MEDIA CONTACT:
Kymberly Drake
Public Relations Manager
NAMM
760-438-8007, ext. 162
Fax: 760-438-8257
e-mail: kymberlyd@namm.org

Scott Robertson, APR
Director of Marketing & Communications
NAMM
760-438-8007, ext. 102
Fax: 760-438-8257
e-mail: scottr@namm.org

2003 NAMM Show Starts on a Positive Note

ANAHEIM, Calif., January 17, 2003—NAMM, the International Music Products Association, gave a warm California welcome to attendees of its annual trade show, as the sounds of The Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” filled the air at show opening, performed by the Fernand L. Petiot All-Industry Memorial Band. The 2003 NAMM Show, which began yesterday and runs through January 19 at the Anaheim Convention Center, features a record 1,311 exhibiting companies and is open to members of the international music products industry and media who cover musical instruments and products.

As the pace of business picked up out on the show floor, NAMM University was in session, offering several courses throughout the day—all of which are free to NAMM Show attendees. Yesterday's curriculum included the keynote session “Creating Distinctive Value—Quit Competing and Start Winning,” with Thom Winninger, among other courses designed specifically to help NAMM Members build their businesses.

Attendees tuned into the sound of savings and profit at the NAMM Member Success Center where representatives from NAMM-endorsed service providers were on hand to discuss business programs. The Success Center also houses information about market-building programs and the Museum of Making Music. Several events are scheduled in the center throughout the show, including a live “guitar workbench” where attendees can view the construction of an archtop acoustic guitar by music products industry legends and listen in on oral history interviews.

The show was also the site of a press conference featuring multi-Grammy nominee Vanessa Carlton, who announced the kickoff of the 2nd annual USA WEEKEND/John Lennon Songwriting Contest for Teens, an exciting new element to enhance NAMM’s upcoming Music Edge teen initiative. The annual teen contest was designed to encourage middle- and high-school students to express themselves by writing song lyrics. Carlton, one of this year’s contest celebrity judges, said, “I was so pleased to be asked to be part of this … I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon than to support something like this.”

With the initial statistics in hand—including an increase the number of exhibiting companies as well as an increase in international registration—the mood of the show and the future of the industry can only be described as positive.

“They say you can judge the health of an industry by its trade shows,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “By that measure, the future of the music products industry looks very bright indeed.”

The 2003 NAMM Show continues today with a full schedule of events, artist appearances, NAMM University sessions and The 2003 NAMM Concert Honoring Sir Elton John: A Benefit for Music Education, presented by Yamaha.

About NAMM
NAMM is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $16 billion international musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).