugent said:
Fishing?
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My friend will be fishing. I haven't dropped a line in the water for about 50 years and couldn't decide if it was worth buying equipment, license, etc. We're just planning to paddle and explore a few lakes (and portages) in Quetico for a week. I've never been there, but being totally off-grid for a spell with nobody else around really sounds nice.
 
Darryl Fective said:
My friend will be fishing. I haven't dropped a line in the water for about 50 years and couldn't decide if it was worth buying equipment, license, etc. We're just planning to paddle and explore a few lakes (and portages) in Quetico for a week. I've never been there, but being totally off-grid for a spell with nobody else around really sounds nice.
Click to expand...
Enjoy! Plenty of isolated wilderness up here in the north.
 
Alan Vandergriff said:
I have been to the TAW Symposium in Franklin Tn every year since I started turning and have enjoyed and learned something there each time It is a Friday and Saturday event and in a nice Marriott Hotel with plenty of shopping and food to be had all around the site. Here is the link to the website:

TAW 2025 Woodturning Symposium - Tennessee Association of Woodturners

www.tnwoodturners.org www.tnwoodturners.org
Not sure if that posted as a link but you can copy and paste it and it will get you there. Always 4 or 5 well known turners and a good trade show or at least good enough that I come home broke... :)
Click to expand...
The TAW is great, been three years in a row. I’ve seen all the big names there. Good accommodations. Food prices a little high. Great instant gallery. Good trade show, just wish MDI would come to the trade sow. Great lie up for this coming year.
 
Being fron Tennesse I second the TAW. I've attended and denies at SWAT. Highly recommend it. The Florida symposium usually a week after the TAW is also excellent from ammo I hear.
 
Mark Jundanian said:
Turn On Chicago is a great regional symposium. It's put on every other year. And Chicago isn't so far from Toronto. It's just a few weeks away, Aug 2-4.
turnonchicago.com
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Will I'll second this comment. I'm attending TOC and then headed to Toronto after. Hope to catch up with you along the line
 
Darryl Fective said:
I'd enjoy attending SWAT, but I'll be swatting (mosquitos) in the Canadian wilderness. Texas in August is tough for us northerners to get excited about. 🥵
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you would be excited to know inside the building is about 60f
 
Darryl Fective said:
I'd enjoy attending SWAT, but I'll be swatting (mosquitos) in the Canadian wilderness. Texas in August is tough for us northerners to get excited about. 🥵
Click to expand...
Darryl, I currently live in NH, originally from Michigan. I swear I will never intentionally permanently move any further south than NY City. I melt when the temps rise above 80 degrees. And I'm still in shorts and t-shirts when it's in the 50's. But I demonstrated for SWAT in 2019. The host hotel is directly across the street from the convention center. It is a 2-minute walk, even if you're slow. The temps in the convention center are delightful for a northerner, and you might even need a hoodie to warm up a bit, or to keep your teeth from chattering. Meals are included (lunches) and a Prime Rib dinner on Saturday night, that are the best you could ever taste.
 
Donna Banfield said:
Darryl, I currently live in NH, originally from Michigan. I swear I will never intentionally permanently move any further south than NY City. I melt when the temps rise above 80 degrees. And I'm still in shorts and t-shirts when it's in the 50's. But I demonstrated for SWAT in 2019. The host hotel is directly across the street from the convention center. It is a 2-minute walk, even if you're slow. The temps in the convention center are delightful for a northerner, and you might even need a hoodie to warm up a bit, or to keep your teeth from chattering. Meals are included (lunches) and a Prime Rib dinner on Saturday night, that are the best you could ever taste.
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Donna I remember your demo at SWAT, I think that was the first time I had the pleasure.
At SWAT there is a host hotel across the street, but the host Hilton is on the same property as the convention center. It's very convenient to buy something and take it upstairs to your room.
And yes it does have a reputation for being cold in the convention center. I remember one year awhile ago people were going upstairs to get their Hilton blankets off their beds to wrap up in while watching demos. I advise first-timers to bring a light jacket or hoodie even though it is usually above 100 degrees outside.
SWAT is my favorite of all the symposiums.
 
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Thanks very much to everyone for you insights! It was great to hear peoples personal takes on the various venues. It has encouraged me to seriously consider some of the regional events but probably not this year.
 
Darryl Fective said:
I have a friend outside of Melbourne (Bairnesdale) that I'd like to visit someday. It's quite a distance, (almost 20 hours :oops:) but it would be cool to go to a woodturning symposium deown unduh.
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I think you would enjoy its fairly laid back takes in 3 days. Melbourne is quite a distance from Brisbane nearly 2000k
 
Darryl Fective said:
I'd enjoy attending SWAT, but I'll be swatting (mosquitos) in the Canadian wilderness. Texas in August is tough for us northerners to get excited about. 🥵
Click to expand...

Well, we also have mosquitoes here if that is what you want. :rolleyes: SWAT has air conditioning that will make an Eskimo shiver.
 
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