NAMM Show Opens in Anaheim

The music products industry's new sales year reached a crescendo today as the 103rd NAMM Show got under way in Anaheim, Calif., bringing thousands of NAMM Member retail music store buyers, celebrities and guests to see and play the latest musical innovations from a record 1,426 exhibiting companies.

The four-day event, produced annually by NAMM, the International Music Products Association, is the largest non-consumer show for musical instruments and the site of most major new product launches, sales meetings and networking for the $16 billion global music products industry.

Judging by strong pre-show registration numbers, the show is on pace shatter last year's all-time registration record of 74,236. This year, the association is reporting an increase of 13 percent overall and 23 percent in international registration.

Although the show is 103 years old, the products inside are anything but. From keyboards with built-in karaoke machines to the latest in home recording technology to a tiny guitar amplifier the size of a roll of breath mints, the NAMM Show is known around the world as a giant “toy store” for musicians, and every year attracts a strong celebrity presence.

“The NAMM Show isn't just another convention, another trade meeting,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “This very un-conventional show is a launch pad for the latest, coolest gear. And even though these products will soon be in music stores, many artists like Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Wonder and others often stop by for a sneak peak, adding to the show's excitement and energy.”