WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO NAMM NEXT N AMM NeXT — it’s the MI event on everyone’s lips since it was officially NAMM’s John Mlynczak on the importance of attending MI’s first immersive educational event. — By Katie Kailus
JM: We’re seeing an amazing mix of both manufacturers and retailers. It’s actually equally balanced, which is what we wanted. We need both in the room because NAMM NeXT is going to be all about the customer. So far, we have seen, on average, companies are sending two-to-three people — typically an executive and an emerging leader. It’s funny because during The NAMM Show, we usually see about 15,000 people register the week of the show, so we don’t want people thinking, ‘Oh it’s NAMM, I can wait to register.’ With NAMM NeXT, space will fill up. We only have about 700 seats, and we’ve had probably about 1,000 people show interest through different campaigns we’ve done. So, if you’ve been thinking about registering, do it now. MI: Where do you see NAMM NeXT going in the future? JM: This is the first year, and, for me, it’s all about that limited, smaller attendance. The reason it’s going to sell out this year is because we have to keep it small. We want keep everyone in the same room, and we want to control the experience the first year to really learn that we’re fully ready for it to grow larger in year two and three. But, our other dream is potentially mak- ing NAMM NeXT a brand globally. Can we hold a NAMM NeXT in Europe? Can we do one in Tokyo? Can we do one in Latin America? That’s a pathway we’re really strongly considering because the companies in these other continents really need to unite. We’re not sure if they need a trade show per se as The NAMM Show is already the global gathering of the music products industry. But, we need an opportunity to come together and figure out how to survive in the world in which we live and NAMM NeXT is that gathering. MI
announced during January’s NAMM show. But what is it and why should you attend? We sat down for a one-on-one with NAMM president and CEO John Mlynczak who answered these questions and more. Music Inc.: Can you start by sharing the vi- sion for NAMM NeXT, and why someone should make the investment to attend? John Mlynczak: NAMM NeXT is the invest- ment in the MI industry at large. The rea- son we’re doing NAMM NeXT is based on years of feedback from the board and our members. We want to do something that will grow our industry, and take the busi- nesses in our industry and the people in our industry to the next level. The “next” puns are really hard to avoid, but even the name’s really intentional. Most other in- dustries have leadership events and dedi- cated leadership conferences. Our music products industry does not. We do tons of education at The NAMM Show, but the challenge at The NAMM Show is that the executives and emerging leaders are busy having meetings and doing business, and can’t spend two days really immersed in the educational sessions. So, the purpose of NAMM NeXT is to bring in outside-the-industry knowledge to help accelerate our industry’s growth. I think, especially in this inaugural year, it’s something that every company should be part of because it’ll set the stage for what’s next. MI: The schedule is out. What are a few events that you want to highlight? JM: Well, obviously the keynote by Daymond John of ABC’s Shark Tank who’s also the founder of FUBU, on the second day will
John Mlynczak
be a can’t-miss moment. But another event I’d like to highlight is “Recording Industry Trends That Are Driving Our Future” by Randy Goodman, CEO and chairman of Sony Music Nashville. The purpose of that ses- sion is to understand how the music labels are trend forecasting for artists for their growth. And that embodies a next-level connection we’re trying to create, because if we as an industry could understand how one of the largest record labels looks and predicts what music is going to be hot in two years, the trickle down effect into the music products industry will be obvious. For example, if everyone’s going country right now because of Beyonce’s new album, we could see a boom in acoustic instruments, right? But will digital be affected? All of the record companies’ trends ultimately affect MI’s trends. MI: Sounds like an interesting way to look ahead at the next few years. What do you hope attendees walk away with? JM: My dream would be that attendees walk away with a three-to-five year business plan. I hope when they’re heading home they think, “I can’t wait to go back to my office and set the stage for where we need to go.”
MI: Who have you been seeing registering?
16 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2024
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