BOUTIQUE - Music Inc. Magazine

THE NAMM SHOW 2011
THE naMM SHoW 2011 i By KaTiE KailuS
NAMM TAKES IT TO 11
If you notice more visitor badges
at this year’s NAMM show, it’s
not your imagination.
Themed “Take It to 11,” the
convention will be held Jan.
13–16 in Anaheim, Calif., and
on Sunday, it will welcome more
of the public. The move aims to
make the show’s last day as vibrant
as the others, according to
Joe Lamond, NAMM president
and CEO. And NAMM’s taking
precautions to make sure those
visitors don’t get in the way of
business.
“The new Sunday-only badge,
introduced this year, provides another
option,” he said. “We’re
asking members to review their
yellow-badge lists carefully, decide
who needs to be there all four
days and give them the traditional
yellow badges. For all the others,
give them the Sunday-only badge.
The goal is to relieve some of the
aisle congestion for business on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
and make Sunday as vibrant as
the other days of the show.”
Plus, there will be about 200
new exhibitors at the convention,
along with 150 exhibitors
that haven’t taken out booths in
recent years. Also new is The
NAMM Show Pavilion areas for
luthiers, app and gaming companies,
and Native American
instrument exhibitors.
JaM-PacKED SESSionS
This year’s H.O.T. Zone, which
supports professionals in the
live audio, house of worship, and
stage and lighting industries, will
offer attendees one-hour classes
on more than 85 topics, including
“Basic Live Mixing Techniques,”
“Pro Tools 101,” “Social Market-
ing for Your Music Business” and
“DJ Equipment Integration.”
On Thursday, the H.O.T. Zone
will be offering “Boot Camp Day,”
which will feature basic courses
designed to provide foundationlevel
instruction in music technology
and business.
Friday’s NAMM University
Breakfast Session will feature
occasional Music Inc. columnist
Danny Rocks presenting “Lessons
Learned: How Doing Business
Now Has Changed for the
Better.” The session is based on
fellow Music Inc. writer Gerson
Rosenbloom’s monthly column.
A panel of four leading music
retailers will discuss how they
have reshaped their businesses
by taking advantage of the opportunity
to change.
On Saturday afternoon at the
NAMM Idea Center (located at
booth 5501 in the Anaheim Convention
Center), industry veteran
and Music Inc. columnist
Kenny Smith will host “Your
Customers Prefer ‘High-Touch’
Not ‘Hi-Tech.’” The session will
highlight specific tips for blending
high-tech contact management
systems with high-touch service
techniques.
“The Idea Center offers lots
of new topics this year, including
‘Right & Wrong Retail’ — an interactive
session delving into the
right and wrong ways of offering
customer service,” Lamond said.
“We’re also offering a four-part
‘Guerrilla Tactics’ series on how
independent retailers can hone in
on public relations and marketing
tactics in their local communities.
We’re sure that retailers will find
the sessions to be a valuable use
of their time.” MI
JANUARY 2011 I MUSIC INC. I 59