By Winnie Jow
January 2008
Any musician worth his weight in guitar picks knows about NAMM. The annual music products extravaganza packed over 80,000 attendees into the Anaheim Convention Center this past weekend. Since most of them were either equipment manufacturers or musicians (or both), it was colorful… and loud!
This year was my first time attending NAMM and I was awed by the endless rows of products and exhibits. Over 1500 exhibitors from around the world participated.
At times, it was like being at a rock concert with people squashing their way through aisles and long lines of fans waiting and hoping to get autographs from celebrity endorsers. Carlos Santana, Sheila E, Stevie Wonder, Dweezil Zappa, Keanu Reeves and Korn were all on hand, posing for pictures and talking shop with show attendees.
You could spend a week visiting all the booths, but it’s better to go there with focus and a plan or you might easily be overwhelmed. I had a great time and especially enjoyed handling the guitars, firm handshakes and the driving rock music!
Two especially great resources are the NAMM Guide, which lists contact details for all the show participants and exhibitors, and the racks of complimentary magazines on the ground floor of the Convention Center. Here you’ll find hundreds of magazines specializing in the DJ, music, instrument and equipment worlds, just make sure you have a strong back and a sturdy bag!
Produced by the International Music Products Association, NAMM funds charities and builds awareness to stimulate demand for music products. The show was a blast to attend, and I forward to returning next year.
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