5th NAMM Musikmesse Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia

NAMM Musikmesse Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia (September 14-17) concluded after four days of events, demonstrations, meetings, professional development opportunities, and exhibitions.

Now in its fifth year, the annual exhibition took place at the Sokolniki Exhibition and Conference Center in the heart of Moscow and attracted 144 Russian and international manufacturers and distributors to present the latest in musical instruments, products and pro lighting and audio technologies to a crowd of over 16,000 unique visitors, an 11% increase from 2015. Visitors attended multiple days of the show to enjoy nearly 200 different events curated by and for industry professionals and to meet with top brands across both musical instruments and professional light and audio.

“We’ve now been exhibiting for the last four years, and we can say the show is getting better every year, there’s continuous improvement in terms of quality and quantity of attendees,” shared Christian Kaemmer, International Sales Manager of Koenig & Meyer, Germany. “We’re now positioned in the Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia area, however, we also get to see the MI folks who come to the show, both trade and public. We will definitely be back next year.”

Kevin Zhang, International Sales General Manager of GTD Lighting agreed: “This has again been a very good show for us, even compared to some shows in our home market where we also exhibit. We’re happy with the professionalism of the attendees here as we were able to do some serious new business and take advantage of some great opportunities.”

Participants across both shows included manufacturers and distributors of musical instruments and accessories, light, audio and video equipment from Austria, Belarus, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and USA. Notable names included Sennheiser; Aris Pro; Slami; Stagemarket; Serapid; LTM; Clay Paky; Martin Professional; Pro-Audio and Lighting Systems; Show Atelier; Robe, SiM; SofitLight; Verlinde; OKNO-Audio; Sundrax; Kvant Ltd; Dealercenter; DOKA Center; Stroiytsirk Yoga; BAM; Artimusic; Grand Mystery; Arsenal Music; Pearl River; Salvi Harps; as well as dozens of other leading brands. Russian companies, such as Asia Music; Stroiytsirk; SofitLight; Theatre Technical Systems; Universal Acoustics; Hokens; TDA-audio; B&A and many others debuted their latest creations.

A robust schedule of nearly 200 events was held over the course of four days. Highlights of the exhibition included The Grand Band Show where attendees experienced master classes and the loudest brass orchestra in Russia attempted to set a new sound record for the country; The ChoirExpo which included career-advancing courses for teachers, methodical seminars, master classes and lectures, and hosted an international contest of choirs and vocal ensembles; The Jazz Forum that offered a series of events specifically designed for jazz professionals and master classes led by popular jazz performers; and The Drummers United Festival which, in addition to master classes and  workshops, held a large-scale drumming contest with 150 acts vying for the top spot. Drummers United 2016 Awards were given to the nine best drummers, as selected by a panel of expert judges, which was met with strong approval from exhibiting manufacturers.

“The [new] concept of Drummers United, with all drums and percussion in one separate hall, worked beautifully. It’s a great idea to have the booths with products, master classes, and competitions in a separate area. We were really able to show our products and with a relatively small set up,” said Bernd Amon, Sales and Marketing Manager MEA, Meinl, Germany.

In addition to NAMM Musikmesse Russia, Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia hosted a variety of industry forums focused on key segments of the lighting and sound industries which attracted a strong, qualified audience. Highlights of Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia included The Theater Forum which featured the best in theater equipment and included excursions to The State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and to the Moscow Music Theatre; Forum ONStage which included experts Tim Routledge, David Gallo, Oli Metcalfe and many other leading production specialists; The Rental Companies Forum which held roundtable discussions about business best practices and rentals in Russia and more.

While at the concurrent exhibitions, music fans enjoyed live music throughout the event on four themed stages: the Live Music Stage welcomed performers from Drummers United and the Jazz Forum, along with popular music acts; at the Acoustic Stage crowds greeted performances from music masters and their master classes, as well as the children’s music contest finals; on the Drum Stage popular drummers performed and held master classes; and at the Megapolis Stage, hosted by Megapolis radio, acclaimed DJs and music labels took over and featured the best tracks in electronic music.

The show received impressive support from the Committee for Culture of the Russian State Duma; Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation; the Department of Culture of Moscow; Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory; The State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia; the Brass Band Centre of the Russian Ministry of Culture; Creative art and music and aesthetic education center for children and youth; the Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture; Culture and Art Education Development Institute; Theatre Managers Guild; Theatre Workers Union; and the Russian Music Theatres Association. MF-group and EuroShow served as technical partners of the shows. Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co was the general partner of Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia 2016. A new generation online event calendar KudaGO.com was NAMM Musikmesse Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia’s general partner of promotion.

Yamaha Music served as a strategic partner of NAMM Musikmesse Russia. During the shows, the company operated an educational center and welcomed popular artists including keyboardist, Katsunori Ujiie, and drummer, Sean Browne to perform. Jiro Ohno, General Director of Yamaha Music Russia said, “I’m so glad to say that we, Yamaha could contribute to the success of the only international music trade show in Russia as an official strategic partner of NAMM Musikmesse Russia. Together, we created a lot of excitement and cultural inspiration through concerts, master classes, educational programs and other activities by showcasing the power of music for the public. I’m convinced, through NAMM Musikmesse Russia, we can further promote popular music and music market expansion in the country.”

In 2017, NAMM Musikmesse Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia will return for its sixth year, September 14 – 17, 2017. 

Further information can be found on the show websites www.namm-musikmesse.ru and www.prolight-namm.ru.