FALL 2007 The Power of Promotion Show Wrap-Up PAGE 14 Five NAMM Member Retailers Share the Creative Promotional Strategies that Helped their Businesses Thrive As seen in the New York Times! CONTENTS 14 The Power of Promotion Five NAMM Member retailers share the creative promotional strategies that have helped their businesses to thrive. 4 From the President 23 Washington Watch NAMM President/CEO Joe Lamond NAMM Exhibits at the National shares his belief in the local community Conference of State Legislators • music stores and their ability to come NAMM’s Work Protects the Industry up with fun, creative promotions that in the Pernambuco Wood Debate can make them a destination. 24 International 6 NAMM Events Report from Summit VI: Strategies The Sounds of 2007 Summer NAMM: for 2017, by Scott Robertson Hot Products, Business Meetings, Industry Education and Plenty of Live 26 NAMM Foundation Music • And the Show Goes On … In NAMM-Funded High School Musical Nashville • Anaheim Housing and Grant Program Launches • Making Registration Now Open! • What’s New Music Helps Make the Grade • NAMM in Anaheim! Grant Helps Teach String Educators Alternative Approaches • NAMM 12 Music in the News Sponsors Music Week at Chautauqua • Wanna Play? Campaign Ups the Ante • Museum Web Site Gets Makeover NAMM-Sponsored TV Show, The Piano Guy, Wins Two Emmy Awards • Second 28 Music Notes Installment of The Music in Me Airs FTC Investigation Update: The Leegin on HBO • Blue Devils Win DCI World Decision on Price Floor Bans—What 14 Championships—NAMM Members Happens Now? • SupportMusic Come Out Winners Too! • NAMM Coalition Member Drive Rallies NAMM 6 Sponsors Its Fifth Rose Parade Float Members to Get on Board • Who Wants to Make Music? A Weekend Warrior’s 18 Commercial Firsthand Account • NAMM Welcomes 5 Tips for First-Time Exhibitors • Its Newest U.S.-Based Members Industry Bookshelf: Powerful Exhibit Marketing: The Complete Guide to 32 Resources Successful Trade Shows, Conferences, This section provides a full listing of and Consumer Shows, by Barry Siskind NAMM resources that can benefit your • SupportMusic Brochures Find a New business. 13 Distribution Channel 34 Viewpoint 20 Retail Key takeaways shared by Global 34 Three Members Share “What Worked Summit VI speakers and respected for Me” • NAMM Retailers Reach Teens business leaders. by the Thousands During Vans Warped Tour 22 Reps in the Field 5 Tips for Training Your Team, by 21 Paul Friedman THE BEAT A Note from Joe Make Your Store a Destination Creating a successful promotion that Our goal in sharing some of these success sparks a love of making music for the stories in this issue of PLAYback is to people who come through your door has provide the same sense of inspiration we to be the best feeling in the world for a all had at the meeting and encourage music retailer. others to follow their lead. This issue of PLAYback is very special While working at Skip’s Music—in my to me because I believe that continually opinion, still one of the best market offering promotions, lessons and developers out there—the business of memorable events are what can make retailing was always a challenge, but we a community music store the absolute accepted that gladly. Inventory control, hub of the local music scene. It’s your staffing issues, evenings and weekends, chance to develop relationships with your being there when the store opened, customers and become the place—like being there when it closed, it was all a in the TV show Cheers—where “everyone lot of work. But doing the things we did, knows your name.” The feeling of walking initiatives such as Weekend Warriors and into a store where everyone recognizes you Stairway to Stardom, that was the fun I have total faith in can’t be replaced by anyone or anything. part—what made it all worthwhile. It was local community the creative promotions we hosted that I have total faith in local community made me remember why I got into this music stores—it’s music stores—it’s where I bought my first business in the first place. I believe it can drum set, where I got my start in this do the same for you and help to rekindle where I bought my industry and where I saw firsthand the that creative spark. first drum set, where power of creating new music makers. This issue highlights just a handful of all the If you’re not sure where to begin, NAMM I got my start in this amazing promotions going on out there in has plenty of programs to help you get NAMM Member stores. started. Just give us a call and we’ll find industry and where the one that’s right for your store. I saw firsthand the If you attended Summer NAMM in Austin, then you already know that there is no power of creating shortage of great ideas in our industry. Sincerely, During the NAMM University Town Hall new music makers. Meeting: “It Worked for Me,” a savvy This issue