The MUSIC DEALER DAYS offer the musical instrument and music equipment industry the urgently needed B2B platform to create sustainable structures in a difficult market environment. By focusing on direct exchange, knowledge transfer and the promotion of cooperation, new impetus is being generated that will strengthen the competitiveness of the industry and at the same time open up access to new business opportunities. The event has the potential to establish itself as a central platform for the industry in the long term and thus make a sustainable contribution to strengthening market structures.

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A representative survey within the MI industry shows that, from the perspective of specialist music retailers, trade events play an important role in the MI industry by serving as platforms for product launches, networking, knowledge exchange, innovation and business development.

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Despite general economic challenges, a certain amount of uncertainty in the market and a lack of prospects, there is confidence that the overall market situation will change again. Specialist music retailers continue to recognise the importance of trade events and consider them relevant to the market. In future, it will be important for the implementation of trade events to take into account the diverse preferences, needs and motivations of retailers in order to design events effectively.

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The following aspects, which reflect the views of a large majority within the music retail trade and are decisive for its future direction, are particularly noteworthy:

1. Music retailers are committed to trade events in the MI industry. Only five percent of those surveyed stated that they are no longer relevant to the music retail trade.

2. Trade events are highly important and valuable to music retailers as a) a component of future and marketing strategies (81%), b) for establishing and maintaining business relationships and networks (84%), c) for getting to know (new) products and innovations (90%), d) for inspiration (67%) and e) when there is a wide variety of exhibitors (61%).

3. Over three-quarters of respondents consider trade events to be crucial for the survival of the entire MI industry.

4. The importance of workshops and training and development opportunities is increasingly becoming the focus of trade events.

5. 69 percent of respondents prefer spring as the right time for a trade event.

6. More than a third tend to prefer western central Germany as a location.

7. 85 per cent would like to see a European trade event.

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