In late June, it was announced that Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) would be exhibiting at The NAMM Show once again in January, 2025 – the first time the company would return to the annual industry gathering in that capacity since January of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, Fender CEO Andy Mooney reflected, “We sadly missed actually having a physical presence at NAMM; that high-touch in-person long form interaction is vitally important for the industry. Going forward, [Fender] will have more and exciting new products to intro at NAMM and then in the fall, we will revert back to our online dealer events… we’re thrilled to be back, we missed being there, and I’m excited to see everyone again back in Anaheim.”
To get more details on this momentous reappearance of one of the biggest names in MI at our industry’s largest and most significant international convention, we spoke with both Mooney and NAMM president and CEO John Mlynczak. Each walked us through the conversations and developments that ultimately led to FMIC’s return to Orange County in ’25, while also sharing their thoughts on the evolving purpose of events such as The NAMM Show, how the value of these gatherings for both attendees and exhibitors endures, and what the goals and expectations are for this coming January and beyond.
Andy, after having been such a huge presence at the NAMM Shows for so long – the amount of space FMIC typically occupied on the third floor was massive and the pre-show “Fender parties” were epic – Fender’s absence in Anaheim these past few years was impossible to ignore. Can you talk about both why the company opted to sit out the gathering since the pandemic and also why returning in 2025 makes sense?
Andy Mooney: We pivoted during COVID to create online dealer events to support our dealer network and continued to generate industry growth and took the money saved by not exhibiting and increased our marketing spend to further drive growth. But we sorely missed the opportunity for personal interaction NAMM presents and were waiting for the right moment to return.
We felt NAMM needed to evolve and become less about who had the biggest booth or who threw the biggest party and be more focused on driving industry growth and quality of dealer interaction. In conversation with John, it became clear his vision for NAMM aligned with our own and we are truly excited to return in 2025.
We’ll continue to create online dealer events but we see NAMM as the venue for personal interaction, a time for us to listen to the challenges our dealers face and for us to offer solutions to meet those challenges.
Will Fender be occupying its traditional real estate at the Convention Center? Are there any changes to how FMIC will be presenting and showcasing its product offerings?
John Mlynczak: The five-day experience allows Fender to use their third floor space in a more flexible way, showcasing Fender Custom Night on Wednesday with some private dealer and distributor meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, leading into an exhibit experience Thursday through Saturday. The Fender and NAMM teams are working closely together on how to maximize their presence.
Andy: FMIC’s participation going forward will focus on personal interaction. We’ll continue to have an evening Custom Shop event that’s become a much-liked social gathering for dealers, but no large-scale display booth or parties. All our guitar brands will be present on the third floor and PreSonus will also return to the show.
John, you’ve already been quite active in reimagining both how NAMM and the NAMM Show can best serve its members and the MI industry in today’s economic landscape. Can you talk about how important it is for the Show to have these “anchor exhibitors,” such as Fender on-hand for the convention?
John: NAMM is the music product industry’s global association. The NAMM Show exists to serve and unite the global industry and allow all segments to grow their business. NAMM’s “business” is ensuring its customers, or members, are getting what they need. So, having the largest brands like Fender at The NAMM Show is essential to ensure that NAMM’s work truly serves all members, from the largest to the smallest.
How did the two of you – and the two organizations, NAMM and FMIC – begin to discuss the return of Fender to the Show? Can you walk us through those conversations and what were key points for all parties?
John: Andy and I met last year after I began my role as CEO, and had breakfast in Santa Monica. We kept sharing information and talking each month, and Andy and other leaders of FMIC attended The NAMM Show in 2024, and we continued to share information after that event. Our discussions have always been positive and we have learned so much along the way about the evolving needs of both of our organizations. This has been a truly organic process and has helped shape The NAMM Show in 2025 and beyond.
What would your message be to any other former “NAMM Show regulars” who’ve stayed away post-COVID, but are now on the fence about perhaps returning to the event?
Andy: It’s not my place to counsel other companies on returning to NAMM, other than to say, “Let’s all focus on industry growth.” We’re all competitive, but competing for share in a flat market isn’t healthy for dealers or brands. FMIC’s returning to NAMM because we feel it’s a key part of our sales and marketing mix in terms of generating industry growth.
John: From NAMM’s perspective it is important that each member company get what they need for their business from the NAMM Show. And while there are common factors like networking and dealer engagement that all manufacturers share, there are also nuanced reasons that each company has for attending The NAMM Show. What we strive to do at NAMM is have in-depth discussions with our members to understand all the nuances of how The NAMM Show serves them. Other companies will have different needs from Fender, and that is why we listen, adapt, and serve.
John, well before COVID, there were folks out there talking and writing about “the death of trade shows” and how conventions are anachronistic in a world of Zoom meetings, Facetime, email, et cetera. What does the NAMM Show offer to an MI supplier that can’t be duplicated or satisfied by online, digital connections?
John: The NAMM Show has always thought of itself as a unique trade show experience, and we continue to evolve to ensure that we have robust education, networking, and music, as well as bringing in all the key communities of our industry. Yes, people meet on Zoom and launch products on YouTube and dealers buy on portals. But the power of The NAMM Show is in the collective impact of bringing the entire global industry together, where there is face-time with everyone in one place. This is important for a few reasons:
- Our industry is global, and we need all of our global partners together at least once a year.
- You come to The NAMM Show with the interactions you plan ahead, and you leave with new opportunities and connections you never knew existed. This is the power of gathering. You do not “bump into” someone on a Zoom who makes a key introduction that leads to a business opportunity. You do at The NAMM Show, and those people are all there. Ideas and opportunities arise quickly and are accelerated.
- When the global industry gathers, we can highlight its success in a larger way. Global media outlets and social influencers with millions of followers all gather at The NAMM Show and brands can take advantage of the global focus on music products for NAMM week. The eyes of the world are on the music products industry and we can amplify its impact.
What are both of your expectations and hopes for the upcoming NAMM Show in six or so months?
Andy: I expect to enjoy the opportunity to have long form interaction with our dealer base, break bread with them at the Custom Shop event in a relaxed social environment and interact with industry media and influencers to help grow the industry as a whole.
John: With five days of events, we hope to see continued growth of our industry and accelerated opportunities for our members. We hope the week of NAMM creates hundreds of millions of impressions worldwide about the products and brands that unite music makers globally. We hope to see full representation from every community that makes up our industry – from brands to buyers, influencers to artists, educators to engineers, and more. Most importantly, we hope our post-show survey results find a high success rate from everyone who invests in attending The NAMM Show. Customer, or member, satisfaction with their experience is key. The NAMM Show is not measured in size, it is measured in satisfaction.
Any other final thoughts to share with MMR readers?
John: As Andy will tell you, we are listening and evolving. We are walking the walk of adapting our services to support NAMM member needs. And we will continue this forever. This is not a post-COVID approach, then we rinse and repeat after that. Every single year we will work tirelessly to ensure The NAMM Show is meeting the needs of the music industry in the present and in the future.
Andy: Fender is thrilled to be back, and I’m excited to see everyone again in Anaheim. The 2025 show will be a great opportunity for us to introduce exciting new products and reconnect with the industry in a meaningful way.
