2019 Woodturning Symposium Guide

See the 2020 Symposium Schedule HERE.

The 2019 Woodturning Symposium Guide is a catalog of all this year’s woodturning gatherings throughout the United States and some international events as well, complete with links. Besides knowing where to go, in this article, I will help you get ready and make the most of the symposium(s) you decide to attend.

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What is a woodturning symposium?

A woodturning symposium is an event where woodturners come together to share, learn, and enjoy time together. There are demonstrations, exhibitions of turned works, vendors with endless woodturning items to purchase, meetings with well-known turners, and so much more.

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several woodturning symposiums and each has left me with tons of information, but even more importantly, inspiration.

Beginners Woodturning Symposium

Even if you’ve never turned a single item but are curious about woodturning, attending a symposium can be the ideal way to explore woodturning.

Looking back on the first woodturning symposium I attended, I really had no idea what to expect. There was a lot of information to take in and many ideas and concepts of woodturning hadn’t quite gelled with me at that point.

And that was ok.

If you are new to woodturning, I recommend to definitely attend a symposium for a variety of reasons.

• First, you will have the best opportunity to see a variety of turners in action. You will be able to ask them questions and learn woodturning ideas and concepts firsthand.
• Second, you will be able to hone in on what type of woodturning you like the most. It was at these symposiums where I learned I love turning wood bowls.
• Third, explore the possibilities before committing to woodturning. The great thing about attending an event like this is you can get a good taste of woodturning without having to commit. If for some reason you attend a symposium and come away not interested in woodturning, at least you know and haven’t invested much.

By the way, if you’re not interested in woodturning after attending a symposium you might want to let a doctor take a look at you. Ha! I’m kidding. But really, how can you not love woodturning.

Experienced Wood Turners

If you’ve turned for some time and you’re comfortable at the lathe, attending a symposium is an excellent way to take your skills to the next level.

Learn exactly how that world-renowned turner does that unique bowl gouge move, exactly. What, you didn’t quite see the move they just made? Ask them politely to show you again and they usually will!

For me, I think I love seeing the enthusiasm and energy or the turners as they demo their skills. Whether it be a complex completely different way to turn or a tiny little nugget of turning information gold, I always learn something new!

FYI – This is also a great place to play the “bevel angle game.” See how many different bowl gouge sharpening angles are shared throughout the symposium. 😉

What To Expect

Attending a woodturning symposium is an exciting, inspiring, and highly stimulating experience.

Whether you are new to woodturning or a seasoned veteran, woodturning symposiums are the place to go to dig deeper into woodturning.

If the symposium you will be attending has a hands-on demo or workshop, take it!

After a day or two of watching headlining tuners demo their skills, you will be jonesing to turn on the lathe and make plenty of shavings.

Trust me, it happens every time!

Plan Ahead

Sign up early. Some woodturning symposiums have attendance caps or registration fees increase as the date gets closer.

Book a room early as most hotels around the symposium will be at their maximum capacity during the event.

If you’re from out of town, consider staying a day or two longer and enjoying the sights beyond the lathe.

Inventory your tools and equipment. Make a realistic list of the items you “truly need.” At the symposium, there will be many opportunities to impulsively buy everything from 20″ bandsaws to exotic wood burl. Having a shopping list with a correspondingly prepared wallet is a good idea.

Demos. Demos. Demos.

The biggest thing to plan for is the demos. Unfortunately, there are usually many demos going on simultaneously. This means you need to pick and choose the demos you really want to see.

Here’s what I do

After attending numerous symposiums, I have put together a strategy for selecting the best demos I’d like to see.

1. Print the symposium demo schedule table out on paper in black and white
2. Use a yellow highlighter to mark the demos that “sound” good
3. Google search the presenters for the highlighted demos and decide if you like their work
4. Use a red (or other darker color) highlighter to mark the “must see” demos

This process lets me quickly look at the demo schedule and see the demos I “must see” and also gives me a backup or two if I change my mind.

2019 Woodturning Symposiums – U.S.A.

Event	Date	Dates	Location	Website
Tennessee Association of Woodturners Annual Woodturning Symposium	January	25-26	Franklin, Tennessee	www.tnwoodturners.org
Alaska Woodturners Association Symposium	January	26-27	Anchorage, Alaska	https://www.akwoodturners.org/Symposium.php
Florida Woodturning Symposium	February	8-10	Leesburg, Florida	http://floridawoodturningsymposium.com/
Oregon Woodturning Symposium	March	15-17	Albany, Oregon	http://oregonwoodturningsymposium.com/
The Adirondack Woodturners Association Totally Turning Symposium	March	30-31	Saratoga Springs, NY	http://www.totallyturning.com/
Dakota Woodturners Hands-on Woodturning Symposium	April	12-14	Bismarck, North Dakota	http://dakotawoodturners.com/symposium-specifics/
Utah Woodturning Symposium	May	16-18	Provo, UT	https://utahwoodturning.com/
New England Woodturning Symposium	May	12	Derry, New Hampshire	https://www.gnhw.org/symposium/2018/about
AAW American Association of Woodturners International Symposium	July	11-14	Raleigh, North Carolina	https://www.woodturner.org/page/2019RaleighMain
Southwest Association of Turners Symposium	August	23-25	Waco, Texas	http://www.swaturners.org/
Turn-On! Chicago Woodturning Symposium	July	23-26	Mundelein, Illinois	http://turnonchicago.com/
Georgia Association of Woodturners Turning Southern Style Symposium	September	20-22	Dalton, Georgia	https://gawoodturner.org/symposium/
Rocky Mountain Woodturning Symposium	September	13-15	Loveland, Colorado	http://www.rmwoodturningsymposium.com/
Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium	September	*	Lancaster, Pennsylvannia	http://www.mawts.com/
Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild Symposium	October	17-20	West Harrison, Indiana	https://www.ovwg.org/
North Carolina Woodturning Symposium	November	*	Greensboro, North Carolina	http://ncwts.com/

*Dates to be determined

2019 Woodturning Symposiums – International

EVENT	MONTH	DATES	LOCATION	WEBSITE
Les Petites Journées d’Aiguilles France Woodturning Symposium	May	30-31	Aiguines, France	http://escoulen.com/en/congres-2019/
The Australian Woodturning Exhibition	June	14-16	Victoria, Australia	http://awtex.com.au/
Saskatchewan Woodturners Symposium	July	*	Saskatoon, Canada	http://newsite.hubcityturners.ca/
UK & Ireland Woodturning Symposium	July	20-21	Coventry, United Kingdom	https://www.ukiws.co.uk/
The Association of Woodturners of South Africa	September	*	Wilderness, South Africa	http://awsa.org.za/

*Dates to be determined

Updates

01/05/19 Added Alaska Symposium

Woodturning Symposium Details

Every effort is made to confirm that each woodturning symposium information is listed correctly. Some symposiums have not posted 2019 dates yet.

If you know of symposium information that needs added or updated, please post any changes or updates in the comment section below and we will update the data asap.

Which woodturning symposium are you planning to attend? Maybe I’ll see you there!

Here is the 2020 Woodturning Symposium Schedule >

Enjoy the Symposiums!
Happy Turning,
Kent