2006 NAMM Summer Session: Registration Down, Optimism Up

Press release
Source: The Lippin Group

NAMM, the International Music Products Association, closed the 2006 Summer Session today at the Austin Convention Center reporting an overall 14 percent decrease in registrants from the 2005 summer trade show, with 17,207 total registrants for the three-day event

“During this time of intense industry change, the NAMM Members who came to Austin took positive steps to position themselves for success in the third and fourth quarters,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “The NAMM University sessions were packed all weekend; supplier and dealers concerns were dealt with in an open and productive manner; and most importantly, a lot of independent dealers struggling with a changing retail model found new energy and hope from being around their peers in this great musical city.”

The show’s host city of Austin seemed to impress the proactive dealers who left their local communities in search of new products, ideas and a glimpse at upcoming industry trends.

“I would like to convey my pleasure of attending this year's summer session,” said John Buswell from Drum World and a member of the Five-Star Drum Shops. “Being a veteran of many NAMM shows, I have to say that the experience of Austin was very positive. I hope that NAMM decides to return to Austin again next year.”

Several 2006 Summer Session exhibitors also shared positive feedback.

“In spite of the downturn in attendance, we received large orders from key dealers that we’ll use to supplement our business to compensate for the dealers that were unable to attend this show in the great city of Austin,” said Dick Boak, director of Artist Relations & Publicity, C.F. Martin & Co. Inc.

“It was not a numbers thing for us, it was about quality customers, and this show was one of the most effective shows I can remember,” said Michael Farley, CEO, Farley's Musical Essentials. “The buyers/attendees in Austin were what we would call ‘quality.’ And when someone said, ‘I'll be back tomorrow,’ they actually came back!”

“The show was great for us,” said Roy Burns of Aquarian Products. “We had several important and successful meetings that helped my business. We met with our reps and customers in a way that we can’t if we don’t attend the show. And we liked Austin.”

“This show’s been absolutely off the charts for us,” said Marc Minarik of Minarik Guitars. “NAMM has been just such a positive thing for this company. We’re thrilled to be here. The connections at this Texas show specifically—they’re too voluminous to go through them right now. We basically sold everything in this booth, on top of the orders we’re going to be shipping when we get back.”

“The show’s gone wonderfully,” said Mark Stone of Gator Cases. “The facility is great, the people are great and we just want to make sure that next year we keep encouraging more attendance so that we can make it a great show.”

Lamond continued, “We recognize that this show isn’t for all of our Members. And as long as there are enough NAMM Members who want a summer gathering to help position their businesses for success in the second half of the year, NAMM will provide the venue. For us, it’s a service decision, not a financial one. We are grateful for all the constructive feedback. We will continue to find new and innovative ways to increase the ROI for both buyers and exhibitors who choose to participate.”

The 2007 NAMM Show will take place January 18–21 in Anaheim, Calif., and the 2007 Summer Session is scheduled for July with more details coming soon from NAMM.

For more information, interested parties can log on to www.namm.org or call 800-767-6266.

About NAMM
The International Music Products Association, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization’s popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $16 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).