Summer NAMM’s Growth A Positive Sign For The Industry
Last month, thousands upon thousands of music products industry members descended on Nashville TN to experience everything that Summer NAMM had to offer, ranging from an expansive show floor where hundreds of exhibitors showed their wares, to dozens of education and networking sessions that armed retailers with crucial insights and knowledge, to special “marquee” events that ensured the three-day experience was memorable for all who attended. Held from July 11 to 13 at the gorgeous new Music City Center, the show evinced solid growth—it was the largest Summer NAMM in five years—with manufacturers and dealers alike exhibiting an upbeat attitude despite the economic challenges that continue to encumber the marketplace broadly.
“This year’s Summer NAMM reminded me of some of the past Nashville shows a decade ago when companies were really excited about growth and opportunity,” said Joe Lamond, President and CEO of NAMM. “We’re grateful to our members who came to exhibit, stock up for the fall and holiday selling season, and attend the increased educational and networking sessions that NAMM produced.” Speaking exclusively to The Retailer, Lamond emphasized that, rather than zeroing-in on whether the show itself is up or down, his principal interest is in observing the broader trajectory of the industry as a whole…seeing how retailers and manufacturers are faring and viewing Summer NAMM as a presage for the months ahead. According to Lamond, positivity prevailed from beginning to end.
As the cliché goes, “numbers don’t lie”; so, if it is indeed true that Summer NAMM can be viewed as a microcosm of the music products industry broadly, the show bodes well for the remainder of the year and for our collective future. The annual Nashville-based event took advantage of the room to grow in the new facility,