EXHIBITING COMPANIES
1,779
EXHIBITING COMPANIES
Sheraton to meet our reception performers . Instead of going full-band as we usually do , this year , we decided to feature three solo performers to break up the music a bit and offer a better venue for networking .
We had acoustic guitar master Don Alder down from B . C ., L . A . -based sax artist Hayan Charlston , and Morgan Mallory , a guitarist , vocalist , and loop wizard who ’ s originally from Canada but now based in L . A .
Before the doors opened for the party , we whipped over to the Marriott for the annual NAMM Chairman ’ s Global Reception , a can ’ t- miss ticketed event that always has great entertainment and a stellar spread of gourmet international eats . It ’ s also a good networking opportunity , which I took advantage of by talking Canadian music with a pair of representatives from the National Association for Music Education during the meal .
I headed back to the Sheraton just ahead of the doors opening , and it didn ’ t take long for the Plaza Ballroom to fill up . The party has become arguably the best opportunity for the various tiers of the Canadian MI industry to come together on a regular basis , and seeing the same VIPs back each year is a testament to that . All in all , it was , as usual , a welcome cap to a long but exciting day .
Friday morning ’ s alarm came with a bit of extra bite , but the thought of beckoning breakfast burritos at Roland Canada ’ s annual dealer breakfast was enough to stave off the snooze button . Looking out the hotel window , it was a wet and windy one in Anaheim , though I somehow dodged the weather during my 15-minute trek to the convention center , only to see it pick up again on my way up the escalators inside the venue .
This year ’ s early trip up to the third floor was particularly special as there was a formal announcement : outgoing Roland Canada President Paul McCabe has been promoted to the role of VP of Overseas Marketing for Roland Corporation while Roland Canada veteran Brian Dupas has taken the helm of the Canadian operation . Huge congratulations to both .
The lousy weather carried on for the first half of the day , though eventually gave way to some sunshine later in the afternoon . I think that had an effect on the overall traffic , as the halls weren ’ t as crowded as I ’ d expected , especially compared to the previous day .
It was fun hanging out at the Drumeo booth