Day One of the 2009 NAMM Show

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, kicked off its 107th NAMM Show today at the Anaheim Convention Center. Thousands of music products professionals from around the world gathered for the event, which started on a musical note at the Hilton Anaheim Hotel with a slide guitar performance by Bob Brozman.

Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM, hosted the day’s NAMM University Breakfast Session, “Breakfast of Champions.” After greeting the standing-room only crowd, Lamond sat down for interviews with Paul Cuomo, Howrey, LLP; Mitsuru “Mick” Umemura, Yamaha; Scott Silver, Chicago Music Exchange; Billy Cuthrell, Progressive Music Center; and Jason Tavaria, Dolphin Music.

After discussing topics such as industry history, customer service and music lesson programs, Lamond welcomed rock legend/media mogul Gene Simmons to the stage, who shared his thoughts on business strategies and the importance of listening to the customer.

A morning performance by Benise filled the Anaheim Convention Center lobby, and was the first of many performances on stages throughout the show halls.

Official show opening was marked by the annual performance of the Fernand L. Petiot All-Industry Marching Band, comprised of industry members who paraded through the halls while playing The Doors’ “Light My Fire.” This year’s Honorary Grand Marshals for the band were Inez Hussey, King George V1 Centre, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; Anne Bryant, Executive Director, National School Boards Association; and Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, music education advocate.

The show’s theme, "Come Together," fit perfectly for this first day of the event where the halls were busy with retail buyers, reps and media from around the world. In addition, NAMM University offered educational sessions in the Idea Center, with speakers offering tips on e-commerce, sales/marketing, retail ideas, business strategies and lesson programs.

“I come [to NAMM University] for the ideas,” said Bill Phipps of  Willis Music, Florence, Ky. “A lot of the stuff we already know, but it’s nice to be refreshed and reminded.”

The trade-only event featured more than 1,500 manufacturers’ exhibits with many product launches that gathered crowds to see the newest, most innovative products from all musical categories, including string, percussion, band and orchestra, pianos, music accessories, print music, computer music equipment, pro audio and lighting.

“It’s been very good for us—we’ve made some contacts in the piano division and now we’re in the school instruments section, “ said Sheila Alain of Lauzon Music Centre, Ottawa, Canada. “We’ve been making contacts and meeting old friends. We’ve been searching out new products and having a good time.”

Many exhibitors were pleased with the first day’s attendance.

“So far so good—we’re getting a lot of floor traffic and musicians are out playing the gear, and that’s what we want,” said Mike Van Tine of Musical Distributors Group, Boonton, N.J. “You can see it’s a non-stop flow of people, which is what it’s about. Right now everybody’s kind of looking, but we’ve written a few orders, and it’s only day one."

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The show also featured photo opportunities with Sesame Street characters, public tours of and live music at the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and the annual end-of-day video presentation: “In Memoriam, A Tribute to Music Industry Leaders,” set to songs performed by the L.A. Scots Pipe Band and Drew Tretick. After show hours, many musical events were scheduled at hotels and bars around Anaheim.

Some of tomorrow’s highlights include the NAMM University Breakfast Session “The BIG Issues: Trends and Tactics—The Next 12 Months,” the NAMM All-Star Lobby Jam and the Annual All-Industry Drum Circle, as well as many professional development sessions and musical performances throughout the day.

The 2009 NAMM Show runs through Sunday, January 18, at the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information and news updates, interested parties may visit www.namm.org/thenammshow.