The North American Music Merchants (NAMM) 2019 show saw a great start to the year for pro-audio companies with product launches and networking opportunities.
The pro-audio presence continues to grow at NAMM, with 2019 marking the second year of the industry’s own pro-audio hall that attracted companies from Europe, Asia and America.
Over 2,000 companies exhibited at NAMM, forming a crossroad of leading audio companies from across the music, pro-audio and event technology spectrums.
This year’s pro-audio hall featured more exhibitors than in previous years; gone are the days of pro-audio companies scattered alongside guitar manufacturers and event technology companies.
With the pro-audio hall entering its second year, the growth of the industry’s presence was noticeable from last year’s event, with the pro-audio area filled to capacity.
NAMM proved to be a golden opportunity for companies like Powersoft, Adamson and d&b audiotechnik with the January show providing an early window to launch products into the global market ahead of events typically associated with product launches like ISE and Prolight and Sound.
The show represented the right time and the right place for a global launch for some companies, with d&b launching its KSL system, the newest member of the SL series of audio systems.
David Claringbold, d&b’s chief marketing officer, said: “We chose The NAMM Show for a launch of this stature because the timing and location of NAMM is so well suited to our global market.”
This was a sentiment echoed by other major pro-audio exhibitors who used NAMM’s January date and growing popularity amongst manufacturers and distributors to secure an early release.
James Oliver, marketing and sales director for Adamson, said: “It makes sense to launch new products here, because people are still thinking about what those purchasing decisions are going to be. It gives companies a better time slot to showcase where they’re headed in the future.”
NAMM featured a loudspeaker system showcase in the main arena, with 13 audio manufacturers including Alcons and RCF demonstrating line array and portable speaker systems in daily showings.
For all involved, NAMM proved to be a bustling and busy show, with a relaxed atmosphere that presented countless networking occasions and release opportunities; the pro-audio presence continues to grow at the show, with some companies speculating that the industry presence will continue to strengthen.
The 2020 NAMM Show will return to Anaheim, California January 16-19. Summer NAMM will be held in Nashville, Tennessee July 18-20.