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1946 Convention to be Held at Palmer
House, Chicago, July 14th to 18th.
Edward Novak converses with W. A. Mills, executive secretary of the NAMM while Henry D. Hewitt, president of the Chicago Piano and Organ
Association, tells a joke to E. R. McDutf, presidmt of the NAMM, and Philip Maxwell, of Chicago Musical Festival Fame, jots down a few notes
as they sit at the Speakers Table during the Chicago P & O annual dinner.
A TWO day meeting of the Board of
^ ^ Control of the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants was held at
the Palmer House in Chicago on Janu-
ary 17th and 18th, at which it was
decided to hold the 1946 Convention at
that hotel on July 14th, 15th, 16th,
17th and 18th. Although arrangements
for holding the Convention at the Hotel
New Yorker in New York had prac-
tically been consummated the change in
location was prompted by the fact that
more suitable arrangements were offer-
ed by the Palmer House management
and all festivities as well as exhibits
could be held under one roof. Not only
will there be exhibit rooms but there
will be a booth show. Exhibit space will
be available to all commercial mem-
bers of the Association.
Another important step at the meet-
ing particularly for the benefit of the
members was the adoption of a Mer-
chandising Service which will be sent
to members every other month during
the ensuing year. Prepared by the
National Research Bureau at a cost of
$4,500 it contains suggestions for sales
promotion, advertising campaigns, sug-
gestions for window displays and many
other items which a dealer can use to
great advantages. The first issue will
be available around the middle of
February.
The Board voted also to institute a
job training program in coniunction
with the GI Bill of Rights. Work is
also being done on a chart of the ac-
counts of merchants in an endeavor
to develop a standard chart showing
what a merchant's operating expense
should be.
In his report for the year, Secretary
William A. Mills said:
Secretary Mills 1 Report
"In announcing the mid-year meeting
of the Board of Control in the monthly
bulletin I said, 'This will be one of
the most important meetings in the
industry's history.' I made that state-
ment in all sincerity. The actions you
take here—the policies you adopt—
will have a far-reaching effect upon
the future prosperity of the industry.
In more than one sense it marks the
closing of one era and the beginning
of another.
"Last January when we met Amer-
ica's great military machine had been
caught off balance. It was just recov-
ering from a stinging defeat in the
Battle of the Bulge. Military leaders
were calling for all out production for
the war effort. Piano production just
getting under way was curtailed. ODT
had announced the convention ban and
the entire reconversion program was
temporarily discarded. The end of the
war seemed a long way off. One short
year has brought complete victory
much sooner than we dared to expect.
"In order to get the proper prospec-
tive for the meeting let me repeat, in
part, the New Year's Greetings in the
current news letter—I said:
" 'Yes, indeed, it is a Happy New
Year we have in prospect. Stores will
be back in the music business as in-
struments and supplies become avail-
able in ever-increasing quantities. The
public is interested in our product and
will buy it if we merchandise intelli-
gently. There are a few dark clouds
on the horizon—labor unrest, reduced
profit margins, higher operating costs.
We've met and solved more difficult
problems. These will prove irritating
but good merchants will take them in
their stride.
Association in Good Standing
" 'On the optimistic side there is the
accumulated demand due to wartime
shortages, more interest on the part
of more people, the expected unem-
ployment problem has not developed
and the peak of unemployment will
be about one-half what the Washington
labor politicians and social planners
had anticipated. The Association itself
is in a strong position with a good
program, a substantial budget and a
working cash reserve. It is well to
keep in mind, however, that the indus-
try's prosperity and your sales depend
upon
aggressive
music
promotion.
Right now, in your own town and in
your own store, you should be plan-
ning for Music Week, summer outdoor
concerts, reactivation of veteran or-
ganization bands and stepped-up school
music pi-ograms.
" 'It's a Happy New Year. You can
make it a Prosperous Year by aggres-
sive merchandising and promotion.'
"If the future is a challenging mix-
ture of problems and opportunities to
the individual merchant, as we view
these same problems and opportunities
for the industry as a whole we get
some appreciation of the importance
of the decisions you will make at this
meeting.
"We have a full agenda. Every item
has been weighed carefully before be-
iner assigned for your consideration.
"Last Julv, two months after V-E
Day, this Board adopted a program
fTurn to page 14)
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1946