This was our first time exhibiting at NAMM, as well as our first time attending NAMM, and what an amazing experience it was!
We heard that this year's NAMM Show was considerably smaller than previous years. This was partly because a handful of big companies in the industry, like Fender and Gibson, weren't exhibiting, and also because of previous exhibitors deciding not to attend after the in-person show didn't take place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We found that this years NAMM Show still seemed massive to us, however, and even if future NAMM Shows never get back to being as big as they used to be, the event might be moving towards an even better direction for the industry as a whole.
With some of the bigger players missing from NAMM 2022, that certainly allowed more attention from attendees to go towards smaller, boutique, and newer companies like ours.
While it's certainly fun to see and play with brand new Fender guitar models, many of us will be able to test those out at our local music shops in the coming months. A NAMM Show with primarily smaller companies gives attendees more of an oppurtunity to find gear that they otherwise might never see in person, and this is a win-win for the attendees and the small exhibitors.
We can't explain enough how awesome it was to meet so many musicians, gear-heads, and people that have been in the industry for years and years! EVERYONE we talked to was SO NICE, and we feel so lucky to be a part of this community.
Everyone that came to the Thunderbolt Audio booth was excited for the launch of our new company, and had so many great things to say about our Little Wedgie! It was such a great feeling to get the validation from other musicians that Little Wedgie is a worthy tool for their gigging, practicing, and recording sessions. If you stopped by our booth, thank you so much for your time and your feedback.
Finally, we have to mention our booth-neighbors, Tsunami Cables and Shnobel Tone! Keith and his whole team at Tsunami Cables, and Roman and his team with Shnobel Tone were the best people we could have asked for to exhibit alongside! Both of these teams have been in the industry for some time, and we really learned A TON from them in the few short days we got to hang out together during the show. They all had the biggest smiles every day, truly excited to be there, and shared stories of their experiences, trials and tribulations, and ideas and advice for Thunderbolt Audio.
The opportunity for small companies exhibiting at The NAMM Show cannot be overstated; it is an absulute must-do event if you can make it happen. The friends and connections we made were without a doubt the best part of being there. We learned so much in those few short days, and the most valuable knowledge gained was just knowing that there's an incredible community we're a part of, and everyone wants to have fun and be successful, and we can all work together and support each other and achieve just that. NAMM 2022 was incredible and we can't wait for next year!