NAMM PARTNERS WITH CHINESE MUSIC INSTRUMENT ASSOCIATION

Takes Step Toward Greater International Market Development

 
CARLSBAD, Calif., February 14, 2006—Continuing its long tradition of working closely with music products associations around the world including those in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Canada and Spain, NAMM (the InternationalMusic Products Association) today announced a new partnership with the China Music Instrument Association (CMIA).
 
Under the terms of the new agreement, NAMM will offer professional development, market development and music education advocacy programs to the Chinese music industry.  Initially, NAMM University courses will be offered at the upcoming 2006Music China show which will be held October 18-21 in Shanghai.  NAMM will work closely with the show organizers CMIA,Intex and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. on this effort.
 
“With funding for these new activities coming directly from the Music China show, NAMM’s proven ‘circle of benefits’ model where trade show revenue is reinvested back into the industry to grow the market will now be realized in China,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM.  “This will help us achieve our mission of creating more active music makers worldwide.”
 
“China’s rich musical heritage and rapidly growing economy will create new opportunities for the entire industry, said Wang Gentian, president, CMIA.  “We are eager to learn from the more than one hundred years of NAMM knowledge in order to build our own infrastructure, train our local dealers and spread the benefits of music making to our population.”
 
As part of NAMM’s worldwide music advocacy activities, in May of 2006, NAMM, ISME (the International Society for MusicEducation) and the Chinese Music Education Society will, with the support of CMIA, sponsor the “Beijing Summit 2006: A Dialogue about Music Education and Policy Development,” which will be held May 16-17, 2006 at the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing, China.
 
About NAMM
The International Music Products Association, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization’s popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $16 billion global musical instruments and products industry.  NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages.  NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit namm.comor call 800-767-NAMM (6266).
 
About CMIA
The Chinese music products industry continues to grow steadily and the CMIA is one of the organizations bringing all of the key players together.  Its membership consists of musical instrument manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, along with related scientific, educational and cultural organizations.  Founded in 1989 in Beijing, the association now has 210 commercial members and about 1,000 individual members, who include piano tuners, violin makers and outstanding people in the educational and cultural sector.