SUMMER NAMM ISSUE SUMMER NAMM ISSUE SUMMER NAMM ISSUE July 13, 2017 Volume 34, No. 7
THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS
BE SURE TO WATCH
NAMM Delegates Swarm Capitol Hill To Demand Music Programs Be Fully Funded
VOICES
a hundred By Dan Ferrisi
When NAMM and its music products industry delegates arrive on Capitol Hill each year to advocate directly to our congressional representatives, we boil down our efforts to a very simple goal—this year’s was “pressure.” With President Obama’s signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015, many might have had the mistaken impression that the music community’s advocacy work was complete, given that we’d succeeded in getting language into (continued on page 22)
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A ‘Sweet’ Look Inside Sweetwater
The Retailer Rebel Pays A Visit To The Fast-Growing MI Powerhouse By Gabriel O’Brien
Internet retail now accounts for more than eight percent of all retail spending by consumers. Big-box retail and malls are suffering, and the pain is showing in the constant press coverage with screaming headlines about “the death of retail.” Recently, however, I read an interesting article about the growing opportunity for small, independent retailers that don’t sell commodities to grow their business (continued on page 66)
WE ALL
SHINE ON Summer NAMM Spotlight Showcases Our Industry’s Leading Lights By Dan Ferrisi
Although much of Summer NAMM’s value proposition centers on exceptional education opportunities, expert training sessions, fun networking events and awesome musical performances, one mustn’t forget that Music City Center’s show floor, which has been growing in recent years, is always packed with products that any success-minded retailer needs to check out. To help the Retailer’s readers zero in on the new products that’ll make the biggest difference in their stores this fall and winter, we present the Summer NAMM Spotlight. It’s a curated collection of more than 30 products that’ll be on display at Summer NAMM and that, we think, have the greatest potential to be game-changers. Additional products from Summer NAMM will be published in upcoming issues, so don’t miss Product Buzz and, in September, our annual Holiday Sales Guide. (continued on page 26)