GOLIATH - Music Inc. Magazine

8 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2010
PERSPECTIVE I BY ZACH PHILLIPS
WHY YOU NEED
SUMMER NAMM
Every spring, I hear from music retailers who can’t make Summer
NAMM. I feel sorry for them, especially the combo and full-line
sellers. I get it, people have commitments — store events, graduation
ceremonies, vacations. But if you’re an independent retailer
on the fence about heading to Nashville, Tenn., from June 18–20,
I implore you to pull the trigger. Here’s why.
1. You’ll get more one-on-one face time with industry leaders. Try
tracking down the president of a major manufacturer at a winter NAMM
show, and you might get a handshake. Do the same
at Summer NAMM, and you might score a new line.
2. There’s more time to learn. Yes, there are
fewer exhibitors at Summer NAMM than the winter
show, but I think that’s a good thing. Not only does it
give you more time with key partners and new suppliers,
it also gives you more time to hit NAMM
University sessions. Folks, NAMM U isn’t lip service.
Most of these sessions offer hard-hitting ideas on
everything you could ever want to know, from managing
inventory and people to improving product
turns and margins to harnessing guerrilla marketing
strategies and, let’s not forget, social media and other
online promotional platforms. (And many are taught
by Music Inc. columnists.)
3. It’s an innovation show. Think Summer NAMM’s not a gear show?
What about the BreezSong JamHub, Morpheus DropTune pedal, Spider
Capo, KickPort, O-Port, Tama Quick Set Cymbal Mate, Boss FRV-1 Fender
Reverb pedal and GuitarGuard NeverKink cable clip? These were but a few
innovations that made their debut at 2009’s convention. “Best In Show” panelists
had no shortage of winners to choose from, particularly in small goods.
4. Music City USA is a vacation-worthy destination. Vacation and
business make strange bedfellows, but Summer NAMM’s laid-back schedule
leaves plenty of time to explore Nashville. And what a killer summertime
hang it is. Clubs, museums and honky tonks — all in a city you can
cover in a few days. (Make sure to set aside a few hours to check out the
cozy Hillsboro-West End neighborhood.)
5. Indies are royalty. In my opinion, this is the single biggest reason
for independent retailers to go to Summer NAMM. With fewer dealers in
attendance, you’ll get the red-carpet treatment. This show is tailor-made for
smaller dealers looking to make a big impression.
And here’s an unofficial sixth reason to go to Summer NAMM: It’s relatively
cheap. No trade show is inexpensive once you factor in lodgings, airfare
and time away from your business. But as far as bang-for-your-buck
world-class trade show experiences go, Summer NAMM has no equal.
We’ve packaged all the info you need to plan your convention in The Guide,
beginning on page 56.
Now go book that hotel. MI