Why I hate NAMM

[Bassamatic]

Not the show, the organization behind the shows.

1) The latest insult from NAMM is that they have blocked up ALL the hotel rooms around the Convention Center, and you have to book through THEM, and you can't even choose the hotel you want to stay in, just your top 4 choices. CES tried this many years ago and gave it up as a dismal failure. Tough luck to any families that want to visit Disneyland during NAMM. You can't even make a reservation until 90 days or so before the show, so it will be total pandemonium.

They CLAIM that they do not profit from it, but then why do it? Because you cannot book the room without being a NAMM member, so D'OH! Membership and fees goes up!

2) There is NEVER enough room to sit and eat in the Convention center. Perhaps 12 tables for tens of thousands of attendees, unless you want to go downstairs to Siberia or outside near the Rotunda. Either way it is a far walk from the main halls. Oh yeah, we could go to the first courtyard where the metal bands were playing at 123 dB. (best food for metal ??)

For the 2011 show, I had a recovering broken ankle and was limping around the show with a guy with 2 artificial legs and canes and we had to eat standing over a trashcan. Meanwhile, the adjacent courtyard was EMPTY, except for storing TABLES AND CHAIRS. Why didn't they use it? Because they had a BOOTH blocking the exit that they weren't willing to give up. Hey - that is money - who cares about the attendees?

How many of you have sat in the aisles to get a snack during the show? That must be against the fire laws, yes??

3) Like the other egocentric show, CES, they continue to have the shows early in the year, ensuring that most exhibitors have to work through the Holidays to get the new exhibit items done on time. (Been there, done that many times) Both shows are still REALLY upset that the big Summer show is gone, and are doing their best to get it going again to rake in even more dough, so they keep torturing the exhibitors and refuse to start booking the Convention even 2-3 weeks later. CES is just the same that way - self-centered profiteers. When I asked them about it, CES replied "that's the way we have always done it". and I expect the same answer from NAMM.

4) And, of course the pretentious brain dead staff walks around with their dB meters shutting down good jazz and blues players while it is obvious the loudest sound is coming from the metal demo behind the curtain or across the aisle.

NAMM just grinds my gears. Is it obvious?

If I didn't have to go for business, I would never darken that door again.

[SBsoundguy]

At least CES is free to people in the tech industry. You can't say the same for NAMM.