Winter NAMM postponed until June 2022

[Mike Martin]

This just in:

 

Today, The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) announced that The NAMM Show, the annual 'family reunion' of the global music, sound, and entertainment technology industry, will reconvene in Anaheim, California at the Anaheim Convention Center on June 3â5, 2022. Previously scheduled for January 20â23, the new dates will offer global industry leaders, buyers, sellers, music educators, artists, media, and music makers the opportunity to reconnect and renew their businesses while taking greater advantage of reimagined indoor and outdoor events, activations, professional development sessions, an expanded digital reach, and more at the crossroads of business opportunity.

 

Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO, says, 'The industry has not stopped evolving and innovating during the pandemic, and The NAMM Show is evolving, as well. As the health and safety of our members remains top of mind, and after carefully listening to companies here in the U.S. and around the world, the new dates will help members maximize their opportunity and accelerate what has arguably been a transformative time both in new products and in how they come to market. I imagine this gathering will have the kind of impact of a Beatles moment or the introduction of MIDIâdefinitely one you will not want to miss.'

 

The news of the return of the Show and the change in dates addresses ongoing concerns about pandemic activity, new product development and launches, available in-store inventory, and current travel restrictions. The announcement was met with support and enthusiasm from business leaders across the industry.

[eric]

Thank you for sharing! Do we envision a future NAMM that will be anything like the past or will it truly be reimagined? Even before the pandemic, I know I heard a lot of sentiments along the lines of business trends changing so much that having vendors on the floor at a big convention could be getting a little bit outdated. However, it was a really fun annual event and I look forward to seeing how it evolves.

[Docbop]

Last years online NAMM show sucked they really didn't understand how people do global events online. Moving to a summer time frame make sense if going to try and do a live show. I think it's still too many people crammed together they should look at a combination of live and streamed show to try and reduce the number of people in one space.

[Mike Martin]

I'm glad you posted that Mike. I had heard this from Pierre Julia at "Pierre's Fine Pianos" on Monday, who was relaying the news from Kawai. I deleted my thread so as to wait for an official NAMM announcement.

 

Personally after I think it's been 32, I have my doubts as to whether I'll ever attend another one with crowds being so large. It would no longer feel safe. I mainly went to play Pierre's Faziolis anyway.

 

We've been hearing rumors for the last few days too. I'm glad NAMM took a proactive stance and made this announcement now. We were afraid that they were going to wait until mid-October to announce anything. Planning booths at NAMM takes a lot of time an resources. Of course now we have to plan if/when we do an anything ourselves online in early 2022.

[KenElevenShadows]

Definitely not a huge surprise. And I surely was not going to attend anyway.

 

I'm also glad that NAMM took a proactive stance and made the announcement now. Makes far more sense for everyone involved.

[ElmerJFudd]

Good luck to everyone this winter and a better situation for next!

Show us the instruments anyway! GAS is omnipresent.

[Dave Bryce]

Hmm.

 

Last week we were told it was May 2022. Now it"s June?

 

Let"s talk again after New Years.

 

dB

[Mark Schmieder]

I thought NAMM was Normally April, Maybe May?

[Geoff Grace]

It seems silly to still call it 'Winter NAMM' if it were held in June.

 

I like the idea of an Anaheim NAMM being held in the late spring or summer, though. I didn"t plan to attend another NAMM during flu and cold season again after getting sick from attending in 2018. I might consider going to a post-pandemic NAMM, if it were held in Anaheim during the summer. I guess we"ll see how it plays out down the road a bit.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[ElmerJFudd]

Anaheim in the spring, April is a great time of the year for an east coaster to do NAMM and have some fun in the sun.

[hardware]

Too bad they never look up to CES in Vegas as a way to grow their interests.

NAMM in Anaheim just doesn"t appeal to people as much as it use to.

Booth babes are frowned upon, prices even at the Jolly Roger are insane.

 

They should merge with CES and rake in extra sales as electronics/gaming and music go together well.

It would be such an epic event.

 

I have so many great memories of NAMM, each time I go now it just makes me miss it when it was the greatest show on Earth.

Too expensive and not enough fun. Use to be a 500 dollar ride for the time of your life. 1500 minimum now.

 

These guys get it, as does NAB too.

 

https://aesshow.com/vegas2021/

[PianoManChuck]

While I agree with NAMM's decision to move the show to June, I highly disagree with making it a 3-day show instead of the usual 4-days. Here's why:

 

[video:youtube]

[zxcvbnm098]

Too bad they never look up to CES in Vegas as a way to grow their interests.

NAMM in Anaheim just doesn"t appeal to people as much as it use to.

Booth babes are frowned upon, prices even at the Jolly Roger are insane.

 

They should merge with CES and rake in extra sales as electronics/gaming and music go together well.

