NAMM 2010 – Part 4
“Wia!” he shouted. “That’s my daughter’s name. Wia. Hey guys, I’m Todd, show me what you’ve got.” Todd was cool. He looked at the hangers and the capos and was fascinated. “It’s just so simple, but it’s genius…”
“Thanks, Man,” I replied, in a partial American accent. “It’s been pretty quiet here.”
[Point of note: we got picked up from the airport by Paul’s friend a few days beforehand. He wore a Hawaiian shirt, drove a station wagon and had a pistol in his glove compartment…
Guess what he did for a living… He was a Private Investigator and couldn’t have looked more like Magnum PI if he tried. We went for dinner at his house and after 2 hours, or so, he told me that he didn’t understand a word I was saying! So I softened my accent, and then eventually, I just put on a US accent and that worked with everyone I spoke to. I bet they’re still thinking I’m weird now]
Back to it.
It turned out that Todd was Todd Skaw from Todd’s Music (now of Guitars Etc.). He disappeared and returned ten minutes later with two lattes for Paul and I, then spent a good twenty minutes talking about the industry and NAMM. He told me that he was part of a collective of smaller retailers all across the USA and he asked me if it was ok to nominate Woodie’s Hanger for Best in Show 2010…
So obviously, I said ‘yes’, as Paul said this was a good thing. He told me that if we won, the company profile would be raised and there’d be a good chance we could get Guitar Center to visit the booth. So rejuvenated slightly, I cracked open a Payday bar and smiled more at people walking by. Saturday had begun with promise.
Then, a guy, whom I can only liken to the George Clooney of the Music Merchant world, walked straight up to the booth and shook my hand with enthusiasm. He was very well presented, so I knew this guy was either someone well respected in the industry, or he was the owner of the hotel chain I was about to steal from. Fortunately, he was the former of the two. His name was George Hines, (George of George’s Music – like, THE George of George’s Music!)
“I’m really sorry that I haven’t made it to you earlier,” he said like we were actually on a list for someone to visit. “I saw your pre-show marketing and I really needed to come to see you.”
At this moment, I’d have vomit on my sweater, and Mom’s Spaghetti, if my belly wasn’t so empty.
George was so enthusiastic, helpful and… interested in Woodie’s Hanger. But, he did have a concern. What if they break?
“They’re polycarbonate, but a guitar’s heavy, you know,” he said. “And priceless to the owner.”
So I took one of the hangers out of the box and jumped up and down on it.
This probably looked like madness to passers-by, and it certainly spread a puzzled look across George’s face, but ultimately, it did the trick. George was convinced. In Dragon’s Den style, he then asked me about the company and I told him everything. I told him we were skint. I told him that getting to NAMM had cost me everything. I told him that Scott was in the UK, literally praying for a miracle. I told him the investors were losing confidence and I didn’t have the money to pay for the hotel. I told him that Paul was contemplating my murder for not telling him we were skint. I told him everything…
George just stood and walked away from the booth. My heart sank. I’d blown it.
“Hey, Adrian,” he said, looking back. “I’m gonna nominate you for Best in Show.”
“I…I… Thank you, but Todd Skaw said he’s already done it.”
“Todd and I are pals,” he said, with a wink. “We’ll fight it out.”
And then he was gone.
Later, we were given some free tickets to a show. It had a restaurant, and Paul, AJ, Al, Steve and I agreed to go. The guys would pay for their food, and I’d loaned $40 from my dad, so the weekend wasn’t a total flop.
When we arrived at the hotel for the Guitar Legends show, it was a classy affair. This wasn’t a blues gig in a garage, this was a really, really posh venue and an even posher restaurant.
The menu was insane. The most simple thing on it was fillet steak, caviar in champagne jelly and marrowbone tater-tots. I kid you not. But, surprisingly, because we were all NAMM attendees, it was quite reasonably priced, so, the cavalier owner of Woodie’s decided to get a cheap bottle of cava to celebrate – it was around $14, stop judging me.
The waitress brought out the food, and even Paul, who is a proper foodie, drooled (in the next blog I write, I’ll tell you the cheese story, you’re gonna love it) and then she fetched over a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Erm, no. I’m taking small risks, not mental ones. Embarrassed, I took her to one side and told her that I couldn’t afford it.
