“I felt like this Show, more than probably any Show I’ve ever attended, set the tone for the industry,” says NAMM president and CEO John Mlynczak of the recent NAMM Show held from January 25-28 in Anaheim, California. “Coming out of four years of disruption, if there was ever a year where NAMM had to set a tone it was this one,” he continues. “We stayed laser-focused on bringing together the right mix of companies, buyers, international attendees, influencers, media, and artists from across our global industry to empower the relationships that have built and will continue to grow our industry.”
This year’s gathering saw over 62,000 attendees (up from 46,711 in 2023) and over 1,600 exhibitors (compared to last year’s 1,200-plus), with a robust international presence and increased participation and attendance from the realm of music education. Aside from the metrics, there was a palpable enthusiasm for the return to the NAMM Show’s “traditional” calendar-dates of mid/late January (see “Voices from the Show Floor” below). The NAMM Show showcased innovative technologies, products, and trends that shape the future of the music industry while creating a week-long platform for personal connections and meetings that are a necessity for the growth of the music industry.
As Mlynczak says, by way of summarizing the 2024 event: “This Show showed us that we’re on the right path – and now we’re going to run faster down that path.”
The NAMM Show returns to the Anaheim Convention Center January 21-25 (Events) and January 23-25 (Exhibits) NAMM NeXT, a summer education and networking conference catered specifically to the music industry and featuring expert presenters leading discussions on marketing, thought leadership, customer experience and entrepreneurship, takes place July 17-18, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. NAMM NeXT registration opens March 1.
Voices from the Show Floor
“The really diverse subjects in the panels and level of speakers that NAMM curated for the conference were fantastic this year. You can see how NAMM is branching out to create a valuable ‘wow’ event for every level and type of attendee. I thought the sessions that focused on bigger issues impacting the industry had massive attendance, and that is maybe not a surprise given that the industry is continuing to change at all levels.
“Attendance definitely seemed to be up, and there certainly was more of a buzz and energy. For Martin Guitars, it was a very successful show. The opportunity to network and meet in-person with a range of important stakeholders that really matter to us was fantastic. I personally set out to meet a few leaders I had never met before and was able to do so without having to fly to different places. Where else can you meet Chris Martin, Bob Taylor, Lloyd Baggs, Larry Fishman, and Paul Reed Smith in the same afternoon? If you are not at NAMM, you are missing out!”
“There is certainly an opportunity to grow NAMM to bigger than it has ever been, but making it happen depends a lot on how the show will further evolve. There needs to be an even stronger pull for diverse and important audiences and industry participants – consumers, artists, influencers, educational institutions, retailers, distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, technology companies, media, members, and non-members need to be enticed to attend NAMM in person. I am certain that with a broader and clearer audience focus, and by continuing to improve the value proposition, NAMM could definitely be able to grow beyond pre-pandemic levels. The need to further evolve probably holds true for a lot of other conventions as well, and I think it will take a bit of time.”
– Thomas Ripsam, President & CEO, C.F. Martin & Co.
“With respect to the NAMM show, while I truly believe it will never return to its pre-pandemic magnitude, the attendance and energy was a marked improvement over the previous two years. It definitely exceeded our expectations as we had a healthy amount of meetings with customers, whether they be U.S. retailers, OEM, Private Label and international distributors. So much so that we are contemplating a slightly bigger presence next year.”
– John D’Addario III, CEO, D’Addario & Company, Inc.
“This year’s NAMM gathering marked a notable shift from recent post-COVID events, and the change was overwhelmingly positive. Despite a smaller footprint, we strategically honed in on the Latin music segment of our market, allowing us to spotlight our strengths as a supplier with a unique position. Our deliberate focus fostered deeper engagement with dealers, press, and musicians, making our interactions incredibly meaningful. By concentrating our efforts, we were able to cultivate more impactful connections and showcase our offerings with greater clarity and resonance. This year’s NAMM gathering exemplified the power of a tight focus and emphasized the quality of engagement over sheer quantity, setting a new standard for our participation in industry events.
“Looking back on this year’s NAMM show, a few things stand out as being particularly impactful. On the positive side, having more opportunities to connect with press – both local and national publications – was really helpful. Being able to share our brand’s story more widely is so valuable. At the same time, this is an area where we can continue to evolve as an industry. There’s room to get better at presenting the ‘why’ behind our products in compelling ways, instead of just rattling off specs.
“What musicians and music lovers really want to hear are the inspiring stories of why we create the tools we do. If we can convey more of that creative passion, it will lead to much more interesting coverage from big media outlets. It’s about showing them great narratives that will resonate with their audiences. That’s an important lesson we can take forward – focus on the heart behind the hardware. Of course no show is perfect, and there are always aspects that could go smoother. But overall, I’m excited by the connections made at this year’s NAMM. It’s given us a lot of momentum for the rest of 2024 and beyond. By continuing to improve how we tell our story, I believe the future is bright.
