AWR L!VE was a blast! On August 21, 2017, after months of anticipation, around 130 people mingled in the foyer of Sydney’s central CBD Masonic conference centre prior to the start of a packed program of talks and panel discussions.
New in the wood world was an event for makers, specifically woodworkers, that focused on inspiration, stories and ideas sharing.
Sponsored by the industry for the industry, AWR L!VE was Wood Review magazine’s first conference type event and, judging by the reactions on the day and the feedback received since, was universally hailed a success.
Themed Passion to Profit, a panel of eight speakers examined ideas relating to creating a career in woodworking. Without sufficient financial return a career in woodworking is not sustainable, however a balance needs to be achieved to retain enjoyment.
Evan Dunstone shared experience gained from 20 years as a professional maker, while Russel Koskela related how he left the corporate world to focus on his own design work and then set up a retail outlet which focused only on furniture, artworks and other products made and designed locally.
Kerryn Carter had everyone laughing as she described the naming and early days of her Tool School before talking about bulding and maintaining a social media following. Branding and marketing were the theme of John Madden’s presentation, while Phoebe Everill shared the story of her path to becoming a fine woodworker. Two panel discussions covered a range of issues which elicited questions from attendees.
A full report of the event will appear in the December issue of Australian Wood Review magazine.
Wood Review L!VE will be back next year – stay tuned for details!
AWR L!VE was proudly sponsored by:
