Many of the ideas sketched out at NAMM 2015 will take physical form at Musikmesse 2015 in Frankfurt, Germany. The king is dead, long live the king? That's supposedly the saying that keeps us going strong and motivated when something ends and gives way to the present or future. When it comes to trade shows, we're coming out of the big NAMM event in the United States and starting preparations for the big ones in Europe, Musikmesse and Pro Light & Sound, set for April 2015, with the opening of Eastern markets at Music China in Shanghai a little later on.
This is a chain of events in which manufacturers make moves that affect users a great deal. Changes of brands, of concept, of philosophy, prices, new developments, more push to generate new products, less in other cases, and so on. We're still processing all the data gathered at NAMM. Besides getting to know the products and the outlook of the brands that interest us most, or those still to be discovered, we analyze market statistics. Which product families are growing, which markets are in decline, and so on. This information helps us better understand the interests of users worldwide and of the companies that manufacture, and to learn which way the wind will blow in 2015 and beyond.
The king isn't dead in this case, since there's still plenty of material to test, analyze, and scrutinize, but a large part of the catalogs launched at NAMM will be unveiled in more detail over these months, until we reach Musikmesse, where we'll be able to touch and “get our hands on” the ideas presented for magnificent products in the works, which as of today are still in R&D and can't be bought or reviewed. Key note: Musikmesse in Frankfurt am Main, the world's most important fair for musical instruments, sheet music, music production, and industry marketing.
The motto around which this year's campaign for this great worldwide event revolves is “hands on...” and it ties in closely with what I wrote a little above. The global economic downturn brought development of new products to a major standstill. Now that spirits finally seem to be turning around, novelties are starting to be unveiled. Fortunately we've seen many new things, but many others are still in development and, although announced, will reach our hands from here on out. For this reason, the appointment in Germany looks like the reality check for many of those projects, which will take physical form and which we'll be able to touch, try out, and buy.
Key Facts
Messe Frankfurt is one of the organizers of the world's most important trade fairs, generating around €545 million in sales and employing some 2,000 people worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and around 50 international sales partners, allowing it to serve its customers on site in more than 150 countries. Messe Frankfurt events are held at more than 30 locations around the world. With an area of 578,000 square meters, the Messe Frankfurt exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. This time the fair, which brings together the instrument sector under the name Musikmesse, and the event technology and services, installation, and production sectors under the name Pro Light & Sound, in clearly distinct halls and spaces, will take place April 15 to 18, 2015.
This type of event, in any sector, is an important engine for industry and commerce. In Frankfurt in particular, we find abundant activities that allow us to:
- - See the product and its representatives. Try it, get to know it, and stay up to date on the latest releases
- - Take in complementary activities for young people and early childhood education
- - Attend live events and demonstrations
- - Get close to the great artists and learn about their relationships with and preferences for brands.
- - It brings together strategic leaders. The nerve center of business for our industries.
- - Specialized conferences that serve both users and companies in the sector.
- - Business quality. A B2B program focused on energizing retailers. Sales, marketing, and supplier discussions in a specialized area
- - Awards and ceremonies. Through this kind of event, the fair encourages performance and composition, musicology, teaching, and the product itself, recognizing the effort and achievements of well-developed work. Musikmesse: supporting active music-making.
- - Completeness. It covers all the interlinked components of our sectors.
The Synergies Between Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound
Together with Prolight + Sound, Musikmesse covers the entire value chain of the music and live entertainment industry. Moreover, there are numerous points of contact between the two fairs, for example in the fields of studio technology, audio software, microphones, and effects, where the boundaries between the consumer and professional segments are increasingly blurred.
Holding the two events at the same time gives exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to make optimal use of the synergies generated between the two segments.
Optimized hall design. Musikmesse 2015 is also characterized by an optimal layout of its halls, creating spaces, climates, and atmospheres that are clearly differentiated according to the product at hand. An impressive burst of spaces, distributed across all of its halls, organized and laid out coherently for exhibitors and visitors. 2015 brings plenty of novelties for both exhibitors and visitors.
