NAMM Fills Nashville’s New Music City Center with Opportunities for Success
Mid-year, music-industry show, Summer NAMM offers productive vibe, plenty of professional development, and Top 100 Dealer
recognition in new, Nashville venue
Carlsbad, CA (April 30, 2013) -- NAMM and Nashville – two names that are practically synonymous
with making music. Summer NAMM
returns July 11-13, 2013 to the city where American music
has been made and played for generations. This year, the show moves
into a new home – Nashville’s Music City Center – offering new
opportunities to build lasting connections, conduct robust business and
re-stock for the fall and holiday, while celebrating
the best in music retailing.
“As
we move into Nashville’s brand new Music City Center, Summer NAMM will
focus on dealer education, strengthening relationships between buyers
and vendors
and helping dealers and brands plan 3rd and 4th
quarter purchases for the holidays,” said NAMM CEO and president Joe
Lamond. “This is the perfect opportunity for the industry to come
together in a relaxed setting that is perfect for networking
with friends and peers and taking in some of the best music found
anywhere.”
Summer
NAMM is designed to foster relationships and enable the discovery of
new products. The show’s intimate feeling encourages quality meetings
between brands
and top buyers. Last year, top dealers representing 78.40% of the
industry’s buying power in the U.S. were present at Summer NAMM. This
group, which includes Sweetwater Sound Inc., Guitar Center and Sam Ash
along with the top independent retailers, accounts
for a combined $3.73 Billion in annual sales.
The music-making industry has a rich and colorful history in Nashville. Known
as “Music City,” Nashville’s roots are in the celebratory
fiddle music played by the city’s earliest settlers as they disembarked
safely on the shores of the Cumberland River. Home to The Grand Ole
Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Music Row, and a
GRAMMY-Award-winning symphony, Nashville is the ideal location
for the summer’s biggest music-industry event.
New Location
Summer NAMM’s new location is the magnificent Music City Center. In the heart of downtown Nashville and adjacent to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Music City Center welcomes NAMM Show exhibitors with 1.2 million square feet of city views and landscaped public areas. Three years in construction, the recently completed Music City Center features allover solar panels and a green-landscaped roof, designed to mimic the rolling hills of Tennessee. NAMM fills this soaring space with an impressive array of exhibitors from cutting-edge pro light and sound manufacturers to boutique instrument craftsmen.
Summer NAMM’s new location is the magnificent Music City Center. In the heart of downtown Nashville and adjacent to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Music City Center welcomes NAMM Show exhibitors with 1.2 million square feet of city views and landscaped public areas. Three years in construction, the recently completed Music City Center features allover solar panels and a green-landscaped roof, designed to mimic the rolling hills of Tennessee. NAMM fills this soaring space with an impressive array of exhibitors from cutting-edge pro light and sound manufacturers to boutique instrument craftsmen.
Brands
Summer
NAMM is the pre-eminent opportunity to set the stage for a successful
fall and holiday selling season with face-to-face meetings between top
retailers
and the most innovative established and emerging brands. Spending
quality time with customers, and building brand in the exciting
atmosphere of the magnificent Music City Center. Retailers can prepare
to flourish in the second half of the year, flush with
new product and new inspiration from innovative and influential
manufacturers and distributors.
Walking
the aisles of Summer NAMM, visitors will recognize industry icons and
high-profile product lines. The show welcomes back Yamaha,
TASCAM audio recorders and mixers, Hal Leonard, Alfred Publishing,
Sabian, Remo, Taylor Guitars, C.F. Martin, QSC Audio, The Music People
and Two Old Hippies. Additionally many brands are returning after a
Summer NAMM hiatus including Deering Banjo Co., ESP
Guitars and Warwick. Retailers can restock school band and orchestra
products before recruitment season hits high gear from brands including
BG Franck Bichon, Cannonball Musical Instruments, and Howard Core
Company. Summer NAMM continues to be a platform for
buyers to also discover new, emerging brands and for product launches
to make a big splash.
Professional Development Opportunities
Retailers take top billing at Summer NAMM, with programs and sessions tailored to spotlight the needs of the independent music-industry professional. Dozens of business-boosting workshops and sessions are planned for Nashville starting with Retail Boot Camp on Wednesday, July 10, before the show even opens. Boot Camp will address attracting new customers, nurturing the customer base, and invigorating the independent retailers’ music-making communities. Boot Camp attendees will sharpen their skills and investigate new strategies for navigating the marketing obstacles in the current dynamic economy.
Retailers take top billing at Summer NAMM, with programs and sessions tailored to spotlight the needs of the independent music-industry professional. Dozens of business-boosting workshops and sessions are planned for Nashville starting with Retail Boot Camp on Wednesday, July 10, before the show even opens. Boot Camp will address attracting new customers, nurturing the customer base, and invigorating the independent retailers’ music-making communities. Boot Camp attendees will sharpen their skills and investigate new strategies for navigating the marketing obstacles in the current dynamic economy.
