Canadian Music Trade - December / January 2020 | Page 10

News Dave Dysart HHB Communications Canada Is Now YSL Pro Details Emerging for 40 th Annual Musikmesse Show in 2020 The annual Musikmesse trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany will celebrate its 40 th anniversary at the 2020 event from April 1-4. The next edition of Europe’s biggest trade fair for the music products sector will employ an optimized sequence of days (Wednesday to Saturday), a variety of options for exhibitors, including lower prices for exhibition space, and special offers for both trade and private visitors. “We are creating a holistic event that is set to activate all participants in the value chain – from musical instrument manufac- turers to concert promoters, from retailers to music lovers, and from highly experienced experts to newcomers. More than ever before, we are banking on great content, which is being compiled in cooperation with our exhibitors, organizers from the fields of education and research, think tanks, and in- novation leaders,” says Michael Biwer, group show director at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. The Friday and Saturday of the show will see the premiere of the Home of Drums community hub at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. This event brings together product presentations by key players from the percussion sector with seminars, networking, and performances by well-known drum- mers. Additionally, the introduction of the Networking & Education Area will create a central platform for professional encoun- ters and skills development. The area offers specialized lecture stages for both music trade and marketing (Networking Forum) and music education, music therapy, and culture policies (Education Forum). As well, fair participants will find an upscale lounge for professional exchange with business partners, speakers, and industry experts. With the Circle Stages, which debuted in 2019, visitors can experience a full program of workshops, product demonstrations, and live performances arranged in cooperation with the exhibitors. For more information, go to www.musik.messefrankfurt.com. Music Books Plus Launches Redesigned Website Music Books Plus, a distribution service operated by Canadian Music Trade publisher NWC, has launched its redesigned website at www.musicbooksplus.com. The new site features a fresh, clean design, improved navigation, faster and more rele- vant searches, and a significantly enhanced mobile experience. Music Books Plus carries over 15,000 titles – including hundreds of new additions – on music and the music business, songwriting, arranging, theory, pro audio, video, live sound, recording, lighting, MIDI, synthesizers, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, violin, brass, woodwinds, harmonica, voice, biographies, songbooks, The Royal Conserva- tory of Music, and software, accessories, and musical gifts. For more information, contact Maureen Jack at [email protected] or 800-265-8481. 10 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE HHB Communications Canada has officially changed its name to YSL Pro. “The transition to the new name reflects our integral position within our parent company, Yorkville Sound, while at the same time acknowledging our position at the top level of the professional audio market in Canada,” explains YSL Pro’s Dave Dysart. “YSL Pro will continue to represent the premium brands that we have distributed in the Canadian marketplace and will have an increased presence in the market.” HHB Communications Canada was formed in 1997 and has represented many of the pro audio industry’s top brands to Cana- dian recording studios, resellers, post-pro- duction facilities, and broadcasters over the past 22 years. Jeff Cowling, Yorkville Sound’s VP of sales and marketing, adds: “We have enjoyed working with the HHB team for the past two-and-a-half years. Our shared brain trust will make the company stronger, and the collective product lines truly complement each other.” The YSL Pro offices will remain at 2 Eastern Ave., Mezzanine Level, in down- town Toronto. For more information, go to www.yslpro.com.