106th NAMM Show Opens in Anaheim

Today, musical instrument and product manufacturers from around the world will fill the Anaheim Convention Center with exhibits, including debuts of the latest innovations not yet released in the market, as the 106th NAMM Show gets under way. NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, operates the industry’s largest annual trade-only event in the world, and this year’s group of 1,559 exhibiting companies sets an all-time record for the four-day gathering.

Thousands of music products professionals will attend to see the latest in musical instruments and audio and computer technology, participate in industry-specific professional development courses and enjoy ongoing peer-to-peer networking opportunities.

Overall pre-show registration numbers of retail buyers and various industry members project a solid attendance of global buyers; last year’s attendance reached a record-breaking 84,695.

“The NAMM Show: Define Your Future” theme sets the tone for the event, which showcases meetings, activities and thousands of new products, including pianos, music accessories, pro audio, lighting and computer-based music-making equipment, string, percussion and band instruments displayed by manufacturers from around the globe.

As the industry’s association, an important part of NAMM’s mission is to create more active music makers through initiatives like the recently launched nationwide campaign called Wanna Play? For more information, interested parties can log on to
www.wannaplaymusic.com.

A full schedule of musical performances and activities are open to attendees throughout the show, and a variety of after-hours parties and concerts are planned around the convention area throughout the weekend.

Worldwide media coverage will be under way throughout the show, capturing the event for audiences on television, in print and on the Internet.

As part of the changing channels of communication, this year, for the first time, NAMM will have an official presence on YouTube.com with the launch of the NAMM Show Channel. Tommy Wallach, an independent musician and writer based in Los Angeles, will give the YouTube community a behind-the-scenes look at what's going on in the music products industry, including new product launches, industry trends, celebrity sightings and other exciting happenings at the show. Interested parties can visit the NAMM Show Channel at
www.YouTube.com/theNAMMShowChannel.

“This is an unprecedented time of change, and companies that are here to see new products, invest in professional development and take advantage of the prime networking opportunities are the ones that will survive and thrive in the coming year,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “Nearly every important product introduction in recent memory has occurred at the NAMM Show, and this year will be no different. In addition to the exhibits, industry members can find many tools for success on the show floor, including business-building programs and ideas to help define their business in the year ahead.”

The show runs today through Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information and news updates from the 2008 NAMM Show, interested parties may visit www.thenammshow.com.