Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound 2014

With over 110,000 visitors and 2,242 exhibiting companies from 57 nations, it’s unquestionable that the annual Musikmesse gathering in Frankfurt – held this year from March 12-15 – remains a key event for many in the MI trade.

That said, numbers were down somewhat from last year (2,285 exhibitors and a record-setting 113,000 attendees) and many we spoke with commented on a perceived “slower pace” at the 2014 Musikmesse. “The show itself seemed much smaller to me,” notes Andy Morris of Dream Cymbals. “More than anything, I noticed that the abundance of very small independent suppliers, manufacturers, and inventors is gone, just as it is at NAMM.

I always looked forward to those odd, quirky, single-item booths or small mom-and-pop manufacturers because they inspired me with new ways of thinking and some really cool products, even if they sometimes were less marketable. It seems Messe, like the NAMM Show, has lost the bulk of these exhibitors. Why remains a mystery.”

Roland’s Paul Youngblood adds, “It seemed like there were less new product introductions overall at Musikmesse this year than in previous years, at least in the markets specific to Roland and BOSS.”

“At Vic Firth, we feel that the spirit was great but that the stature of the show seems to be in slight decline,” observes Neil Larrivee. “However, we look forward to great results moving forward.”

Quality Over Numbers

Much like some of the feedback MMR received after Summer NAMM 2013, many were reporting a greater degree of quality (that word came up a lot) interactions at this year’s Frankfurt show – in part due to the less frenzied, packed nature of the convention.

“We significantly exceeded the number of dealer appointments from last year with the quality of those meets resulting in meaningful growth to our business compared to last year,” says Hal Leonard’s Mark Mumford. “Our emphasis was on creating direct partnerships with music retailers, which includes customizing our service and product range to suit their needs, both in terms of their physical and online store environments.”

“Messe is great in that true quality time can be spent with the U.S. dealers who do attend,” adds Youngblood. Detlef Braun, member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt asserts, “This year’s Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound were characterized by a high visitor standard and a willingness to place orders.”

Others pointed to the pure “fun factor” of the show, which unlike NAMM isn’t primarily limited to industry attendees. “It’s just good to get to meet and talk with so many actual players,” says Martin Guitars’ Chris Martin. “I have a fun time here, plus it reminds me of things I may have forgotten.” Like what? Some profound understanding of what it means to conduct business, to play music, to be a better person? “No _ like accordions!” Martin says with a laugh. “They’re huge here and it’s great to see that.” Also of enjoyment to many visitors from the U.S.: the comparatively balmy temperatures in Frankfurt. “Our whole yard back home is covered in snow, so it’s been nice to be here,” says Harvey Levy of the 18 degree celsius (“64-ish” fahrenheit) weather at Musikmesse.  “Business has been good at the show, too!”

Product Trends

Even factoring in that some felt product introductions were down at this year’s gathering when compared to previous shows, there were nonetheless a good number of debuts. Our increasing reliance on, and fondness for, products that allow for “mobility” is clearly gaining ground in the musical instrument and event industries. Like at NAMM, smartphones and tablets were being used at a number of exhibitor booths as electronic sound generators or control tools for hardware. Over on the Prolight + Sound side of things, creative water and fire elements are being used more and more to create impressive effects. The trend towards LED lighting also continues. Additionally, Prolight + Sound clearly showed the growing significance of networking and systems integration in the field of event technology.

A Rebounding European Economy

Messe Frankfurt reports that, “In general, Musikmesse exhibitors rate the current economic situation in the sector as better than a year ago: 73 percent consider the economic situation to be satisfactory to good.”

The assessment of suppliers we spoke with mirrors that sentiment. Courtland Gray of Peavey says, “The European market is dealing with similar issues to the U.S. market and I have seen some trends in the industry starting there before taking hold in the States.  I think the market in Europe will rebound sooner than the U.S.” 

“It is impossible to imagine a more positive NAMM and American market than we all experienced in Anaheim in January, so comparing that to Musikmesse is a high bar,” says Bedell Guitars’ Tom Bedell.  “But It feels like the European downturn has bottomed out and the market is coming back. Several of our distributors are increasing their orders for Breedlove and Bedell following the show.”

“Both markets [U.S. and Europe] are poised in a positive direction and we are well prepared for this positive trend,” adds Larrivee.

“The EU market seems to be somewhat more diverse that North America,” observes Morris. “The dealers are less about ‘I need it tomorrow’ and the street prices trend higher than in the U.S. My sense is that the EU customer is concerned about quality over price. We have seen slow, steady growth there as the EU recovers from its financial woes and expect to see growth continue there.”

Mumford also spoke of the differences between the American and U.S. markets, saying, “We approach the European MI market in a more ‘country-by-country’ way. Language and currency differentiates the U.S. from the European MI markets the most, together with understanding differences in music education systems and local market trends… So the European MI has seen ups and downs as a result.”

Daniel Knöll, director of the Society of Music Merchants e. V. (SOMM), drew an overall positive conclusion from this year’s gathering: “This year’s Musikmesse was once again the venue for national and international business and left no doubt that it is the marketplace and showroom for the musical-instrument business and music aficionados. We anticipate that the market will develop positively in the first half of the year and can, therefore, look back at a successful fair in a positive frame of mind.”

The 2015 Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound will be held in Frankfurt from April 15 to 18.