NAMM is Letting Public Into Show this Summer !

Changes are coming to the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show this summer. For the first time in the history of the music trade show, the last day is open to the public.

(NOTE: for those who don't know what NAMM is, it's the huge music trade show held twice a year, once in January in CA, once in June in TN. http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1297034/1.html )

Scheduled June 18-20 at the Nashville Convention Center, the show annually welcomes more than 300 music vendors from across the country. Everything from band instruments and guitars to the latest in recording technology will be represented.

In the past the show has welcomed only manufacturers, retailers and distributors who were members of the organization.

"NAMM is a trade-only event," said Scott Robertson, director of marketing and communications for NAMM. "The show exists to help our members stock their stores for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. But part of our mission is to create more music makers, and if we can use the trade show to do that, it's a good thing."

NAMM's Wanna Play Music Sunday is geared toward just that. For $20, or $10 with a coupon from a participating music retailer, patrons can get a firsthand look at the latest in music design and technology. A host of educational sessions, ranging from how to get more gigs to recording tips and tricks, are included in the ticket price. There also are drumming competitions, a vintage guitar road show and free guitar setup and restringing. But individuals shouldn't expect to walk away with any loot, Robertson said.
Expect a lot of live music

"There will be no consumer selling of any kind on Sunday," he said. "It's really just look and see what's going on. We want people to come down and see it and get excited about playing music themselves. And one thing you can count on with NAMM coming is that there's a lot of live music we bring with us."

Music enthusiasts who are interested in learning more about NAMM's Wanna Play Music Sunday, can visit www.namm.org/wannaplaysunday. Retailers, distributors and manufacturers in search of more general information, go to www.namm.org/summer/2010.

This is a wonderful opportunity for consumers, and we applaud NAMM for their decision. The drumming competitions are always fun to watch!

One note, though, Summer NAMM is not historically heavy on piano displays, which is always disappointing. Maybe this will get piano manufacturers excited about changing their attitude about the Summer NAMM show.

Piano Manufacturers - are you listening? This would be a great opportunity to get your product in front of consumers!

Before any of you PW folks book airline and hotel reservations in Nashville, you may want to check the exhibitor list to see if any piano companies will be showing at summer NAMM. My guess is other than the digital suppliers, like Roland, Korg and Yamaha, and probably Hammond Suzuki, there will be very few acoustic pianos being shown. Based on past summer trade shows, this is primarily a combo/guitar products show.

Good point Craig. I didn't check the first time I went to Nashville, got there and was like "where are all the pianos?".

It's still a lot of fun, but not so much if your main goal is acoustic pianos.

I'll try to check the updated exhibitor list, and post what I find.

Thanks, Frank! I hope that some piano companies decide to display, but it will not happen this year. When I was at summer NAMM two years ago, there were only a few acoustic brands: Hailun, Mason & Hamlin/Piano Disc and Wyman. Other than the lone digital display here and there, it was mostly a guitar show and still is. I don't think any of the above piano companies will be there this year. Despite Nancy's encouragement in her above post, it is simply not going to happen that fast. It is an expensive long-term commitment for an exhibitor to display at a NAMM show; arrangements for booth and hotel reservations, as well as shipping of the pianos need to be made six months or more in advance. With slow sales and tight budgets, it is not something that any piano supplier is going to change their mind about at this late date. Maybe next year, if the public day is well-received.

Ok, here's what I've come up with for piano companies so far...

Acorn Pianos ?
Korg (digital)
Kurzweil (digital)
Roland (digital)
Samick
Yamaha (digital?, acoustic?... or just their other stuff?)

Plus lots and lots of guitars, amps, drums, band instruments, sound equipment, etc.

Craig is right, don't go if you're hoping to see/play acoustic pianos, at least not this year.

If however you are interested in the other instruments, check it out.

Thanks, Frank.

Just an FYI, Samick is only displaying guitars and MI product, not acoustic pianos. I have no idea who Acorn is, other than the political e-mails being circulated. It looks like there may be very few acoustic pianos at summer NAMM.

May the Acoustic Piano Rest in Peace -
Will someone at least please give it a decent burial.

Musically,

Fred C.

Bring scuba gear, Nashville is underwater...

Not too funny

It wasn't meant to be funny...

I think that increased transparency in the piano trade will ultimately benefit the dealers, - since surely the main spin-off of 'lay-visitors' just may be a refreshing interest shown by such visitors in finding out what they have been missing for so long? I respect anyone disagreeing with this view though. And, yes, I know it sounds over-simplistic. But somewhere down the track I wonder if anyone would be able to correlate either positive or negative results from opening up NAMM? Even an unscientific result that would make any prof. of stats tear his/her hair out would make for interesting reading!

As a regular demonstrator at Winter NAMM, I sincerely hope that this is a one-off, summer only, experiment.

Ben, I am writing my two-bits worth from rural Victoria, Oz - 40 kms from Melbourne. Your comments and concern re NAMM being open in the future, are interesting. Where do your main concerns lie? NAMM being open or not I feel is a more important topic than many realise.

@Semper B., having experienced both Frankfürt Musik Messe (which has 2 open days) and NAMM (until now, exclusively trade), I have found NAMM to be less stressful and a lot more focused. The biggest problem with the public days, is that there is inevitably a huge number of kids, who are just there for the experience - to dream and drool over all the lovely gear that, by the time they can afford to buy one, will be obsolete anyway. I fully appreciate this from their p.o.v. as I, too, was like them once (and still am, during my breaks at NAMM, tbh!), but from an exhibitor's perspective, it's a lot of extra hassle. Also, doing the shows is tiring work, and opening the last day to the public will make it so much busier than the rest!

So, to summarise - my main concerns are selfish ones