NAMM SHOW REVIEW ISSUE NAMM SHOW REVIEW ISSUE NAMM SHOW REVIEW ISSUE NAMM SHOW REVIEW ISSUE THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS
February 15, 2017 Volume 34, No. 2
BE SURE TO WATCH
NOW HEAR THIS! By Dan Ferrisi
We Present 21 Additional Product Debuts From Last Month’s NAMM Show
Last month’s NAMM New Product Spotlight featured dozens and dozens of music products that MI manufacturers introduced at the 2017 NAMM Show. Amazing as it might sound, those nearly 60 products barely scratched the surface of what was unveiled in Anaheim CA. Therefore, as has become The Retailer’s custom, we present this month another 21 new releases that we feel are worthy of your attention. The wide assortment— you’ll find drum products, guitars, pro-audio gear, lighting fixtures…even a dash of band and orchestra—befits the NAMM Show itself, which is a microcosm of our increasingly diversified industry. You’ll find additional releases in our monthly Product Buzz section, as well as on our newly revamped Web site (msretailer. com). So, before you firm up your inventory plans, look at our curated collection of hot new products. (continued on page 22)
ANXIETIES WASH AWAY AT BUSTLING, OPTIMISTIC NAMM SHOW
GIMME
By Dan Ferrisi
The 2017 NAMM Show, emanating from the soon-to-be-expanded Anaheim Convention Center, might have been rather soggy when it came to the weather, but I left the show thinking that fourth-quarter storm clouds for the music products industry might have passed, ushering in some much-needed sunshine in 2017. I draw that conclusion from information provided by NAMM—we’ll dive into official figures herein—as well as from dozens of conversations with manufacturers and dealers on the show floor, and from my own observations. The presidential election dominated much of the latter part of 2016, not only sucking all the oxygen out of the room but also, and perhaps more importantly, introducing a troubling uncertainty as to the future. Once the election was decided, though, the stock market rally that followed was a “sigh of relief” of sorts…the kind that comes when uncertainty is mitigated and stability once again prevails. In the run up to the NAMM Show, I was struck by the (as compared to previous years) conservative investment some companies made in “extracurricular” morning and evening activities. A scaling down of parties, press events and swanky dinners seemed of a piece with a cautious outlook for the music products industry. During the show, however, dealers and industry observers alike were impressed by the level of product innovation—Yamaha, for example, introduced 77 products—and they seemed persuaded that this year might see more robust industry growth. If the NAMM Show is a reliable barometer of the MI market, then there is reason for cheer. The exposition attracted a record 1,779 exhibiting companies (a three-percent increase) and 7,000 brands (a two-percent increase). Registrants, who comprise a mix of retail employees, exhibitors, media members, artists and endorsers, invited guests, college music students, school music teachers and administrators, and NAMM member buyers, also powered the show to a new record: 106,928 registrants, a five-percent increase from 2016. (continued on page 50)
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