FEATURES
-Here We Come to Save the Day!!We provide a plethora of accessories that manufacturers assure you will provide excellent margins.
-For Those Who Make Lesser Publicized Instruments, We Salute You!!For the first time, we pay tribute to instruments and products that get little press coverage. We provide a well-deserved spotlight for these products!
-And the Bombs Keep Coming!Another big lawsuit is filed
against the industry.
This time, there are many
more defendants.
-Drumming to Their Own BeatHow well is the drum industry holding up during these difficult times? We call on three industry experts.
-Guitar Center, Fender, and NAMM Sued
-The Health of the Independent Dealer M&SR’s fourth annual independent retailer roundtable features a new twist. For the first time, manufacturers, hand-selected by the retailers, contribute to the story.
-Born In the USA! We feature manufacturers who produce a majority of their products in the United States. Why do they make products in the USA as opposed to Asian countries? Find out.
-…And the Show Did Go On! The economy took a big bite of Summer NAMM in Nashville, but there were still bright moments.
-Jockeying For Position How is the DJ business holding up during these tough times? What’s the next hot technology? We asked the experts.
-What A Gig! Find out about plenty of manufacturer employees who still get out to play gigs. Our second annual edition is another fun read.

-Tarina Dunwoodie got to see the moment Graph Tech was born and has served the company since she was 17. She has moved up the ladder quite a bit since then.
-Stacey Montgomery-Clark Find out how SABIAN’s Stacey Montgomery-Clark juggles two young boys at home and a huge job as vice president of marketing. She loves interactive programs at the company, most notably the Vault Tour.
-Cathy Duncan Seymour Duncan’s co-founder and chairman, received a ton of on-the-job training. But she has excelled. Creativity is one of the company’s hallmarks. Find out much more about her.
-Bee Bantug Yes, the Internet CAN be your friend as a retailer. Bee Bantug, who has provided several NAMM University sessions, can help. That’s why she co-founded Retail Up! in 2002.
-Dale Krevens For Tech 21’s Dale Krevens, being vice president is not a job. It’s an adventure. Find out why.
-Melanie Ripley Grundorf Corp. Vice President Susan Grund handles a plethora of duties at her job, but she also has jammed with the Beach Boys and makes sure the bond with the company’s employees remain strong. Learn how she juggles everything at one time and changes she’s witnessed in MI.
-Susan Grund Grundorf Corp. Vice President Susan Grund handles a plethora of duties at her job, but she also has jammed with the Beach Boys and makes sure the bond with the company’s employees remain strong. Learn how she juggles everything at one time and changes she’s witnessed in MI.
-Toby Nady graduated from college with a degree in clinical psychology. What does that have to do with music? Nothing. It’s been a long, strange trip for her. But a very good and successful trip.
-• Shawna von Behren.
-• Berenice Chauvet
-• Sue Kincade
-• Tish Ciravolo
-• Vikki Hayward
-• Roxana Ramirez
-• Susan Lipp

Are you on the fence about if you should attend Summer NAMM in Austin, Texas, from July 27 to 29? Well, to start, there are three facts that are probably indisputable about the show. 1. You have the opportunity for more face-to-face time with suppliers than at Winter NAMM. 2. The active nightlife. 3. The bats.

If that’s not enough, you’ll see different wrinkles at this year’s show. “First of all, buyers will get the chance to see some new exhibits—more than 80 new companies—and that means [you’ll] be able to see some cool new products not shown in Anaheim or last year in Austin,” said Scott Robertson, NAMM’s director of marketing & communications. “Another new feature is NAMM’s first-ever exhibitor-to-dealer product training sessions, which allow buyers to get the new product knowledge they need for themselves and their staff. We’re hoping this idea catches on and this show can serve as a hub for this type of critical product training in the future. Finally, this year ‘The Hang’ stage will host a very special concert event on Saturday—one of the regional semi-finals for the Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands competition. This is where the best of the “Weekend Warrior” type bands from America’s largest corporations battle for bragging rights and a ‘rock star’ trip to the 2008 NAMM Show. It should be quite an event for these very influential recreational music makers and a treat for the audience as well.”

Speaking of The Hang, you can attend NAMM’s party there on July 26 at 7 p.m. The event is good for networking purposes and oh yes, the free beer and food. “NAMM’s Pre-Show Party at The Hang is unique because where else but the music products industry could you assemble ‘Weekend Warrior’ jam/cover bands made up of show attendees and exhibitors and produce the type of energetic, live performances that we see year after year?” asked Robertson. “That party shows how much this industry believes in music and it’s our honor to host it again this year.”

Another reason to go to Summer NAMM: the morning NAMM University Breakfast Sessions. Don’t believe it? Well, the proof is in the numbers, with Robertson reporting attendance at these sessions doubling in the last couple of years. “The morning sessions serve a free hot breakfast, which helps attendees find an extra hour of time in an already busy day,” he said. “They also feature good music followed by some fantastic presentations that you can only experience at a NAMM trade show. This year, NAMM President and CEO, Joe Lamond, will interview another panel of industry icons in an in-depth discussion about the current state of the music products industry. On Saturday, NAMM will again host its popular Town Hall meeting, which this year will focus on the best practices/ideas that are working for retailers and suppliers across the country. We’ve heard these sessions contain real take-home value for attendees and given this period of industry change, it’s not a time to settle for business as usual.”

( continued, next page >> )

[ pages: 1 - 2 - 3 ]