Having just returned from the Closets Conference and Expo and Wood Pro Expo in West Palm Beach, I am once again wrestling with a conundrum: Why don’t more woodworkers network?

The combined conference and show was wildly successful, with more than 1,000 people on site for talks, presentations, a shop tour, and to meet with vendors in more than 80 booths. The event surpassed our modest goals and everyone I talked to, from attendee to exhibitor, was enthusiastic. They all benefited their businesses by being there, whether it was directly with sales contracts or indirectly by making new contacts or learning new things.

So, what am I complaining about?

I guess it’s just that I see so much value in these kinds of networking events that it appalls me that it’s still only a small percentage of the industry that attends. In this event, there was a dramatic dichotomy between the closets industry people and the woodworking industry people. The closets industry is much smaller than woodworking, but a much higher percentage of closets people participate in these kinds of events.

Don’t get me wrong, there are woodworkers who see the value and go to great lengths to participate. I talked to woodworkers who came to the Florida event from as far away as Montana and Ohio. They all said it was worth the trip, and they weren’t just looking for a Florida vacation with a trade show attached.

However, there does seem to be a difference between the closet industry people and the woodworking industry people. The closets industry people are dominated by designers, who are predisposed to look for new products and new ways of doing things to delight their customers and stay ahead of the competition. They are used to networking, even with competitors, and socializing in and outside of their industry. Networking comes naturally.

Woodworkers, on the other hand, seem to be mostly wedded to their shops. They are makers, closely tied to production issues and fabrication. They are more likely to see other woodworkers as competitors and not a source of information. They are reticent to leave their shops. Too few of them are members of business or trade associations, chambers of commerce, service organizations, or even active religious groups.

Yet, the ones who do get out of the shop to network are routinely more successful in their businesses. The problem is the ones that don’t get out, don’t see that either.

We keep talking about attending conferences, trade shows, and other networking events, about joining trade associations, about getting out to learn and grow. What can we say to get their attention?

I hear shops complain about not getting enough money for the work and “leaving money on the table.” These non-networking shops are leaving valuable information on the table, and that translates to more than a drop in their bottom line.