http://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2013
Surf the link to find out more about NAMM.
Sadly, over the past five years I have not really noticed it made any difference to what is available in Australia, but I assume some Australian retailers might order some stock there which will eventually make it into Australian shops.
There has been a lot of posts here about it which made it look a bit exciting, but reality is that the product only becomes available to punters if a retailer orders it and sells it in a market you know can access and many Australian retailers seem reluctant to stock anything that might not sell in two days or less. Luckily a Kamaka is still a Kamaka, Martin is still a Martin, a Maton is still a Maton and a Cole Clarke is still a Cole Clarke etc.
A lot of newer compaines show up at trade shows and are trying to compete with the big names (like Martin, etc)..Some have products that are exceptional and will move their brand forward, but at the end of the day we are only there to buy what we think people will buy from us, and we have to stand behind what we sell.
Many new products I have seen at tradeshows never make it into stores because the manufacture drops them before it ever happens. You can make an order, and then in two months you get a call about how the factory has been moved, or the products didn't pass QC, or (insert lame excuse here). It can be a headache..so I think this is why you will always have the big names, Kamaka, Martin, available year after year. If these guys tell you they are going to have something, they will have it and its a name everyone trusts to be quality, even if it is a newer product.
Also some companies have minimum order amounts. This can be anywhere from $100 USD to over $10k. It would be ideal to order one or two ukes from each new company and try them out and see how they sell, but this isn't cost effective for them and we have to meet a minimum amount to place an order. This is why when you go to many websites they only sell through distibutors. They don't want to ship out one uke at a time, for them to make money they move bulk. I find it difficult to spend a great deal of money with a company that has only been in business for a short time, so the majority of my funds go right to the old trusted companies and those products.
There is always room for new products and companies though, but in reality, if 100 new ukes come out this year, 60 of those will be terrible, 20 will never happen in production, and the rest is what we will see in retail stores.
Sometimes the lack of the newer products in your favorite stores isn't the stores being stubborn and not listening to what the public wants, but many times, they have seen where these products come from, what they really cost, how they are made, and have decided that their customers deserve better...
This has been my expierience anyway, not with ukes and music instuments, but I go to tradeshows that cover everything else, jewelry, clothing, shoes, art, etc..its all done the same.
