Canadian Music Trade - February / March 2020 | Page 13

The Retail Print Music Dealers Association will be hosting its next convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans, LA from April 30 to May 3, 2020. In planning the 2020 convention, the RPMDA board says it has structured the program to be a combination of educational seminars and one-on- one engagements to ensure attendees have the tools they need to move their businesses forward, whether they have a large print department or just a few select titles. Returning to this year’s convention will be the Power Hour and Spark features. Power Hour gives retailers and publishers a guaranteed time for one-on-one interaction in a setting that is more conducive to business and dialogue that the traditional booth meeting. The Spark time follows each Power Hour and allows individual attendees to explore further, ask additional questions, and build stronger relationships with the publishers of their choice. The convention will also include guest speakers, breakout sessions, and social events, including a trip to the famed New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. For more information, contact the RPMDA: 972-233-9107 ext. 211, [email protected], www.printmusic.org. … NAMM has welcomed eight new members to its board of directors. Each board member will serve a three-year term and provide oversight, input, and direction to the organization. The new board members are: Helen Culleton from Digico UK; Saul Friedgood from Eastman Music Company; John Hopkins from Sweetwater; Abby Kaplan of Shure Inc.; Tim Spicer of Spicer’s Music; Chris Tso of Full Compass Systems; David Via from Zoom North America; and Shawna Wingerberg from Antonio Violins and Ukes. www.namm.org. REVERB’S DAVID MANDELBROT Reverb.com Names David Mandelbrot as New CEO Reverb.com has named David Mandelbrot as its new CEO. He succeeds Reverb’s founder and former CEO, David Kalt, and will report to Etsy CEO Josh Silverman. Under Mandelbrot’s leadership, Reverb says it will focus on driving growth by improving the tools that enable musicians to find the right instrument and expanding the services that help sellers connect with more buyers. Mandelbrot will also be focused on continuing Reverb’s international growth, with plans to expand its teams in Chicago and Amsterdam. Most recently, Mandelbrot was CEO of the popular crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade as a top executive across various tech companies, including two that he co-founded. For more information, go to www.reverb.com. STAY CONNECTED canadianmusictrade.com CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 13 Plans in the Works for 2020 RPMDA Convention