Any ideas for me promoting myself at NAMM and more…

[Steve1216]

So, I’m finally going to NAMM this year. It’s a twofer, as I’m am endorsed artist getting in with a company and my wife’s software company is marketing there. I have questions:

1. As a long time pro with a lot of notable independent releases, tours, etc under my belt, I’ve been trying to elevate my visibility in the guitar community, lately. I recently got a feature and review in one of the bigger mags, and I’m looking to build out from there. Is NAMM a potential place to make these sorts of connections (music journalists)? If so, are there any tips on how to do so If I cross paths with someone? Like, in the old days I wouldve made a sampler cd with my info. But obviously that’s too old school for todays world. So what.. just hand out cards with info on them, or something?

2. I heard a rumor that neither Gibson or Fender will be attending. Is this true? And is it normal for them to miss? I thought they pretty much ruled an entire floor.

3. What about seeing some of my child hood heroes? Lynch, etc. Any chance of knowing who will be there and where to find them? Do they do after-show clinics, or something?

 

[hobbes1]

Maybe hand out cards with your website, youtube, IG, etc. in a concise way. See if you can leverage your endorsing company for some help.
Good luck.

 

[dzeitlin]

from what i've been told by my friends that have attended the last few years (i haven't gone since 2016), it seems that the whole landscape is changing. a lot of manufacturers (large and small) are opting out of namm, while there is a trend for individuals to rent booths to promote their youtube channels, and other online ventures they have. i hope this is not true.

 

[Northerner]

There’s always the Dean method

 

[smallbutmighty]

3. What about seeing some of my child hood heroes? Lynch, etc. Any chance of knowing who will be there and where to find them? Do they do after-show clinics, or something?

The ESP booth is one of the best of the entire show for guitar-gazing. That's where you'll find George.

Another great place to run into stars is the Ibanez booth. Because of the way it is arranged visibility is very limited, and just about anybody could be standing around every curve. I literally walked around a corner and came nose-to-nose with Steve Vai there once. Just me and him....nobody else.

What to expect this year is anybody's guess, as the entire landscape of what the show is seems to be changing. My guess: fewer manufacturers, attendees, opportunities for marketing/networking, big-name stars, and reasons to go.

 

[Rob G]

For years I made a NAMM plan where I would seek out certain people and ask for meetings.
That's the way I got all my endorsements.

I usually carry a bunch of promo packs with info and a CD. This year I had some postcards made with QR codes (Spotify and my website).

The amazing thing about NAMM is that it feels (for once) like musicians are not outside society as the whole place is our community. People complain about how busy it is and the noise, etc, but I love it there.

I've performed at booths and demoed gear, but this year I think I'll be roaming the floor.

There is a schedule on the NAMM site for clinics/performances but some are not listed so it's worth taking a stroll around and looking for signs on the booths.

One piece of advice- talk to everyone. I've met some great contacts just standing in line for food!

It's pretty surreal chatting to your heroes too. Some players I know from TrueFire and M.I. events, but others I met for the first time there which is super cool.

 

[DrewJD82]

Man, good luck!

I went in 2011 and it’s like a circus. I can’t imagine what it’s like now where everyone has a YouTube channel they’re filming for. I’d imagine the amount of people bumping into other people while staring at themselves in a small screen is through the roof!

It IS a blast, but it’s kind of like the Nashville thing; if you go there for self-promotion just know there are 1000 other guys there doing the same thing, some who will play far below your abilities and some who will play far above.

My first day there I thought, “I need to come every year!”, my last day there I couldn’t wait to leave and skipped out on Sunday.

Definitely go to the Hilton on Saturday night as that was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, just ordering a drink and standing next to any one of the more famous musicians who are just there chilling out. You can get more face time during that evening then during the hustle of the day time.

Not sure about Fender and Gibson, but since both companies had HUGE sales during the pandemic without NAMM taking place, it certainly let them know they don’t need to spend 7 figures on a floor of the expo center to sell guitars.