The Idea Center is open for business, and NAMM U Breakfast Sessions are held every day of the show.
Join the opening-day Retail Summit breakfast session on July 11 in
its new Davidson Ballroom location inside the Music City Center. NAMM
President and CEO Joe Lamond hosts an inside look at the people and
companies that are thriving in this hyper-competitive
business climate, and their ideas for ending 2013 strong. You'll walk
away from this session with a plan for the critical holiday season that
will carry over into next year.
Top 100 Dealers
For many the show’s apex is the announcement of the Dealer of the Year. NAMM-member retailers are nominated in several categories, from Best Sales Promotion to Best Emerging Dealer. An independent panel of industry judges assesses all of the nominees. The retailers with the top scores in each category are named to the coveted Top 100 list. Friday, July 12, the winners of the main categories, and Dealer of the Year are awarded at a celebratory dinner attended by leading music-industry professionals.
For many the show’s apex is the announcement of the Dealer of the Year. NAMM-member retailers are nominated in several categories, from Best Sales Promotion to Best Emerging Dealer. An independent panel of industry judges assesses all of the nominees. The retailers with the top scores in each category are named to the coveted Top 100 list. Friday, July 12, the winners of the main categories, and Dealer of the Year are awarded at a celebratory dinner attended by leading music-industry professionals.
Members of NAMM and the Music Industry can register online starting today:
http://www.namm.org/summer/ 2013/badges
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About NAMM
The
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit
association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products
industry and promote
the pleasures and benefits of making music. 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 located in
more than 87 countries. For more information about NAMM
or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org,
call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and YouTu
TEC Foundation Joins NAMM
Move ensures TEC’s long-term growth and stability, while strengthening NAMM’s commitment to the
pro audio, live sound and recording segments
CARLSBAD, Calif., (April
29, 2013) – The TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio has formally
entered into an agreement to become part of the National Association of
Music Merchants (NAMM), strengthening the important work of both
non-profits and the NAMM Show. All TEC activities,
including the Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards,
will join other marquee activities, events and efforts within the NAMM
Foundation portfolio including the Museum of Making Music, research
projects, the SupportMusic Coalition and global public service
campaigns.
The NAMM Foundation will present the annual TEC Awards event starting in 2014. The Awards, which
honor outstanding achievement in audio technology and production, were founded in 1985 and have been held at the NAMM Show since 2011, with NAMM as the
presenting sponsor. NAMM
Show exhibitors will now find even more value in the show as this
arrangement strengthens the pro audio, live sound and recording segments
of
the NAMM Show.
“The
inclusion of TEC within the NAMM Foundation further unites the
important technical and creative communities within the music industry
in a way that
authentically showcases both worlds,” said Joe Lamond, president and
CEO of NAMM. “This relationship will strengthen the NAMM Show by
bringing more of the key stakeholders from pro audio, live sound and
recording together with other segments of the music industry
every January.”
In
addition to the TEC Awards, the NAMM Foundation will oversee TEC
Foundation activities including the Les Paul Award and other
philanthropic
activities designed to support and grow the pro audio, live sound and
recording world.
“TEC’s
partnership with NAMM has not only raised the bar artistically for the
TEC Awards, but also highlighted the importance of audio technology
to music-making in the twenty-first century,” said TEC Foundation president, Hillel Resner. “TEC is committed to continuing
to support the pro audio world and related constituencies as part of
the dynamic NAMM environment throughout the years to come.”
Highlights
of the TEC Awards include the TEC Awards Hall of Fame recognizing
producers, engineers and other technical professionals; the Les
Paul Award honoring famed musical artists, including past winners Pete
Townshend, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen; and the TECnology Hall
of Fame recognizing inventors, audio products and innovations that have
made a significant contribution to the advancement
of audio technology.
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NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation, a non-profit supported in part by the National
Association of Music Merchants and
it's nearly 9000 members from the global music products industry, works
to advance active participation
in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research,
philanthropic giving and public service programs. For more information
about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
TEC Foundation
Founded in 1990, the TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio is a 501c3 public benefit corporation, dedicated to recognizing and furthering excellence in audio, video, music and other communications media arts. The Foundation’s signature program is the Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards, honoring outstanding achievement in audio technology and production. The Foundation endows scholarship programs and TEC scholarships to deserving students and educates professionals and the public about the preventing noise-induced hearing loss. Please visithttp://tecfoundation.com/ .
Founded in 1990, the TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio is a 501c3 public benefit corporation, dedicated to recognizing and furthering excellence in audio, video, music and other communications media arts. The Foundation’s signature program is the Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards, honoring outstanding achievement in audio technology and production. The Foundation endows scholarship programs and TEC scholarships to deserving students and educates professionals and the public about the preventing noise-induced hearing loss. Please visithttp://tecfoundation.com/