“As we look back on events like the NAMM Show in the aftermath of the pandemic, it’s important that we rethink how we measure their success. It’s only natural to wonder if attendance will bounce back to what it was before COVID. But for us, it was never just about the numbers.
“The NAMM Show has always been valuable because of the meaningful connections we make there – with dealers, artists, customers, and press. It’s about forging relationships and having an impact during our time together. More than how many people show up, what matters is the quality of those interactions. Moving forward, our focus stays the same. We want to maximize the meaningful moments from the Show, even if overall attendance is down. Because at the end of the day, it’s the authenticity and depth of our engagements that gives these events their value in our industry.The landscape may be changing, but the essence of NAMM endures. As long as we keep making real connections, the Show will adapt and carry on, whatever the numbers may be. The relationships are what count most to us.”
– Kevin Philbin, Director of Sales and Marketing, KHS America
“This year’s NAMM was totally different than the last. The attendance of both exhibitors and attendees was higher, and the hope of the last show was replaced by enthusiasm. It was great. It was a great show for us but mostly as a barometer of how well our new product, the HiFi Duet, will do. But can NAMM please reinstate the noise police or move all electric guitars out of the acoustic area? Even this was one of the loudest shows ever.”
– Lloyd Baggs, President, LR Baggs
“NAMM’s return to January was a plus. The reason the winter NAMM show worked so well in the past is that it was held right after the Christmas selling season in a location with pleasant weather. NAMM did an excellent job of offering plenty of opportunities for members to learn more about the music industry and how to be a more successful retailer. Fans of music and music-making also had a great time along with our traditional retail and commercial members.
Let’s not worry about comparing post-COVID NAMM to pre-COVID NAMM. Those of us who attended had a great show. And those that didn’t – didn’t.”
– Chris Martin, Executive Chairman, C.F. Martin & Co.
“NS2024 felt decidedly different than the 2022 or 2023 shows. It felt like NAMM was back. The exhibit halls felt fuller, and there were more attendees. For Yamaha, we saw visitors to our booth increase by over 60%. We had an extra day this year, but that’s still strong growth.
“For Yamaha, the Prince piano we displayed in the lobby of our display generated a lot of interest around the show and a lot of love at the show and from folks who couldn’t attend the show – that was really successful. I also thought the Grand Rally for Music Education on Saturday morning was a great event that focused on a topic – music education – that’s near and dear to a lot of us. Victor Wooten’s segment was really moving and thought-inspiring.
“We’ve seen some shows come all the way back – Midwest Band and a lot of state MEAs. The really big shows like CES and NAMM haven’t gotten back to the pre-pandemic attendance levels yet, but seem to be viable at their most recent show attendance. I see the NAMM Show growing in attendance over the next couple of years after the success of NS24. I don’t know that it needs to get back to the NS20 level of attendance. The show can probably provide more value to attendees with slightly lower attendance than in 2020.”
– Tom Sumner, President of Yamaha Corporation of America and NAMM Chairman
“I don’t think I’d find many folks who would disagree with the assessment that this NAMM was definitely back on the right track. Booth attendance was insane for the first few days and the energy and vibe was up. The combination of being back in the usual January slot and having travel mostly back to normal was just what the doctor ordered. Oh, and speaking of doctors… luckily we came out unscathed as far as staff picking up COVID this time around! All clear. Great show all around in my view.
“I presented two TEC Tracks and both were amazingly well attended. The NAMM education team did a great job. The Allen & Heath Live Sound Console Training had well over 100 pre-registrants for many sessions and all slots were packed. Other than the cost from Freeman to order all of the extra chairs we needed for overflow, it was amazing. The AM&S demo areas for BASSBOSS and AeroWave were similarly well-attended. Sorry we broke the ceiling tiles in the BASSBOSS ‘DEMOlition’ event with all of the bass vibrations. Put that on my tab. Lastly, I didn’t do a scientific study, but I think the AM&S and Allen & Heath booths would have been in the running for most visited at the show – traffic was totally insane. I guess the short version is that what really worked at the show for us was the sheer number of folks who made the trek out to Anaheim and brought such wonderful energy.
“I think that we will start to see a reshuffling of the ’top dogs’ at these shows since a few of our industry top-10 brands have decided to invest in other areas and skip mega-show efforts like NAMM. I’m totally fine with taking up the slack.”
– Jeff Hawley, Marketing Director, Allen & Heath USA
“The 2024 NAMM Show was truly special. It was reminiscent of the high-energy gatherings that the industry was accustomed to prior to the 2021-2023 COVID Era shows; but it was also a very important step forward into an all-new NAMM Show era that involves artists and creators, manufacturers, and retailers. All of us who attended and exhibited got the confirmation of what we suspected; that the industry is alive, vibrant, and thriving. All the excuses for the COVID Era shows are now gone. All international COVID restrictions are lifted, the show returned to its familiar timeslot; but this show was anything but a re-run. So, we all got a chance, without excuses of any kind, to take the temperature of our industry and we’re happy to report that it’s red hot.
