SUMMER NAMM TO WELCOME 74 FIRST-TIME EXHIBITORS IN NASHVILLE

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) welcomes 74 first-time exhibitors to the annual Summer NAMM musical instrument and products trade show. Summer NAMM opens July 12-14 at the convention center in Nashville, Tenn. New-to-Summer NAMM companies, many of which represent multiple brands, make up 20% of the total number of exhibitors.  

Despite the recent technology explosion across music categories, manufacturers of stringed instruments comprise the largest group of new-to-Summer NAMM brands. Twenty of the seventy-four new exhibitors represent strings, including acoustic and electric guitars as well as basses and violins, and the accessories that go with them. This follows an uptick in 2011, when single year sales of fretted instruments and related products advanced 8.2% to $1.54 billion at retail*

“The Summer NAMM show platform allows all brands to shine, making it an ideal opportunity for new Members to network, learn more about the industry and grow,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “NAMM provides the support and business tools necessary to get Members of all sizes to the next level in an increasingly competitive market.”

“I have as much fun searching out new brands and products at the NAMM events as I do people watching,” says Doug John, co-owner of Legend Music in Manteca, CA. “We use the events to shop and study the industry and product trends. Looking forward to the Summer NAMM because we love Nashville, and I hear that it’s lower pressure, with more time to spend really getting to know brands that we already do business or may work with in the future.”

Sensing a growing level of excitement among music retailers and additional brand-building opportunities, another 75 NAMM Member companies who had taken a break from the Summer NAMM show in previous years have also decided to return to Music City to exhibit again, representing 20% of total exhibitors at the trade show.

“I like to keep up with all the new stuff, so my customers don’t come in and try to stump me on something new that I didn’t know about, so I go around and talk and try to learn about the products,” said Weldon Garrett, Swords Music Company in Fort Worth, TX.

In all, 149 companies from the U.S. and abroad are new or returning to Summer NAMM after a brief absence. The three-day event has become the staging ground for breaking news surrounding global innovative music technologies and instruments, and for debuting new products that will soon retail over the holiday-shopping season.

Over 10,000 music industry professionals from over 20 countries plan to attend Summer NAMM. In addition to new product releases, the event features useful educational workshops, live performances, hands-on music making and the chance to network with industry leaders.

See the full list of brands attending Summer NAMM: http://www.namm.org/summer/2012/directory

Members of NAMM and the Music Industry can still register online: http://www.namm.org/summer/2012/badges

On July 14 only, the typically trade-only event opens to the public for $15. Summer NAMM’s “Public Day” will include additional events geared toward enthusiast musicians. 

Tickets for “Public Day” are now available for purchase: http://www.namm.org/summer/2012/publicday

For more information regarding Summer NAMM, visit http://www.namm.org/summer/2012

*Music Trades, 2011 Music Industry Census Data