Interview with Jim Donio, President of NARM
By: Dennis M. Kelly
April 13th, 2007
NARM's annual Convention is an exclusive event where the industry’s key players come together to make deals, hear live music, get the latest research, see the most up-to-date technology, showcase new product lines, hammer out solutions to industry issues, and network in order to find new business partners.
Nowhere else at any other time of the year will you find CEOs, buyers, and sales and marketing professionals from all of the largest music and entertainment retailers, along with suppliers from the four largest music companies and the most influential indies together ... many times in one room.
And the music is top-notch as well! Over the years, superstars in the making such as Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Mariah Carey, N*Sync, Josh Groban, and Lisa Marie Presley — among many others — made their industry debuts at NARM.
The CD was introduced at NARM in the early 1980s and various
other new formats and enhancements followed suit ...
in-store kiosks and the DualDisc.
Interview with Jim Donio
By: Dennis M. Kelly
04/13/07
JD: Hello
DK: Hi, Jim?
JD: Yes
DK: Hi, this is Dennis from Chicago Music Guide
JD: Hi Dennis
DK: How are you?
JD: I'm alright, how are you?
DK: Pretty good
JD: Good
DK: I very much appreciate you taking the time out like this; I know you're kind of busy with this rather large convention
JD: No problem, I have the list of questions. I feel like it's a little bit of "This is Your Life: Jim Donio", so, just ask away.
DK: Going all the way back to the beginning in 1958, things were obviously quite a lot different than they are now in the retail industry
JD: Yeah, I'll talk a little bit about that. The association was formed in the fall of 1958 and at that time there were no specialty music retail stores. They were wholesalers of music, they were companies that provided the music departments, that placed the music departments into other types of stores, like drug stores and discount department stores, etc. Its kind of interesting that we've come full circle the way in which the business started and then as it got into the '60's and Tower Records and Sam Goody and the other chains came about then the focus shifted a little bit to music stores and music specialty stores and it was that way for a long time and then a decade or so ago the whole concept of the discount department store music being sold virtually everywhere came about again and in many ways, we are today, there are some aspects of the way music is out there today are very similar to the way it was almost 50 years ago when it first started out. What's interesting is the very first NARM convention 1959 was in Chicago
DK: Oh really?
JD: and it has not been in Chicago since 1959, so it is kind of interesting, talking about coming full circle. One year shy of our 50th anniversary we're actually returning to the scene or the sight of the very first NARM convention.
DK: That is pretty fascinating as your website did not mention too much about the other convention locations beyond the last two years.
JD: It’s pretty much been all over the country in a handful of cities because there are only a handful of cities that had hotels that could accommodate our unique requirements that we have when we use a hotel. San Francisco, Orlando, Miami area and Los Angeles and for the first 40 plus years the convention was in February, March timeframe, so it was pretty much relegated to a warm weather climate obviously in February, March timeframe people were not wanting to go to Minneapolis or Maine or anywhere like that. So we kind of flip flopped back and forth for many years between Los Angeles and the Miami area and then we branched out a little bit and we went to San Francisco, San Diego, San Antonio, New Orleans and then a couple years ago the convention was moved out of that timeframe which opened up the potential for other locations for other cities. But we still kept coming back to the really popular, favorite cities and have continued to come back to Orlando, San Diego, and San Francisco as kind of the ones that have had the most frequency, certainly over the past 10 or 15 years. The move to the mid-spring timeframe opened up the opportunity to do Chicago.
DK: Well, we’re definitely happy to have you here! Now has the focus of the convention always been the same over the years?
JD: The core of the convention and the association as a whole has really remained the same I would say for the 49 years. People join associations to associate and obviously the way in which people can associate today with the internet, email, teleconference and all those mechanisms have opened up new opportunities, but the face to face meeting opportunity; the opportunity to network, to do new business, to make new contacts has pretty much been the mainstay of this event from the onset and 49 years later it’s probably the main primary reason that people say they come to the convention. Offshoots of that obviously are to discover new music and hear new artists. We’re responsible for the debuts of some of the top superstar musical artists of all time have performed at NARM. Many of them were introduced at NARM; they performed for the first time before the industry and some for the first time anywhere at NARM and we’re very proud of that.
DK: Yeah, I noticed on the NARM site how it mentions artists such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and also the CD itself was introduced at NARM.
JD: Yep, yep, products have been introduced, new technologies for a number of years the DVD format, when it was in its infancy in introduction, the NARM convention was used as an opportunity to talk to people about DVD and DVD offshoot products and as you mentioned the CD along with a lot of variety of products and formats that have come and gone. This convention is really an opportunity where everybody is in the same place at the same time. It’s a very efficient way to get the eyes and ears of key executives from all from all segments of the industry, which is the other thing that is unique about NARM. There are other music industry trade groups that are pretty homogenous in terms of the types of members that they have and who they represent. NARM is unique and is really the only association that represents the full range. We have retailers, wholesalers, distributors, record labels both large and independent; we have technology companies, supporting service product companies that provide all different kind of things that could be used in terms of getting music to the consumer. We have some of the newest, most exciting companies in the new media space, the mobile and wireless space, the internet space and that’s really a value because you get such access to such a range of companies by joining the association and obviously by attending the convention.
