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This past week the InfoComm show was held in Orlando, and by all accounts was a well-attended, successful event. There appeared to be more traffic in the video end of the hall compared to audio, but without question a large contingent of Commercial A/V Integrators made the journey to the “sunshine state,” and there was a decidedly positive buzz in the air. Something of a contrast when juxtaposed with NAMM, held just two months prior in a timeframe that was awkward and undesirable for many dealers, including those in the Northeast served by our rep firm Reflex Marketing. By comparison, we had far more customers of our Contractor-A/V suppliers show up (congrats AVIXA), and this certainly gives us some basis for optimism for this sector of our business.
Finding Value in Personal Contact
I’ve written before about the observation that people are just plain tired of only meeting online. While we can transact commerce and move projects forward, there has been a palpable yearning for personal contact since COVID began to abate. While a few masks were seen at InfoComm, most people seemed quite comfortable without them, and the horrible number of cases reported from last year’s Las Vegas show have apparently been relegated to the past. Let’s hope that’s our experience as we move forward — the camaraderie and rekindling of relationships is best served face-to-face. Unlike NAMM and the musical instrument industry in general, A/V continues to see technological advances which are driving innovation and desirable new products. When you get right down to it, that’s what trade fairs are for, and perhaps another reason that NAMM attendance has faltered.
Can NAMM Stage a Comeback?
It’s mid-June, and before you know it the musical instrument and professional audio manufacturers will be faced with making decisions on next year’s NAMM, finally clawing its way back to the traditional January date. There is a difference of opinion in the supplier community, where many are dealing with channel issues and a nagging question about the ROI of the Anaheim confab. Booths were scaled back in April, and my guess is we will see that only change incrementally in early 2024. The real question will be the state of the industry at that point, and whether dealers see value in what amounts to a very expensive trip out of their stores and buying offices. While there appears to be some encouraging signs with lower inflation and almost-full employment, there’s also still too much fretted instrument inventory that needs to be worked through, and heavy discounting continues.
The Day After the COVID Hangover
It has been a long and strange period since the pandemic took hold in March of 2020. Who would have thought that three years later the aftershocks of this calamity would still be felt far and wide. In some sectors there is plenty of inventory, in others such as wireless mics there are still major supply issues. Perhaps some of the shortages suggest a rebound in musical performances and recovery in the Live Sound trade, but the “aspirational consumer” continues to be on the sidelines. Hopefully in the coming months, these customers will be back in full force. As a small business owner, funding travel to multiple trade shows each year depletes substantial amounts of expense budget, so there really needs to be a sense that things will be normalized by the next NAMM show. I sincerely hope this becomes a reality, as what’s been happening recently brings me pause, and like many a reason to take a cautious stance. All of that said, these events continue to be relevant (we think), and there is a strong pull based on the engrained history and need to assemble once again with our friends and business associates.
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