Back in the Saddle: Summer NAMM 2021 Puts the Spotlight on a Resilient and Rebounding MI Industry

“From the moment I arrived in Nashville on Monday and attended the NASMD opening reception to the final NAMM YP session Friday afternoon that featured Andy Zildjian, Summer NAMM reminded me once again of the passion and energy of this industry,” says NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond. “I have no doubt that others felt it, too, and that the competitive edge our members left with will follow them through the second half of the year and propel us all into Winter NAMM 2022.”

Based on the feedback we at MMR received from both exhibitors and attendees, nearly everyone did, indeed, feel that passion and energy. The first major in-person industry event in a year and a half was both more vibrant and better-attended than some may have predicted, with an active floor and numerous off-site gatherings.
The weeklong gathering, which took on a pandemic protocol-dictated size and approach, welcomed fellow industry associations the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants (AIMM), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA), the Music Achievement Council, the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD), Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA), and Show Makers in co-located yet socially distanced conferences and events. In total, 5,671 influential NAMM members representing a cross-section of buyers, independent music retailers and commercial members in music products, pro audio and technologies took part in the conference, which convened more than 700 brands represented by nearly 300 exhibitors.

NAMM U and TEC Tracks 
Across the two days of Summer NAMM, NAMM U and TEC Tracks welcomed a convergence of established and emerging professionals and thought-leaders and experts transforming the industry to share in big, actionable ideas, new perspectives, and future-focused outlooks to help members meet the challenges of today and position their businesses for the future.
Each day of the show started with a special NAMM U opening session in the NAMM Event Center. On Thursday, a panel of manufacturers and retailers joined Joe Lamond for the “2021 State of the Industry Address.” In a series of one-on-one interviews, Lamond welcomed Sammy Ash, Sam Ash Music; Jamie Deering, Deering Banjos; Chris Martin, C.F. Martin and Co.; Laura Penrose, Nick Rail Music and Penrose Strings; and Barbara Wight, Taylor Guitars, to explore the state of business, the future and lessons learned from a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.

Reconnecting and Celebrating at Special Events 
Summer NAMM networking events and traditions, including the American Eagle Awards and the Top 100 Dealer Awards, returned on Thursday of the show. The American Eagle Awards recognized iconic a cappella group Take 6 and music educators across America for their extraordinary service during the pandemic. The awards are presented each year in recognition of long-term contributions to American musical culture, the idea of music education for all children, and the need to protect creators’ rights both locally and internationally.
Later that evening, members gathered to celebrate and applaud the accomplishments, resilience, and commitment of music retailers in serving music makers in communities around the world at the Top 100 Awards. Now in its 11^th year, this year’s awards recognized West Music Co. with the “Dealer of the Year” award, the top honor. View the full list of Top 100 Award honorees at www.namm.org/summer/2021/top-dealer-awards/winners

The 2022 NAMM Show will take place January 20-23 in Anaheim, California. Registration will open in the fall.

Voices from the Show Floor

“The Taylor Guitar booth seemed ‘alive’ from the opening to closing bells. It was great seeing our dealer partners who thanked us for the support we gave them through both our online training program (Taylor Guitar University) as well as helping them keep customer engagement high via an aggressive sales promotion we implemented at the beginning of the pandemic.  We responded to that with our utmost appreciation for everything they had to navigate through!  They were ‘on the front lines’ – learning new ways of communication and marketing via their websites and social media… Taylor Guitars had a great show, and we thank NAMM for helping draw dealers to Nashville!”

Richard Casciato, Taylor Guitars

“This was one of the first NAMMs where we really didn’t know what to expect!  We made the commitment to support the industry regardless of how it actually played out.  With that being said, it ended up exceeding our expectations.  Sometimes events shouldn’t be judged on the quantity of people, but the quality of people.  The dealers that were able to make the journey to SNAMM showed optimism and were ready to discuss ways to collaborate for the future.  SNAMM’s theme of We Are Better Together resonated throughout the convention and it was amazing to connect in person with our industry family.  We had a lot of fun and the conversations were beneficial which leads us to believe that Winter NAMM will be unlike any we’ve ever seen.”

