2010 Summer NAMM Opens In Nashville

 NAMM, the 109-year-old not-for-profit trade association of the international music products industry, opened its 2010 Summer NAMM music products trade show today at the Nashville Convention Center, welcoming international music product manufacturers who will exhibit their innovations and retail buyers who will ultimately make decisions about which music products will be available to consumers in stores all over the world.

More than 11,000 music products industry professionals from 30+ countries are expected to attend 2010 Summer NAMM to view the latest musical instruments and products from more than 370 exhibiting companies.

The show is expected to generate a much-needed estimated $13 million in tourism to the local economy in the wake of the recent flooding. The association has also organized ways for people to donate money and instruments to benefit local musicians and their families who suffered major losses.

NAMM is working with Next Big Nashville, American Songwriter magazine, the Nashville Musicians Association and MusiCares on a program called The BIG Gear Giveback, where NAMM vendors, gear companies and compassionate musicians can donate gear to working musicians who lost the tools of their livelihood during the flood. The association will be celebrating this effort with a special concert event featuring Megan McCormick—The Apache Relay at Hard Rock Café in Nashville on Friday, June 18, 2010. All donors at the event will receive a wristband to attend the Summer NAMM trade show on Sunday, June 20 for “Wanna Play Music Sunday.”

NAMM will also collaborate during the trade show with MusiCares® at its booth to host silent auctions for donated instruments to benefit the MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief fund, and with the Nashville Musicians Association to host an instrument donation booth at the trade show to benefit locals who lost their own instruments during the flood.

Summer NAMM is also offering music enthusiasts the opportunity to attend the traditionally trade-only show on Sunday, June 20 for “Wanna Play Music Sunday.” Designed to benefit NAMM’s Wanna Play Fund, which supports music education nationwide, the trade show floor will be open to music enthusiasts for perusing the best music products the industry has to showcase.

Wanna Play Music Sunday activities will include:

• A book signing by TV commentator Gov. Mike Huckabee starting at 10 a.m., followed by a Wanna Play Celebrity Jam at 3 p.m. featuring the musical talents of Huckabee alongside country music stars Aaron Tippin, Louise Mandrell and John Anderson, accompanied by some of Nashville’s finest studio musicians
• Educational sessions on topics such as “Get Endorsed,” “Setting Up a Home Studio” and “Getting the Best Tone from Your Amp”
• Education sessions from master clinicians drummer Johnny Rabb; the world’s top finger-style guitarist Doyle Dykes; American solo bassist, composer and author Victor Wooten; and legendary guitarist Eric Struthers from the Neville Brothers
• A performance by Victor Wooten and Eric Struthers
• An intimate discussion with three of country music’s top songwriters who will be talking about their inspiration for the music they have written
• Twenty-minute informational sessions with representatives of renowned guitar manufacturers C.F. Martin & Company and Taylor Guitars

To purchase tickets for Wanna Play Music Sunday or to find out more about the events and performances being held throughout the day on June 20, visit www.namm.org/wannaplaysunday.

Summer NAMM is dedicated to the local community music dealer and emphasizes educational sessions, which are tailored specifically to help them be more successful. The show also offers the opportunity for retailers to meet with their vendors in a more relaxed environment compared to the high-energy, global gathering of nearly 90,000 at Winter NAMM, which is held in January at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“After seven years at Winter NAMM in Anaheim as a visitor and buyer, and just as many years of planning and development, I am very excited about launching my product in Music City at 2010 Summer NAMM,” said Chad Patrick, president of Old Jersey Music Lab, who is introducing The Drum Wallet at Summer NAMM. “I am glad to exhibit in Nashville and by doing so, help give to such a wonderful place and its wonderful people and help them rebuild their city and to heal their wounds. After all, that is why most of us are in this industry—we know the power of music.”

Prasad Gollapalli, president and founder of Salebug.com, a developer of iPhone applications, said his company is planning to announce the launch of its “Just Gig It” application during the show.

“We are planning to demo the app to potential customers and solicit their feedback and comments,” he said. “The show will be a great place for us to connect with our audience and generate enthusiasm for our product. There is no better show to announce the launch of our product, as most of the musicians will be attending the show to check out the latest and greatest in the industry. Plus, we would like to wind down the days at the bars with our friends and listen to great music.” 

“JamHub LLC loves Summer NAMM,” said Steve Skillings, inventor of JamHub, a product that allows musicians to plug in their instruments and rehearse without anyone else hearing. “We got our start here. We are excited about getting to the show and talking with retailers, other manufacturers, and lots of musicians. It’s going to be a blast. We are really excited about the ‘Best Band U Never Heard’ booth, where a group of companies will allow musicians to play more at the show. Not only will attendees get to play great gear at this booth, they will also walk away with some cool parting gifts for simply having fun making music. As a dad and a musician, I can say that it’s going to be a great way to spend part, or all, of Father’s Day weekend.”

Each day of the show kicks off at 8 a.m. with a breakfast session at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel to offer attendees insightful information about the industry.

Friday morning, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond and a panel of industry leaders will present the annual “State of the Industry Address,” covering the current state of the industry and discussing the trends, challenges and opportunities that will influence the music products community during the second half of the year and beyond.

Saturday’s breakfast session, called “Driving Customer Traffic and Sales in This Economy with Destination Principles,” will be presented by Jon Schallert, president of The Schallert Group, Inc., and will outline his proprietary 14-step strategy to turn a business into a consumer destination.

On Sunday, attendees are invited to see the “Best In Show: This Year’s Hottest Products,” at the breakfast session hosted by Music Inc. publisher Frank Alkyer and a panel of retail buyers, media and gear enthusiasts. All of the best merchandise, ideas and trends at this year’s show will be revealed to attendees.

NAMM will fill all three days of Summer NAMM with free, information-packed, how-to sessions held right on the show floor (booth #837) every 30 minutes. Taught by industry professionals who have first-hand knowledge about the challenges music products retailers face, the sessions will include how-to information on how to use social media to drive customers, basic marketing for music store owners, and how to start selling your products online. and advice on how to beat today’s retail challenges. For more information about daily sessions, visit www.namm.org/summer/2010/namm-u-grid.

In addition to the many industry activities at the show, there will also be scheduled artist appearances held at exhibitors’ booths. A listing in the 2010 Summer NAMM PLAYback supplement can be downloaded at www.namm.org/summer/2010.

2010 Summer NAMM runs through Sunday, June 20, at the Nashville Convention Center. For more information on all of the events taking place at Summer NAMM, go to www.namm.org/summer/2010.

About NAMM
NAMM is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion international 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 or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).