John Mlynczak opens the doors of NAMM and shares his thoughts on the state of the Association, the musical instrument and live entertainment industries, and his plans for the future.
“The past was better,” says an old saying. But this certainly does not apply to NAMM. For the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), time moves to the rhythm of the dizzying changes that industry technology constantly brings.
Joe Lamond, who led NAMM for two decades, demonstrated exceptional ability by maintaining a solid direction even amid the unprecedented challenges brought by the pandemic. His commitment and focus allowed NAMM to successfully navigate through turbulent waters. The end of such a challenging era marked the arrival in February 2023 of John Mlynczak and the transition following Joe Lamond’s decision to retire.
After a year of thorough search, the NAMM Executive Committee and CEO Search Committee announced their new President and CEO, expressing confidence in the process and in choosing John Mlynczak as a leader at a crucial time for the industry. And it was Joe Lamond who highlighted John’s suitability due to his knowledge of this market and commitment to music education.
This year NAMM celebrates its 122 years of existence and introduces a new General Director, the fourth since 1946. With just a few months in his new position, John already shows fresh ideas on how to attract more members to the organization, how to increase the commitment and participation of existing members, and has big plans for next year’s trade show.
In mid-July, Latam Stage visited Mlynczak’s office at NAMM’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California, to hear his vision on the industry, his advice for members, and where he hopes to see the organization under his leadership.
During that individual visit, NAMM’s President and CEO talked with Latam Stage about why he believes there is a “great period of growth ahead for the music, audio, and professional lighting industries.”
Mlynczak arrives at the organization with extensive experience in the musical products, education, and technology industries. He served as Vice President of Music Education and Technology at Hal Leonard, overseeing the global education market strategy, managing all educational software products, and collaborating on all music education technology initiatives for the organization worldwide.
His previous roles include General Manager of Noteflight and Director of Education at PreSonus, developing curricula, products, and marketing strategies for music education technology; and he is the outgoing President of the Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI). He has also taught online graduate courses at VanderCook College.
Mlynczak earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Virginia Commonwealth University and holds Master’s degrees in Musical Performance and Leadership in Education from Louisiana State University.
All that experience has shaped him professionally, but he highlights that NAMM gives him the opportunity to keep learning every day, just like the first time he visited. “I started playing music as soon as I can remember. I grew up with a guitar at home and playing it since I remember being able to hold it. I couldn’t wait to join the band at school. When I finished high school and was ready to choose college and the career I would pursue, I knew immediately that it was music. And I got involved in music technology and recording. And as I started educational programs on teaching music technology, I ended up connecting with PreSonus. And when I took one of my pieces of equipment to be repaired at the headquarters, I ended up working there! I took on a new role created for me as Director of Education at PreSonus. And that’s when I attended my first NAMM,” John recalls excitedly, and he recounts it as if he were singing the melody of his life.
That same melody prepared and led him to this new chapter, heading the prestigious and powerful NAMM. Like all his previous jobs, this one also represents a new challenge, as “there is no NAMM CEO manual,” says the smiling executive.
John Mlynczak ensures that every day he arrives at his office and aims to keep understanding what the NAMM world is, and discovering what the needs of everyone involved in such a rapidly changing industry are. Without, of course, disregarding the history that precedes the Association and his role.
In this regard, he comments: “You can feel the energy when you walk into a company that has been doing this work for 122 years… there’s a part of that culture that gets transmitted. NAMM is very strong. For now, I just keep things running, but I also listen and analyze how to realign all the great resources we have and figure out where this is heading in the future.”
In 2013, he visited the fair for the first time, and at that time the “CrossRoads” initiative was starting. John says that every year he attended, he saw growth and witnessed, from the NAMM member’s perspective, how valuable that progress was and how NAMM, for such a long time, has been a creator of products, moments, and stages at once.
Mlynczak shares: “We serve those who sell and distribute all those great products, so we need to have the place where all of that converges, which is the stage, the lights, the audio, what the artist uses, the backline, and everyone who makes it possible. And NAMM is not just that show; it is also an association where the human factor prevails. That’s why we grow the global stage at every show.”
For his new tenure, John is committed to increasing NAMM members’ participation in organizing each event. He is conducting an exhaustive analysis of the services NAMM offers to each member. Not only does he want members to get involved in organizing the big show, but also to provide support throughout the rest of the year and continue through education, member benefits, and creating initiatives and experiences that everyone makes and participates in.
“We have all those government, public relations, and global trade matters that we work on daily. And we want to make sure we involve our members in that work. We don’t want to go out and do it for them, but to do it with them. Empower our members so they can serve the industry from another level,” John explains enthusiastically.
John takes advantage of his teaching experience and applies it to his new role. He believes that it’s not about telling a group of people what to do, but about making people engage as not everyone has the same needs. “You have to find out what each person needs and give them the piece they need at the right moment so they can be better than you” is his philosophy as an educator, and he adds: “My job is to make this industry stronger next year, to allow our members to stand out in ways that we cannot, but to give them the tools they need, the support, the exchange of knowledge, and the meeting that allows them to grow.”
He knows that his job is not to create a one-size-fits-all experience but to create an experience where everyone can find the connections, education, and products they need to succeed. And he is taking steps to make the process easier, such as streamlining registration processes, identifying each exhibitor, visitor, artist, etc. more specifically to know exactly who is there and what their specific interests are.
There will also be improvements in the NAMM Plus app, which will now guide visitors with GPS and allow them to create specialized experiences. “When registering, if you identify as a lighting designer or FOH engineer, or whatever it is, we can suggest the path that makes the most sense to find the connections that matter most to you. The app also offers networking, messaging, meeting scheduling. This is how we work towards the future,” details John Mlynczak.
The CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants is aware that technology has made the industry move so quickly that there is no need to wait for a specific four-day window each year to unveil a new product. While it is true that a product can be launched on YouTube, it is also true that users or music fans cannot touch it, experience it, see an artist playing it, and cannot physically compare it with everything else. That’s why this new management focuses on in-person connections to create and strengthen relationships that will make it possible to connect virtually for the next eleven months.
John knows well the secret behind NAMM’s long history. He is convinced that NAMM, for a long time, has recognized that it is not just about the business. They have always had artists, media, educators, FOH staff, backline staff, manufacturers, distributors, etc., and he analyzes it this way: “I think if NAMM had stuck solely to trade, it wouldn’t have grown so much. We’ve never had that mindset. We’ve always grown and recognized that every component of that stage, from the person playing, the person preparing it, the lights, the sound, the instruments, all contribute to the industry. And that’s where we’re going to keep growing.”
In the 2024 edition, NAMM will return to its usual January schedule. Organizers believe it is a good time in the product sales cycle to gather and make annual plans. And it is a good time for all the different segments of the industry to come together. So, it is very positive for everyone to return to January. And the weather is really nice in California at that time.
John Mlynczak is aware that his task is not only in California: “We are a global meeting. We are not a local meeting with international visitors. We are a global meeting. And we feel that. That’s why I will be in Latin America for Connecta Plus in Sao Paulo at the end of September, beginning of October. There are also new initiatives in Asia and Europe.”
One of the new directions that NAMM is pursuing under his leadership is to create opportunities for international members to connect with each other and create new relationships.
John Mlynczak’s vision aligns with the bright future he has in mind for NAMM and the industry as a whole. And just as NAMM has always been more than a trade show, John is determined to keep adding value and growing the community with his leadership.