David Jahnke, Hal Leonard

“Our AIMM Summit, NASMD, and RPMDA were really nice to have at the same time as the Summer NAMM Show. Though the actual NAMM Show was light in many ways, including attendance by vendors and dealers, having the other events combined with it made for a very beneficial week. Very few actual sales were written, but that’s partially due to changes occurring in our company structure. Overall, it was a very positive at the Show, but mainly from the standpoint of time to get out and get together again after 15-18 months of  being locked up and meeting via ZOOM.”

Mike Guillot, Mississippi Music, Inc.

“I think Summer NAMM was extremely successful for us.  Traffic exceeded expectations, we got to meet with a lot of quality dealers and quite strong interest in our new product announcement. Overall, everyone seemed to be playing it cautious (smaller booths, fewer staff) but we were busy throughout the show.  Absolutely no regrets in attending whatsoever!

Daniel Boatman, IK Multimedia

“I was pleased with the Summer NAMM show and the efforts made by the NAMM team. The attendance was good and there were many happy exhibitors speaking with attending dealers, and fewer guest badges that often distracted from them doing business with buyers.”

Mike Lawson, artistpro

“I expected it to be different. The rapidly changing restrictions and levels of concern about COVID-19 among the attendees and the organizers of the show made planning the show very difficult, I’m sure. I think everyone did their best. There were more people attending than I anticipated – lots of buyers, ready to go. I enjoyed that everyone we talked to was serious and in a position to do something.
“Like many of our contemporaries, our production is sold out well into the future – and due to extreme logistics issues, giving dealers accurate delivery time projections is impossible.  If we could increase our supply and solve these issues to meet our demand, we would have written many sales at this show. I thought the vibe was good. I enjoy NAMM – it’s how we maintain many friendships and stay in touch with people in the industry. I think the organization is important beyond just the trade show.”
Ken Haas, Reverend Guitars

“This was SoundOn’s first Summer NAMM Show, and we were glad to lend our support to NAMM by participating in the first face-to-face show since the pandemic. We were also proud to showcase Audio Design Desk, which we believe is the future of audio for video production software.”

Gabe Cowan, SoundOn

“The show was a little better than I expected. Everyone was dipping their toe in the water and it felt just fine. Not a mask in sight and it didn’t seem to bother anyone.

“Gibson under JC and Cesar has the brand back and are doing a splendid job of returning to the former glory. I have nothing but positives to report and I am looking forward to what’s next. I am not used to the honesty and refreshing vision this company lost over the past few decades.

“Everyone I spoke to realized we were in the same boat, so instead of bitching to the manufacturers, we were all just glad we were able to see the light of day and the light wasn’t on oncoming train. So many were grateful to still be standing. No one has gear, no one’s getting gear, no one’s getting parts from overseas, no one can get the parts off the docks, the insane prices of a containers, the future with imminent price increases that have to be passed on, and so many similar instances present challenges.”

Sammy Ash, Sam Ash Music

“Regarding NAMM:  It was smaller than I expected… Overall, I thought the vibe was positive, but hampered by attendance post-COVID.  We are very hopeful for Winter NAMM, but not sure that we would return to Nashville next year.”

David Law, NoisyClan

“I have nothing to compare since this was my first NAMM Show, but was glad to have a place to meet vendors and see their products first-hand. I was able to connect with several vendors that I plan to do business with and feel that my time was well spent.”

RJ Sutton, RJ’s Hand Picked Guitars and Gear

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from summer NAMM. Part of me felt it would be almost normal, but as we inched closer to the date, my expectations kept changing. Some of my friends in the industry were certain about going and some were hesitant about it. I knew Nashville was quickly getting back to “normal” because I have friends and family there, and I had just recently visited there… The show was definitely lighter in attendance, but this gave smaller dealers a better chance at quality face time with suppliers. At this show everyone that attended was noticeably appreciated, and there were lots of people from all around the country. I am sure Nashville’s alure helped that, and the Top 100 event helped too. But importantly, industry leaders were definitely in attendance.”

Menzie Pittman, Contemporary Music Center