highlights panel of music retailers explained their unique secrets for success (see page 20). just a handful of But equally impressive were the dozens Joe Lamond of attendees who stood in line to share NAMM President and CEO all the amazing their store’s creative promotions with their promotions going on peers. I think the synergy of people in our industry exchanging solutions and ideas out there in NAMM empowered everyone there and it turned out to be one of our best NAMM University Member stores. Breakfast Sessions to date. a} {Geartopi(geer-toh-pee-uh) Noun 1: an ideal place abundantly rich with musical products 2: an MI professional’s heaven or perfect world 3: a place or condition of utmost musical happiness or delight 4: See [The NAMM Show] OK, you might not really find Geartopia in the dictionary, but you certainly will find it at the Editorial Director NAMM Show. Come and check out the: Deborah Brada s} Communications Specialist mu Lara Severson or • Hottest New Products on the Market rn Art Director • FREE, Focused Business-Training Seminars Stuart Robertson{Orde (or-d&r-’nor-m&s) adjective • NAMM U Breakfast Sessions Addressing Graphic Designer 1: an exceedingly large, unexpected order Today’s Industry Issues Megan Nelson Production Coordinator 2: having an immense number of people • Business Services that Can Save You Jonathan Moyer wanting to purchase your products Thousands of Dollars Each Year 3: [see the NAMM Show] • Fun in the Sun AND Star-Studded Nightlife NAMM Executive Committee Chip Averwater, Chairman; Tom Schmitt, Vice Chairman; Kevin Cranley, Treasurer; Larry Morton, Secretary; Joe Lamond, President/CEO NAMM Board of Directors Tom Austin, Rick Drumm, Robert Eastman, Gary Hanser, Rosi K. Johnson, Brock Kaericher, Harvey Levy, Bryan McCann, Joel Menchey, William Mendello, Dale Miller, Jerome Murphy III, Qian Ni, Barbara B. Paulsen, John Paulson, George Quinlan, Jr., Bill Reim, Richard Rejino, Alan Rosen, Jim Rupp, Dean Samuel, Denny Senseney, David Teeple, Mathias von Heydekampf and NAYMM President Michael Kirman NAMM Staff Directors Dominique Agnew, Associate Director, Trade Show Sales; Cathy Beckett, Director of Administration; Judy Dodds, Director of Membership Services; Betty Heywood, Director of International Affairs; Kevin Johnstone, Director of Trade Shows; Gary Melikian, Director of Technology; Mary Luehrsen, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations; Larry Manley, Chief Financial Officer; Patricia Martin, Chief Operating Officer; Melanie Ripley, Associate Director, Member Contact Center; Scott Robertson, Director of Marketing & Communications; Morgan Ringwald, Director of Market Development; Ken Wilson, Director of Professional Development Governmental Affairs Goldberg & Associates; Nelson, Mullins, January 17–20, 2008 Riley & Scarborough LLP Washington, D.C. Anaheim Convention Center NAMM PLAYback is published quarterly by NAMM, Anaheim, California the International Music Products Association® Inquiries should be sent to: thenammshow.com Editor, NAMM PLAYback, 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008 Phone: 760-438-8007, ext. 125 Fax: 760-438-7327 e-mail: [email protected] NAMM EVENTS The Sounds of 2007 Summer NAMM: Hot Products, Business Meetings, Industry Education and Plenty of Live Music Three days of quality time for business, new tips from industry innovators and a variety of musical performances set the scene for 2007 Summer NAMM in Austin, Texas. Buyers from across the country came to the show to see the latest products for the winter and holiday months from the suppliers. For many of the 80 first-time exhibitors, 2007 Summer NAMM proved to be a successful experience—and one that created major industry publicity, as local media from ABC, FOX and the Austin American-Statesman converged on the show, helping exhibitors spread the word about their latest products. When the doors closed on the final day of the show, there was an overall decrease in registrants from the 2006 summer trade show in Austin, with 12,845 total registrants for the three-day event. However, even with the decrease in overall registration, the buyer-to-seller ratio was strong with 2,992 dealers and employees seeing products from and meeting with the 339 exhibiting companies. “For the thousands of NAMM Members who made the commitment to come to Austin this year, most reported a positive business experience,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO. “Many dealers told us they enjoyed the slower-paced quality time with their suppliers as they prepare for the important fall and holiday selling seasons.” Why is Summer NAMM important to your business? A Place to Build Buyers Groups A Great Starting Point for First-Time Exhibitors “This is only our second time to “This is a good venue for first-time exhibit. We’re very, very happy exhibitors.