Exhibitor, Attendee Exuberance Characterize 2013 NAMM Show
By Dan Ferrisi
Hectic…crazy…exciting…exhilarating…these are just a few of the adjectives one could use to describe the NAMM show, the music products industry’s most important annual gathering and, by far, the largest such show that’s situated here in North America. Although my personal experience attending NAMM shows in Anaheim is limited to the past four years, my own observations—and the collected comments of scores of retailers and manufacturers to whom I spoke during the event—lead me to believe that last month’s event was one of the strongest in recent years. One hopes it will propel the industry into the late winter and early spring with a great deal of momentum, a strong wind firmly at our backs.
The show, held slightly later in the month (January 24 to 27) than in recent years, boasted the usual blend of new product debuts, networking events and educational opportunities, all set to the soundtrack of live music and conversation among friends, both old and new. Every component group in the music products industry—from retailers and corporate buyers to artists and sound and lighting professionals—did business with nearly 5,000 unique brands in (continue reading)