NAMM U - Industry

Jam Industries has grown tremendously during the past decade, acquiring and forming partnerships with such major distributors as KMC Music, Davitt & Hanser, U.S. Music Corp. and American Music & Sound. During “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2018 NAMM Show, Jam President and CEO Marty Szpiro discussed lessons learned during this growth period with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. (Watch the video to see the full interview.) Jam Industries created a model where it acts as a service partner to its divisions, such as American Music & Sound. To make this work, Jam attract

2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants (AIMM). At “Breakfast of Champions” during The 2018 NAMM Show, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond sat down with AIMM founders Skip Maggiora, George Hines and Bob Bankston to discuss this landmark anniversary for the industry marketing and sharing group—and to find out its secret to longevity. (Watch the video to see the full interview.) Bankston commented that “there was a need” in the industry for a group like AIMM in 1998, with consumers becoming more demanding. He stressed that as an entrepreneur, you

The Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) curated an education program at The 2018 NAMM Show focused on training for event technology professionals. During “Breakfast of Champions,” the opening NAMM U Breakfast Session, ESTA Executive Director Lori Rubinstein weighed in on this program and more with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. (Watch the video to see the full interview.) Rubinstein mentioned that NAMM’s and ESTA’s members intersect, in that they work together in the field every day putting on events. She added that the ESTA-curated education program at Th

Bob Weir, singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, stopped by “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2018 NAMM Show. There, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond spoke with him about the role of risk-taking in the Grateful Dead, early viral marketing and his creative process. Here are highlights from the interview. (Watch the video to see the full segment.) What it really boils down to is it’s all an exercise of faith, of some sort. For us, it was faith in our footsteps. We were up to something. We were questing sort of folks. We just assumed that nothing was going

With more than 7,000 brands at The NAMM Show, it’s easy to miss out on your next best-seller. "Best in Show" kicked off the last morning of NAMM to highlight the can't-miss products, services and technologies. In this NAMM U Breakfast Session, Frank Alkyer, publisher of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, moderated a panel of six music retail experts, who shopped the far corners of the exhibit floor to bring you their favorites. This is gear that’s sure to make a splash in the new year and beyond. 2018 NAMM Show – Best in Show Winner List Add-ons and Accessories Cling-On Pickup

During The 2017 NAMM Show, Kevin Cranley of Willis Music hosted a who’s who panel of music retailers at a special NAMM Idea Center session. Panelists included Sammy Ash of Sam Ash Music, Cindy Cook of The Candyman Strings & Things, Pat Averwater of Amro Music, Whitney Brown Grisaffi of Ted Brown Music and George Quinlan Jr. of Quinlan & Fabish. The powerhouse lineup featured the largest family owned music retailer, NAMM’s 2014 Dealer of the Year, a successful family business dating back to 1921, a leading retailer with six stores in the Pacific Northwest and a top school m

2017 Summer NAMM closed out with "Best in Show," a roundup of the biggest products, technologies and services at the show. Hosted by Frank Alkyer, publisher of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, this fast-moving NAMM U Breakfast Session featured a panel of music retail experts. They shopped the far corners of the show floor to share the biggest products, technologies and services at Summer NAMM. This is the gear that’s sure to make a big impact in the fourth quarter—and the new year. Here's a list of this year's winners:   Best Add-Ons and Accessories drumdots … Booth 214 Coop

The 2017 NAMM Show began with “Breakfast of Champions,” a deep dive into the minds of five industry innovators. This NAMM U Breakfast Session, hosted by NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond, featured up-close interviews with these leaders, who are currently charting the future of the music products business. To kick off the session, Lamond commented on the importance of innovation at every NAMM member business. (Watch the video to see the full segment.) “Last year, we kept hearing about the word disruption,” he said. “It was the big word of the year, disruption. And in fact, I think

Quinn the Eskimo Vintage Horns represents a new breed of music retailer: one without a storefront and, for much of the company’s history, a website. The seller of used, vintage and new horns began as an eBay retailer and has since evolved into a multichannel online store. Last year, it yielded $5 million in revenues. Company founder Matt Stoecker spoke with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond about online retail innovation during “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2017 NAMM Show. Stoecker, who has a background in microbiology, was working for Microsoft while selling horns on eBay. When

Cosmo Music embodies several forms of retail innovation: the in-store customer experience, retail events and e-commerce. A single-store operation north of Toronto, the company has a 56,000-square-foot location, more than 2,000 students in its lesson program and 10,000 instrument rentals. Mark Hebert, Cosmo Music’s second-generation leader, discussed his omnichannel model with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond during “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2017 NAMM Show. Here are highlights. (Watch the video for the full interview.) On consolidating to one location: “Realizing that we had

Larry Fishman, founder and president of Fishman, stopped by “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2017 NAMM Show. There, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond interviewed Fishman—the mind behind multiple groundbreaking products—to hear his insights on innovation. After discussing the early days of his company, Fishman shared his process for developing new products and technologies. “I have a process that works for me because I get bored really easily,” he said. “I watch some people work on projects, and they go, ‘OK, I’m going to do this and this and this and this.’ And they plan it out ste

Robbie Robertson, the legendary songwriter, guitarist and member of The Band, made a surprise appearance at “Breakfast of Champions” during The 2017 NAMM Show. NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond spoke with Robertson about his career highlights, the importance of trusting your gut and the role instruments have played in inspiring him as a songwriter. He also received NAMM’s 2017 Music for Life Award. Here are highlights. (Watch the video for the full interview.) On paying his dues during his early career: “It was really about absorbing everything. The idea of coming from Canada and