Day Two of 2008 Summer NAMM

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, hosted the second day of 2008 Summer NAMM today at the Nashville Convention Center.

The morning began with a unique set of music by Italian duo Davide Facchini and Anita Camarella. NAMM President/CEO Joe Lamond and NAMM Resource Center Librarian/Historian Dan Del Fiorentino took the stage to recognize companies celebrating 50 and 100 years in business with NAMM Member Milestone Awards. Lamond then presented the Music for Life Award to Bob McGrath of Sesame Street for his long-time commitment to music education and music making.

The day’s NAMM University Breakfast Session, “Guerrilla Retailing: Unconventional Ways to Make Big Profits from Your Retail Business,” was delivered by Elly Valas, co-author of Guerrilla Retailing and president and CEO of Valas Consulting Group, LLC.

Valas described the “tools” that retailers have to succeed, as she explained, “I don’t believe anyone was put out of business by a bigger store; the stores not here put themselves out of business… Figure out how to renew and energize your passion, your enthusiasm [for this business].”

On the show floor, attendees walked the aisles to check out the newest gear for the upcoming fall and holiday selling seasons and to make new industry contacts. Classic instruments as well as innovative products filled the booths of companies from around the globe.

“Summer NAMM’s been very good,” said Ken Bailey of Bailey Music in Plant City, Fla. “I believe the show’s going to help me in business. I have gone to several NAMM U sessions—the education really gets you focused in the business world. I came to see everything and get close to everything, and gain knowledge of the big world out there that you don’t normally see within your little part of the earth. I like a lot of the products I’ve seen.”

Exhibitors reflected on the show day and the solid stream of buyer traffic.

“Summer NAMM has been a very pleasant surprise,” said Robert Mason of Sabian Ltd. in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada. “We were a little apprehensive coming in not knowing what we’d get for traffic. The last two days have been great. Traffic is more than I expected. People are here; they’re interested. And we’re really glad to be back in Nashville.”

The NAMM Idea Center housed another full day of NAMM University sessions, with topics ranging from building a high-performance sales team to attracting press coverage for store events.

Throughout the day, local media converged on the show to interview NAMM Members, helping exhibitors spread the word about their latest products. Publications such as The Tennessean promoted the show and the industry.

In addition, the benefits of NAMM Membership were promoted in the exhibit halls, including those of everyday services like shipping and bank card services.

“Summer NAMM has been great for us,” said Harry Centa of PartnerShip in Oberlin, Ohio. “We’re a NAMM-endorsed business service provider working with the association to offer shipping discounts. This show gives us a tremendous opportunity to talk to current Members who are signed up for the program and also, at the same time, get new folks signed up. A couple of new Members have stopped by and that’s worked out really well because after I speak to them, I then pass them along to the other service providers, so that they can take advantage of all the Member benefits.”

The evening's events included the All-Industry Drum Circle in the third floor lobby of the Nashville Convention Center, as well as many musical performances and events at venues around the city.

Tomorrow's highlights include the final NAMM University Breakfast Session, "Best in Show," featuring a panel of gear experts moderated by Music Inc. Publisher Frank Alkyer. The group will give a rundown of the show's hottest products and trends. The NAMM University sessions will conclude with several Web-based sessions and school music-focused sessions in connection with Music Education Day, an opportunity for local music educators and school administrators to gather with like-minded professionals to explore the latest musical products and programs for 21st-century students and schools.

For more information, interested parties can log on to www.summernamm.com.