“But, Sir,” she said. “We have no cava left, and the manager said you can have this for the same price.”
HELL, YEAH!
We drank the bottle between us, and then we watched some brilliant music before the waitress brought another bottle of Dom Perignon.
“This one is courtesy of the guys who were at that table,” she said and I’m blown away.
I know Randall Williams (formerly of Kaiser) and some friends were at one table, Brian St Blues at another, but I still don’t know who bought us that bottle of champagne, or the one afterwards either.
Anyway, it was a fantastic night, and we retired to the hotel a bit drunk and hopeful that we may win an award the next morning. Doing so might generate sales and we might just get the hotel paid for.
At 6 am, Paul and I woke up and got ready for the Breakfast of Champions. There was no buffet breakfast that day because the awards would be announced, so we had an early Payday Bar and a stale coffee from our hotel before heading to our seats in the middle of several thousand people.
I’m proud to say that both Paul and I wore our Woodie’s Hanger (WIA Music) polo shirts, and although a little hungover, we were at least presentable as the ceremony began.
Frank Alkyer opened the proceedings, with a discussion about the economic climate (awful) and the struggles the music merchant industry was facing (all of the struggles). He talked about businesses closing, when only a year before, they were being offered millions for their products. He talked about major plans to promote and learn from others about, and I quote, ‘guerilla marketing’ – getting products out there with no budget…
“And one of the best examples of this I’ve seen in my career is Adrian Woodland of Woodie’s Hanger,” he announced to the room. “This guy did it right. He sent samples, followed up with emails and then calls. He was polite, not pushy. He got involved with group calls, and stood side by side with the big players.”
I almost died, but then, I saw Paul’s pale face and he looked really, really, worried.
“What’s up?”
“We’re f****d,” he said. I immediately panicked, wondering what I’d done wrong.
“How?”
Paul looked me dead in the eye, as Todd Skaw and George Hines took the stage.
“When you’re nominated for Best in Show,” he said, and I swear he was trembling. “You don’t win an award. Nominated is winning. The booth is going to be mobbed.”
And sure enough, both Todd and George were carrying Woodie’s Guitar Hangers.
“We’ve got Best in Show, TWICE,” Paul continued. “And if I don’t get back to the booth, now, then we won’t be able to get back to the booth.”
I looked up to see every eye in the room turned to us as Todd and George both presented Woodie’s as their Best in Show nomination. Why did I wear the stupid T-Shirt?!!!
You can watch the video here, It’s out of sync and they got the company name wrong, but you can see Todd and hear George telling their experience and I’m forever grateful to them for it.
And that was it. Paul had to scramble out on his hands and knees to get to the booth and it’s a good job he did because by the time I left the awards, there were around 200 people surrounding the booth and I couldn’t get near the place. I fought my way to the front, pushing away a few Chinese guys taking photos of the hangers up close (sorry lads, but you know what you were doing), and I met amazing person after amazing person… all day long.
We sold every bit of stock. My (still) good friends, Glen and Linda Booth, placed an online order and took the last of the physical stock I had with me (I remember them struggling to balance 30 hangers) – Thanks, Guys.
And I got to meet Bootsy Collins!
Michael Farley (Musician’s Friend and more) took thousands. Todd and George, hundreds. Gerhard Knauer (Knauer, Germany) hundreds. Tibo Dorothe (Woodbrass, France) hundreds… Poland, Australia, Strings Direct, Gear4Music and many, many more. They all came from that moment.
Needless to say, we paid the hotel (in dollar bills), got incredibly drunk with loads of new friends, and had the best night of my life.
I’m so grateful to everyone involved in that journey, especially my dad, Paul Templeman, Scott Elliott, Jonathan Neil, Tim Neal, Joan Lowe, Frank Alkyer, Richard and Michael for design and manufacture, and of course the NAMM show.
Sometimes, you have to take a risk, if you truly believe in what you’ve got. Go to that exhibition, but make sure they know about you before, during and after you’re there. NAMM is not the sole reason Woodie’s is still the best guitar hanger in the world, but it began a fourteen-year journey and gave us the credibility we desperately needed as a start-up.
Go on, get a Woodie’s up…
Cheers, Everyone and thanks for reading.
Woodie.