FEATURES
-Talking Heads: Top Industry Executives Take On Top Topics Fourteen of the industry’s heavyweights tackle two big MI questions.
-The Big Bash in Nash After a successful return to Nashville last year, Summer NAMM is back in the Music City. Find out why you should attend.
-The Good, the Great, the Fantastic! Even though times are awful, many manufacturers step up to the plate by providing charitable efforts, great fan experiences, and more.
-Crank up the Volume! Find out how pro audio manufacturers are doing during this elongated recession.
-Peavey, 16 Others Win Landmark Trademark Case Vs. Fender In a huge body shape decision that can affect our industry for years to come, the Trial and Trademark Appeals Board ruled against Fender.
-Comic Genius Normandy Guitars has employed a very different marketing approach. Find out what it is..
-The Forgotten Few MI could not operate without the service industry. However, the vital industry segment has never received its due. Until now that is.
-The Economy is Awful! Guitar sales are down, but they are holding up just fine in perhaps the worst economic crisis of our lives.
-Class of 2009 Plenty of new companies exhibited at NAMM in an effort to get their products into your stores. Michelle Loeb rounds up the newbies and tells you why the products are cool.

-Melanie Ripley Grundorf Corp. Vice President Susan Grund handles a plethora of duties at her job, but she also has jammed with the Beach Boys and makes sure the bond with the company’s employees remain strong. Learn how she juggles everything at one time and changes she’s witnessed in MI.
-Susan Grund Grundorf Corp. Vice President Susan Grund handles a plethora of duties at her job, but she also has jammed with the Beach Boys and makes sure the bond with the company’s employees remain strong. Learn how she juggles everything at one time and changes she’s witnessed in MI.
-Toby Nady graduated from college with a degree in clinical psychology. What does that have to do with music? Nothing. It’s been a long, strange trip for her. But a very good and successful trip.
-Shawna von Behren has prepared herself to work for the company since she was 4 years old. Here’s why working for an Illinois retailer was so instrumental in her success.
-Berenice Chauvet speaks four languages. And that doesn’t include the language of music. We forgot to mention she was formerly a reporter. There’s a lot of information for this story!
-Sue Kincade, Find out what it takes for Sue Kincade to captain the ship that is Remo Inc.
-• Tish Ciravolo
-• Vikki Hayward
-• Roxana Ramirez
-• Susan Lipp

If NAMM is the Michael Phelps of MI trade shows, MIAC is trying its best to become the Ryan Lochte of the industry. As the Olympic Closing Ceremonies were taking place in Beijing, the Music Industries Association of Canada (MIAC) show simultaneously commenced a two-day sprint on Aug. 24 at the Toronto International Centre. Although the performance of the Canadian Olympic team could be considered disappointing (18 medals was a 50 percent improvement over the country’s 2004 Athens Summer Olympic performance, but Canada had 12 fourth-place finishes), MIAC certainly was not.

“We had a great time at the show,” said Sparrow Guitars’ Jordan Espheter. “We had a great chance to reconnect with the dealers. We developed new relationships. Dealers came by and played our guitars and we got to show our new cases. Of course, it’s a smaller show than NAMM, Musikmesse, and London International, but for us, it’s a great chance for a Canadian company to showcase Canadian-made guitars and cases.”

“The show was great,” said Paul Fattahi of the International Music Software Trade Association. “The traffic was excellent on Sunday. It was a bit slow on Monday, but our location was tremendous. [I call it] the ‘corner office’ because our booth is easy to spot when you walk onto the show floor. Al Kowalenko [MIAC’s executive director] and Barbara Cole [MIAC’s trade show and marketing manager] did a great job putting together this show.”

Most notable at MIAC was there was no talk of the dreaded “R” word: recession. Perhaps, that is due in to the fact that Canada has its oil sands, which have especially buoyed the Alberta economy. “Our economy has been doing reasonably well because we are more resource based,” said Kowalenko. “The resources [such as oil] have propped up the economy quite well. Net-net, the economy is generally doing OK. It’s not quite as depressed as the U.S, although the spill out to Canada is affecting us. We sure hope the U.S. comes out of its economic ‘funk.’ Often, whatever happens in the U.S. happens six months later in Canada. We’re hoping that doesn’t materialize here.”

“Whenever we asked Canadian dealers how they’re doing at their shops, the response has been great,” said Espheter. “And our business has been doing great. Business is up and we’re keeping a positive outlook. The dealers are keeping their chins up. They didn’t talk about the economy. The only concern we heard from Canadian dealers is about the big [chain] moving into the small store’s area.”

Syndicated columnist Bob Popyk brought the recession into his Monday afternoon lunch learning session. “I’ve found the biggest difference between U.S. and Canadian retailers are the Canadian retailers are more upbeat,” he said.

Popyk added that even when a weak economy lands a huge uppercut to the chin of your business, there’s no use in talking about it. “Success breeds success,” he said.

Popyk threw in several sales tips after providing this caveat: “The function of your business is to create and maintain customers. The goal is to make profits.”

One recommendation Popyk made was to ask customers what music they like to listen to and play that kind of music when demonstrating products for them.

As for closing the sale, he said if you can’t do that well, everything else can be perfect, but you will still fail. “You sell to them, you win. They walk, you lose. You don’t need to have 75 closes you can recite off of the top of your head. But you need to have a few. You can use ‘OK with you?’ Or, ‘Can we put this together?’ You should first try to close at the first sign of a positive [response]. If a customer says, ‘I love that!’ You say, ‘Do you want to get it?’ ‘Should I write it up?’ ‘Would you like to take it with you?’

“If someone asks, ‘is that the best you can do?’ Your answer is not, ‘Let me check with the manager.’ Your answer is ‘yes.’ Then you wait for them to talk. You’ll be amazed how many people say ‘OK.’

From the Executive Director to You

“This MIAC is our 37th annual show,” Kowalenko told the Music & Sound Retailer. “It turned out very well. We weren’t quite sure what to expect this year, but our attendance was good, even compared to last year. It was a vibrant show. The buzz was good and the exhibitors were happy. We were pleased with the show.”

Kowalenko added he’s also happy with the Toronto International Centre as the sight for the show. The convention space is large enough for exhibitors, and many appreciate how close the site is to Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson Airport. The airport to International Centre commute is only about 10 minutes long, with all driving taking place on one street, the aptly named Airport Road. “We certainly should be fine in this location for the next year or so [at least],” said Kowalenko.

MIAC 2009 will take place on Aug. 23 and 24.

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