“The 2024 NAMM Show was successful from a 360-degree point of view. And it seemed to have the perfect blend of artists and creators, manufacturers, and retailers – and with valuable opportunities for all these groups to showcase and test their brands. The breakout sessions were of high value for today’s music brands and professionals, the exhibitor halls were packed with many established and even more emerging brands who will be the leading brands of the next generation of music making. I spoke with hundreds of colleagues from every walk of the music industry, and unanimously everyone was glowing from the energy of this NAMM Show. Bravo to the NAMM Executives and Board for a truly successful show.
“Yes, I do [expect attendee and exhibitor numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels]. But even more important than just attendee-numbers are attendee-opportunities. Whether an attendee is an artist, a creator, an influencer, a manufacturer, or a retailer – we all come to the NAMM Show hoping to expand the possibilities of what our involvement in the music industry can be, and what our brand can achieve. Whether you are an established brand or an emerging brand, we all want to expand our reach, our influence, and our relationship with the industry. The all-new NAMM Show offers every opportunity to provide expansive value to you and your brand – particularly if you show up, stay engaged, and get involved.
– Antonio Ferranti, President, Proel North America
“Hal Leonard was excited to be at a January NAMM again, and we’re happy to say the show exceeded our expectations. We had a lot of really good booth traffic that resulted in important and positive meetings that bode well for business in 2024!”
– David Jahnke, Senior Vice President, North America, Hal Leonard
“The first metric that sets the comparison stage, is attendance. I looked it up and here are the actual numbers I found. Attendance for 2023 was identical to 2022, with this year 46,711 people attending, up marginally on last year’s total of 46,627. So attendance has stabilized somewhat, though this year they allowed individual memberships, which is a new policy for NAMM. I don’t know if the NAMM Show will ever return to the days of 100,000 plus attendees. If inflation eases, maybe it will, but there are a lot of changes in the industry as a whole, so time will tell.
“As far as the energy of the show, what I noticed was a very positive feeling that folks were done with the old comparisons, and ready to embrace some fresh inspired thinking. Music education was a hotter topic and received more attention than it has at past shows. NAMM announced the retirement of Mary Luehrsen with the Grand Rally for Music Education on Saturday morning, so again big changes in NAMM’s leadership. Mary was an extraordinary leader and did an outstanding job with fighting for the right to have music education protected in schools. But with all the changes NAMM is undergoing , there may be a revitalized focused energy developing around music education going forward; I see that as a good thing!
“NAMM’s new president John Mlynczak was excellent in his leadership role at this year’s show. His energy was strong and focused. There is a new sheriff in town, and with all the shifts and gyrations around NAMM’s redefining itself, Mlynczak is most definitely up for the task. It’s important for the industry to remember, Mlynczak is a top-shelf musician.
“If it weren’t for inflation, I believe we would have had a more vibrant recovery. Coming out of the pandemic we were frail at best, so to be hit with the second whammy of inflation, simply took its toll on trust and enthusiasm in the market place. At first, everyone embraced the idea that zoom meetings would offer us the same quality as being together in person, but that proved to be erroneous. In my opinion the two different experiences “live vs on-line” are not comparable, and the market place is slowly realizing they have been sold a kettle of fish.
“I think over time that corrects to a more normal balance. However, retail might be a different matter. It’s expensive for the big boys to showcase at NAMM, and many big named manufacturers have not returned to NAMM. So it’s a ‘who goes first’ moment for the industry. What I did notice was that smart, innovative, new manufactures were at the NAMM show in droves, and I see that as a good sign, but it’s everybody’s job to revitalize our industry. I was glad to see NAMM announce they would hold a summer event in Nashville. It’s a different format than Anaheim, but our industry should always have a major presence in Nashville, I have always believed that. They call it Music City for a reason!”
– Menzie Pittman, Owner/Director of Education, Contemporary Music Center
“We felt the show had more energy and provided that much-needed ‘NAMM Vibe’ as we kick off 2024. It remains a great vehicle to launch new products into the market.
Overall, we were pleased with the results of the show, despite a lower dealer turnout.
“Our primary concern is the number of dealers attending, as that is what primarily drives our decision to display. Having the traditional January dates back on the calendar should help the entire industry to reconnect with NAMM and allow NAMM to re-energize their marketing initiatives to drive both manufacturer and dealer attendance.
“We certainly hope [numbers return to pre-pandemic levels]! We pay a lot of attention to other trade groups and the news on their respective trade shows, looking for any trends and information we can glean. It is fair to say there are other industries with the same business model as musical instruments that are growing and hitting record numbers at trade shows. We rely on the leadership at NAMM to drive the innovation forward, promoting this show as an essential part of the MI landscape. We welcome the opportunity to engage with them towards that end.”
– Patrick Schuleit, President, Armadillo Enterprises
