Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUJIC^ADE
VOL. LXX1V. No. 15
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York.
301
April 15, 1922
8In
«£.£°ft;
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A Constructive Program Needed
J
UST two months from this date the annual conventions of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce and
of the various trade organizations affiliated with that body will have become a matter of history, and the mem-
bers of the industry will be able to discuss what apparent effect the annual meeting has had, or will have, on
business and its development.
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Whether or not the results of the convention will be sufficiently definite and tangible to warrant the
commendation of thinking members of the industry will depend in no small measure upon the thought given to
the matter of preparing a program that will be not simply interesting but generally practical. The time is past
for the building up of a convention program of papers and talks that fill in time but accomplish little else, and for
the past two or three years the various association execulives in arranging for the conventions have kept this
point in view and governed themselves accordingly.
Not in many years has there been such a need for a genuinely constructive national meeting where the
really serious problems of the trade can be discussed frankly and broadly with the expectation of arriving at
some definite and helpful conclusion. The average music merchant, for instance, who comes to New York is
not likely to be in search of rest and recreation after a heavy business season. What he will expect will be some
new impressions regarding conditions and some new selling and financing information that he can carry back
home with him and put to immediate use. The same holds good for the manufacturers and the other factors in
the trade circle.
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At the present time the association officials are working to the end of making the so-called Jubilee Con-
vention in June measure up to the claims being made for it. Efforts are being made to have leaders in the music
industry, as well as in other lines, address the various meetings on matters of genuine importance—matters
relating to the various angles of selling for the most part. The idea as expressed is to concentrate on quality
rather than quantity in the matter of addresses, and to give to the delegates some definite thought and plans
that they can utilize in their own businesses.
It can be said that an unusual effort is being made to insure an attendance at the convention that will
break previous records. Not only are direct results expected from the transcontinental trip of President De-
Foreest and his party, but strong pressure is being brought upon music merchants generally through the mails
and in person to lend their support to the meetings by attending the various sessions. Regardless of what sort
of program is finally decided upon, this mingling of progressive merchants from all sections is calculated to pro-
mote the exchange of timely business thought to the benefit of all concerned.
Building up a convention program that will prove generally satisfactory is little short of being a Hercu-
lean task, for practically every individual has his own ideas regarding what should be taken up for discussion,
and in many cases regards distinctly local problems concerning chiefly himself and his immediate competitors
as being national problems.
To sift out from all the great number of suggestions those matters that are being offered for discussion
which are likely to bring the greatest benefit to the greatest number means careful thinking and much work.
There are a surprising number who believe that the association should assume the role of policeman and
endeavor by resolution to check the evil trade practices that have crept up in various sections as the result of
the drives for more business. As a matter of fact, however, if the convention is to be successful it will be be-
cause it deals with the problems of the future and their solution rather than with the things that are happening
and have happened. In short, the discussion of good selling practices for the future is more important than the
discussion of advertising evils of the past.
The Jubilee Convention should be made a genuine sales convention—a convention that will result directly
in more co-ordinated effort in the building of business.