-RPMD-Yay! Boston’s Seaport Hotel was the place to be in late April for tons of information to help you sell print music products.
-Music City Miracle? Is this the year Summer NAMM makes a great comeback?
-Moonlighting. A look at manufacturers/reps who still perform regular gigs and how it helps them in their day jobs.
-The Bright Stuff. We always hear the bad news going on in the world. How about the good news?
-The 'Real' Guitar Heroes. What will the future of the guitar industry look like?

Back From the Future
Now that we looked at the future, let’s return to the present. Why should you attend Summer NAMM next month? We asked Lamond that very question. “I’m hearing that most people are experiencing flat or lower sales levels currently due to a number of economic factors, so that’s the best time to think about what you’ll do differently to improve results in the coming year,” he said. “By providing a robust show floor full of new products and exceptional learning opportunities in a relaxed, fun environment, NAMM has created the right environment for stores to equip themselves to do well in the second half of 2008.”

Then, of course, NAMM Breakfast and University Sessions are always a reason to attend. We asked Robertson what you can expect to see next month. “Ken Wilson and our Professional Development department have put a lot of thought into creating an educational program that really meets dealers’ needs right now,” he said. “Friday morning, everything kicks off with the annual State of the Industry address by Joe Lamond. Saturday, retailers will hear from Elly Valas, co-author of the best-selling Guerilla Retailing as she presents ‘Guerrilla Retailing: Unconventional Ways to Make Big Profits from Your Retail Business.’ Sunday will again feature NAMM’s ‘Best in Show’ featuring the hot products and finds from the Summer NAMM show floor.

“Also, NAMM’s Idea Center will be going non-stop with educational sessions covering important topics. This year, Sunday’s sessions will be about the Web, e-commerce, and Internet topics. The NAMM Idea Center is located at Booth No.837. Attendees will receive a free Idea Book and can fill out a survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card.” For a complete list of professional development sessions please visit www.namm.org/summer.”

Several other activities will take place during Summer NAMM, including the 7th annual Pre-Show Party at the Hang, which will take place on Thursday, June 19, at 7 p.m. in the main ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel.

The Muriel Anderson All-Star Guitar Night is set to take place on June 21 in the Ryman Auditorium. And of course, there will be exhibitor parties that were not announced as of this printing. For a complete list of NAMM events, check out the PLAYback supplement at NAMM.org. You can also find more information in the June issue of the Music & Sound Retailer and in our Vnewsletter at www.msretailer.com/vnewsletter.

If you haven’t been to Nashville in awhile—and many of us haven’t—we asked Robertson to give us a refresher on things you can take advantage of when you’re not roaming the show floor. “There’s plenty of good, live music every night in the downtown clubs just outside of the Nashville Convention Center,” he said. “Music City is full of venues pumping out music every night. They are even marked with ‘Live Music Venue’ signs. Take a stroll through the city and stop in any of the clubs to hear some great live music. They are playing at least four days a week and welcome music lovers from all over. There’s the Country Music Hall of Fame and Musician’s Hall of Fame and you can’t miss the historic Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. For a complete listing of Nashville attractions, please visit www.visitmusiccity.com.”

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