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

Of course, you could always attend NAMM to get away from things for three days. “The saying that sometimes it’s better to work on your business than in your business has never been more true in this current period of change,” said Lamond.

Another factor we failed to mention is the City of Austin itself. Many attendees last year said they were more welcome in the city compared to Indianapolis in 2005.

“The perception of last year’s show from our members who attended was that Austin is a great city with all the right elements for this show,” said Kevin Johnstone, NAMM’s director of trade shows. “As always, we will look to our members for guidance regarding future decisions about Summer NAMM.

“The friendliness you saw last year is more evidence the City of Austin just ‘gets’ NAMM,” he added. “Its enthusiasm for this show is really something you can feel in the warm smiles of hotel and restaurant employees to the many musicians performing nightly in all of the clubs. Every television and radio station and media outlet in town did multiple stories about Summer NAMM last year, more than we’ve ever seen in any market. But again, the most important thing to us is that Austin works hard to make our members feel like royalty while they are in town. You can expect the red-carpet treatment again this year.”


But Can it Rival Winter NAMM?
The answer is “no.” In fact, it’s not intended to. But not everything in Austin is a slam dunk. The temperature can be sweltering at times and complaints about a lack of simplified travel still exist. There was a time not long ago when getting to Austin was perhaps its greatest challenge. But according to NAMM, that aspect has improved dramatically. “Austin has direct flights from 46 destinations in the U.S.,” said Johnstone. “And it’s a short hop from Dallas/Forth Worth, one of the largest airports in the country with hundreds of direct flights. We know our members’ time and financial resources are limited and valuable, and that’s why NAMM is striving to do everything we can to make the trip to Austin provide a good return on that investment.”

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