You can learn about them in detail on the Musikmesse website or Pro Light & Sound 2015, via the organizer's apps, available soon for smartphones and Apple® (Android® and App Store®), on social media, or by following their preparations, which we'll report on in due course, in Spanish, at www.ispmusica.com
We can't wrap up our preview of the trade show circuit without addressing the growing activity around the opening of Eastern markets at Music China and Pro Light & Sound, Shanghai. It seems fitting to use this space to turn our eyes toward the circuit of big showcase events, which will continue on October 14 to 17, 2015, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai, China.
Music China brings together the nerve center of the industry, meeting Asia's growing demand for quality musical instruments. Since its debut in 2002, Music China has given a major boost to the musical instrument industry in Asia. The trade show has rightfully earned its reputation as the largest trading platform in this part of the world, with more than 1,775 exhibitors and 71,591 visitors from more than 86 countries around the world each year. A broad range of products covering the entire Western instrument and technology market in all its diversity, such as traditional Chinese instruments. A truly nourishing meeting and fusion point for both business and music lovers. Music China is a meeting point for musicians, educators, merchants, distributors, and agents from China and the rest of the world.
This platform has added points of interest, in that it represents a blend of commerce and cultures. Forums that offer market insights while promoting music culture in both directions (East-West), thanks to a rich core of live performances and activities outdoors and inside the venue. .
Visitors to the 2014 edition praised the diversity of products and brands at the fair.
As for business expectations, in past editions the event attracted many international visitors, especially from Asia, which is a booming market for most exhibitors. Many of them are looking for new potential buyers: Japan, China, or building international relationships in, for example, South Korea, Vietnam, and India. This fair is a good platform for meeting people from these countries.
Taking advantage of emerging markets and their new business hubs, some of the industry's big players are consolidating their positions. Major companies have set their sights on this growing area. Drawing on some of the many comments received after last winter's edition, we quote:
Petrof Pianos, Czech Republic. “We're here to celebrate Petrof's 150th anniversary and promote our brand. We sell our pianos in 60 countries around the world and China is one of our main markets, so it's important to be at Music China. I'm happy to see this fair growing every year.”
Yamaha. Mamoru Fukuzawa, the company's general manager, said: “We recognize that Music China is a very important industry event during the year, as it attracts more than 70,000 visitors from around the world, including distributors, students, and teachers. This year we're showing high-quality musical instruments that can't be found in retail stores.”
Royal Schools, United Kingdom. Gilly Woodroffe said: “It's been very productive for us. We had 150 inquiries on the first day alone and nearly 500 people with active inquiries in the first three days. Our sales in China are growing 30% year over year. Demand will definitely continue at this pace in the future. This fair is perfect for us, since it combines trade visits, end users, and teaching areas. It's very important to us because there is no other fair in the region, or it isn't good enough for these purposes.”
KORG. Kaori Namiki, “We promote and introduce Japanese products to the Chinese market. This is our third year at Music China, and each year we've seen an improvement in customer response and in our relationship with them. We think it's important to have a continuous presence here. We've received good feedback on our keyboards and synthesizers. Showing them in the hall is the most effective way to promote the quality of ‘Made in Japan’ products, and to learn about the Chinese market. All in all, it's a great experience.”
We could make an extensive digest of the impressions shared by many of the major exhibitors in attendance: Bach, Bluethner, Boesendorfer, Buffet, D'Addario, Fazioli, Fender, GEWA, Ibanez, Laney, Ludwig, Marshall, Music Sales, Ovation, Pearl, PRS, Roland, Selmer, Salvi, Samick , Steinway, Suzuki, Tama, Tascam, Taylor. Etc.
To close this review, we'll add that impressions from visitors, end consumers, and users show their enthusiasm for the diversity of products seen at the fair. They appreciate the presence of brands from the Americas and Europe, which broadens the opportunities for information, sourcing, and import and export options that end up benefiting them too.
We have time until the next edition, so we'll be getting to know the lineup for 2015 through ISP Música Magazine, as well as its digital versions at www.ispmusica.com. For our part, we'll cover the previews of Pro Light & Sound Shanghai through our specials in ISP Audio Magazine. www.isp-audio.com
For more information on Musikmesse fairs, click here for Music China or visit www.musikmesse.com
