Three per cent rise in NAMM attendance marks new focus on pro audio
Published: ASIA
WORLD: NAMM has announced a three per cent rise in attendance for its Winter show, which concluded on Sunday January 16th in Anaheim, California. A total of 90,114 registered attendees visited the Anaheim Convention Center over the show’s four days, while 1,417 companies exhibited.
The rise in numbers – representing a new record – comes amid a new focus on pro audio at the exhibition, including the return of Meyer Sound as an exhibitor after a 14 year absence. Speaking to Pro Audio Asia on the final day of the show, NAMM’s Scott Robertson, director of marketing & communications, and Betty Heywood, director of international affairs, jointly declared their satisfaction with the exhibition, suggesting that it represented the beginnings of an upturn in the US market.
‘We’re really pleased. We’ve heard from a lot of members who are writing orders and who are really excited to be here,’ explained Mr Robertson. ‘There’s a lot of hope and optimism.’ Ms Heywood added that she had ‘heard from some members both on the MI side and pro audio who said that they’ve written record orders.’
Winter NAMM has traditionally been considered a predominantly MI exhibition in the past, though pro audio exhibitors have always occupied key locations on its show floor. For 2011, however, the exhibition introduced new attractions partially aimed at bolstering its appeal to professional exhibitors and attendees, including hosting the TEC Awards and introducing the Hot Zone education area. Professional exhibitors broadly agreed that the strategy was working.
‘It’s been fantastic,’ commented Meyer Sound director of marketing Rachel Archibald. The manufacturer was appearing at NAMM for the first time since 1997, demonstrating its Constellation system in a dedicated room. ‘It was exciting to come here because we realised that we didn’t know who were going to see. It’s been a really interesting mix of old and new people.’
Equally enthusiastic was Margie Ulm of Renkus Heinz, who sponsored the NAMM Jazz Stage in the Tiffany Terrace of the nearby Sheraton hotel while occupying a new position on the show floor. ‘It’s been a fantastic show for us,’ she explained. ‘We’ve had a lot of traffic in our new location.’
Situated in the MI area of the show but nevertheless exhibiting a wide range of commercial audio products was Peavey, whose chief operating officer Courtland Gray was quick to praise the attendance. ‘It’s been really good,’ he commented. ‘So far the booth traffic has been really strong and it looks like the show traffic overall has been strong. Our reps have been busy writing orders.’
Striking a similar note and also located within the thick of MI exhibitors was Celestion, whose John Paice noted the increased importance of pro audio. ‘I heard in the wind that NAMM was going to turn in that direction and I think it’s a good thing – it’s good for NAMM, it’s good for our industry and it’s good for Celestion as a company because we service both sectors.’
Betty Heywood added that pro audio would continue to be a priority for NAMM as it moved forward. ‘It is a priority to service that sector and give it the visibility and the standing it deserves because there’s a lot of innovation coming out of it,’ she explained. Scott Robertson added that ‘there’s also convergence in terms of what is pro audio and what is sold in an MI store. The difference is harder to discern these days so we reflect the market place.’
A full report on Winter NAMM 2011 will appear in the next issue of Pro Audio Asia.