It would be such an epic event.

 

I have so many great memories of NAMM, each time I go now it just makes me miss it when it was the greatest show on Earth.

Too expensive and not enough fun. Use to be a 500 dollar ride for the time of your life. 1500 minimum now.

 

These guys get it, as does NAB too.

 

https://aesshow.com/vegas2021/

 

Ironically CES started in the basement at NAMM when it was still held in Chicago.

 

I have gone to both since the late 90's (NAMM far longer), and I think CES has gotten far worse than NAMM as of late.

 

Vegas is a nightmare for conventions, and while everything in and around Anaheim is stupidly expensive you can go a few miles outside of the area to get decent hotel prices and food. Less so with Vegas in my opinion. And CES is losing the verticals that that are in a similar vein to NAMM; home audio and high-end audio is almost non-existent, no gaming to speak of for many years now. At least in gaming and pre-pandemic, the trend has been regional events that are more fan and consumer focused with a little bit of trade mixed in. Same with high end audio; almost back to the future with regional Hi-fi shows. We'll see if that comes back...

[Docbop]

I still think making the show both online and in-person would reduce the number of people at the live event. Make the show what it's suppose to be merchants only and be rigid about it. That would reduce the size greatly and I know from hearing merchants gripe they would like the old style show so where they can talk to the vendors sales people and cut deals. Then the online show for musicians and public to see demos, hear guest musicians speak, the jams and etc in the safety of their home or where ever they want. Both sides get what they want.

[hardware]

 

Ironically CES started in the basement at NAMM when it was still held in Chicago.

 

I have gone to both since the late 90's (NAMM far longer), and I think CES has gotten far worse than NAMM as of late.

 

Vegas is a nightmare for conventions, and while everything in and around Anaheim is stupidly expensive you can go a few miles outside of the area to get decent hotel prices and food. Less so with Vegas in my opinion. And CES is losing the verticals that that are in a similar vein to NAMM; home audio and high-end audio is almost non-existent, no gaming to speak of for many years now. At least in gaming and pre-pandemic, the trend has been regional events that are more fan and consumer focused with a little bit of trade mixed in. Same with high end audio; almost back to the future with regional Hi-fi shows. We'll see if that comes back...

 

Hundreds of thousands of people don"t think CES is a nightmare. The only complaints I ever hear are people don"t have enough time to see all of the attractions and really need to learn how to organize their schedules the next time.

 

I just think NAMM needs some new skin. Plenty of innovation to go around, the presentation and experience is lacking, and I agree CES is evolving into so many areas like Cars, Drones, etc. But they"re evolving. As you say they were in the basement, now they"re the biggest draw. More people, more exposure, more money, more innovation. NAMM needs Vegas.

[OB Dave]

Good move. I likely would have skipped it this year. Added plus: it won't be in the middle of ski season.

[HammondDave]

My days at NAMM are over... I went for the last time two years ago and decided then that it was basically a waste of time and energy battling the crowds pushing from one event to another. Add a highly contagious deadly virus to that recipe and it's "No Thanks" for me.

[Anderton]

I still think making the show both online and in-person would reduce the number of people at the live event. Make the show what it's suppose to be merchants only and be rigid about it. That would reduce the size greatly and I know from hearing merchants gripe they would like the old style show so where they can talk to the vendors sales people and cut deals. Then the online show for musicians and public to see demos, hear guest musicians speak, the jams and etc in the safety of their home or where ever they want. Both sides get what they want.

 

FWIW I've been pushing for that at TEC board meetings. There doesn't seem to be resistance per se, but of course, it's a massive undertaking to re-engineer the show into a different format. Seems like the kind of thing that would need to evolve over a few years.

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is that there will be no Nashville show as a result.

 

And for those freezing their butts off in the midwest in January...no tax-deductible business expense in sunny SoCal

[Dave Bryce]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is that there will be no Nashville show as a result.

I also can't help but wonder how a June NAMM will affect Gearfest.

 

dB

[HammondDave]

If in June of 2022 the situation with the pandemic is where it is now, then I would bet that NAMM's attendance will be 50% or less than what we have seen in the past... But who knows?

[Doerfler]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is that there will be no Nashville show as a result.

I also can't help but wonder how a June NAMM will affect Gearfest.

 

dB

 

good point

[Joe Muscara]

Something else I thought of is how is Disney tourism that time of year? I would imagine that the normal January time was fairly light, but are families flocking there in June?

[zxcvbnm098]

Something else I thought of is how is Disney tourism that time of year? I would imagine that the normal January time was fairly light, but are families flocking there in June?

 

Disneyland is pretty much insane year-round these days. Of course summer is insane x 1000, but January is not exactly slow.

[rickzjamm]

Never been to it & now probably never will be.