The 2016 RPMDA 40th Anniversary Convention in St. Louis attracted 190 attendees, including 35 exhibitors and 31 first-time attendees.
Among the many convention attractions, members were treated to a Trivial Pursuit Scavenger Hunt, an evening tour of the St. Louis City Museum, and the Annual Awards banquet.
During educational sessions mood was upbeat as members and guest speakers addressed the challenges of today’s marketplace, sharing ideas about new technologies, print product, marketing, staff training, merchandising strategies and more.
Oren Teicher, of the American Booksellers Association, kicked of the convention with a session on the state of independent bookstores and how they relate to print music.
Rounding out the week was a panel session, “A History of RPMDA,” moderated by Denny Senseney that took a look back to the beginnings of RPMDA as well with a nod the future.
DOROTHY AWARD: A highlight of every convention is the announcement of the Dorothy at the closing dinner, given for a lifetime of service and achievement in the music industry. It is the highest honor bestowed by RPMDA. The 2016 honoree is Eric Strouse of Stanton’s Sheet Music. Eric began his long and distinguished career in high school under the mentorship of his father, Jim, before taking over the running of the business in 2005.
Look for a full RPMDA Show Report in the June 2016 issue of MMR
