Conclusions BIG NAMM 2024
NAMMshow 2024 The NAMM is always the NAMM.
A show on the show, a crazy event what we have just experienced in this latest edition. The musicians who performed during the show were a huge success; the interest in the musical performances was high and among all it is worth mentioning our Matteo Mancuso Nazionale who enchanted the audience with his virtuosity as a 6-string tightrope walker. And so far everything is True, but ... We are in our seventh consecutive experience, and a critical eye on the dynamics of the show, imposes a certain emotional detachment on us.
If we could summarize this edition with just two words: immensely different. A NAMM without the BIG that, by veterans, will never return, an inhomogeneous and less hungry for novelty sector audience, a frayed NAMM with large empty areas for the defections of many important brands and from reduced booths and last-minute absences. All this returns an inevitable feeling of disharmony and "party is over"! Excluding the two past editions that have been passing through (reduced due to pandemic) and have never been compared to the official edition, the BIG Namm, so renamed by the insiders, was actually not as explosive and disruptive as it had been announced. Reflecting on it, even the official satellite stages, usually surrounding the daytime event, did not fill the halls and in the evening the public flowed quickly.
One of our points of reference, fun but true, which confirmed the situation, was certainly, the Buba Gump, a renowned American restaurant chain, which remained empty or almost empty for all the four days of the show. We mention it for the record since the past years, including the Namm passing through 22/23, was unapproachable until late in the evening. Don't get us wrong, the turnout has been there and the river of people who have stormed the various booths has been impactful for almost all 4 days, but with a very heterogeneous audience, the NAMM has never been like this. We say this in the face of the very policy of the event, that is, entry is only possible for members or by invitation. You immediately understand that the system is functional in creating a virtuous system in which people from the industry who are really interested in participating in the event enter. At this merry-go-round, or many newbies have affiliated to access for the very first time, with a major outlay, or have been issued a rain invitation badge. In both cases, the very little preparation of many and the lack of knowledge of the basic rules of engagement at the booths would be explained. Last but not least, the categories of badges that seemed to be assigned without logic.
To clarify, the badges identify the role as well as make the person's name evident and are divided into 8 macrocategories: large buyers, shopkeepers, exhibitors, artists, students, generic participant, media, influencer. Our feeling, speaking, was to be sometimes in front of people who might not be properly identified. It seems nonsense but in the business field it is essential to clarify one's role immediately, so as not to waste time and waste time. We have seen very few students and artists. Never been like this, one of the unwritten rules of the NAMM is to recognize the person even before starting to dialogue. That said, our point of view is certainly one of many and we know that it will clash with many different realities. We also think it is right to point out our feeling of small manufacturers of niche instruments, who over the years have distinguished themselves for innovation and style. In Jamie Gale's Boutique Guitar Show Case space, we sold 3 out of 4 EGO Styles. Let's admit that we didn't want to sell the last one because we wanted it at all costs to see it also exhibited at the #guitarshow in Padua. We leave the final conclusions to you but the question will be, can NAMM be as great an opportunity in the future as it was in the past?