DK: And this has always been the same from the beginning; the philosophy, that is?
JD: Yes, the philosophy has been the same; the sense of community has been the same, but obviously what’s changed over time is the marketplace has changed, the number and type of companies has changed and grown and then contracted and shifted. We have a handful of people and companies that have been at most of the conventions, but we also have new people every year and its really exciting because every year there’s a new range of companies that join the association and come to the event. The artist aspect of it obviously has changed over the years in terms of the types of music that has been introduced. The various genres with the 60’s and the turbulent times and then the 70’s and disco and then the 80’s with the boy band pop craze when N-Sync made their US debut at NARM in 1998. Now here we find ourselves in the new millennium and for the past 7 years have continued to provide that platform for new artists.
DK: Excellent. Was there any one person who founded NARM?
JD: There was a small group of people; Jules Malamud, who is deceased now, was really the originator who pulled it all together and was sort of a staff executive who ran the association. And then his wife at the time Mickey worked with him and then he moved on to other business interests and she was a real trailblazer because she became one of the first female executives to head a group like this and she ran the association for several decades as its chief executive. And as I said Jules has passed on, Mickey is retired and is very healthy and living in Florida and we’re still in contact with her. There were several other staff executives, not a lot, Jules was first and then actually, there were two gentlemen who ran it for a short period of time and then Mickey ran it for a long period of time and then Pam Harvits was my immediate predecessor and she ran it for 17 years and then I’ve been the president for 4 years.
DK: I was going to say that you’ve run the full gambit of jobs there over the years.
JD: I have, yes. I will be here 20 years in 2008, I started in 1988 so I came in for the associations 30th anniversary here and then I was very instrumental in pulling together the celebration in 1998 for the 40th anniversary and I am already very hard at work on the 50th, which will be a year from now and there’s a lot of work to do on that and we’re already quite in the thick of planning some very exciting things for the 50th.
DK: I was going to ask about that.
JD: Yeah we’ve got an archive of many of the performances are on video, some of those debuts that we’ve had, all those things are captured on video and we’re now in the process of putting some presentation to show in 2008.
DK: Are any of those performances going to be made available to the public?
JD: We haven’t crossed that bridge yet.
DK: OK. What does NARM mean to you personally?
JD: Well, if you’re going to spend almost 20 years of your
life anywhere, you’re going to have a strong emotional
attachment. I’ve been coming to work here every day and
I personally turned 50 just this past year, so I turned
50 before NARM did. But I was here for all of my 30’s,
40’s and the formative times in terms of hitting your
stride as a business person and as an executive and have
learned an inordinate amount of valuable insights in terms
of business. I’ve made so many friends and I’ve never
really adequately expressed in a few words what it’s meant
for me and my career and my development. And just all
the artists that I’ve met and all the exciting things
that I’ve gotten to do so, it personally means a great
deal to me to have seen and been through so much of the
transition through the years and seen how NARM has remained
steadfast and been able to change with the times. I think
the thing that interesting about coming to Chicago and
you asked about deliberate selections of events where
Chicago is concerned and the fact that we haven’t been
there for so long and almost no one whose coming this
year was at the one in 1959. Although I will tell you,
if you’re coming to the convention, we’ll arrange for
you if you’re interested, that the first president of
NARM will be there, his name is Jim Tiedjens, and he is
the original president of NARM. We changed titles at a
certain point in our development, where originally the
president was the chairman of the board type position
but it was called president and the staff position, which
is my position, is called president and we reverted back
to chairman of the board. But he was the first business
person who was the volunteer leader of the association
and I think he’s 80 years old, I am not 100% sure, but
I think he’s 80 years old. In great health and has great
insights and would probably be a great person to talk
to in terms of the association.
Chicago, yes, we wanted this to really be about Chicago
and so we did mindfully look for things that would be
fun both inside and outside the hotel in other words bring
some of Chicago into the hotel in terms of the award recipients
and the artistry and taking some of the delegates outside
the hotel to experience the city. We’re using Lake Michigan;
we’ve got the cruise that we’re doing. We’ve got some
showcases at Buddy Guy’s Legends; we’re taking a group
over to the Merchandise Mart and then bringing Chicago
in we’re honoring Don Cornelius who is a Chicago native
who started Soul Train for its first 5 months, it was
actually in Chicago when it first began before it moved
to L.A.. We’re doing an interview with Chaka Khan who
is from Chicago and most obvious of all, we’re giving
the lifetime achievement award to Chicago in Chicago.
DK: I was going to say is there any bearing on the fact that they are Chicago natives?
JD: yeah, definitely when we look for honorees and we don’t give this Presidential award every year and Don is obviously a more than deserving recipient of the award irregardless of his Chicago connection but the fact that we are there this year made this the perfect year to award it to him. The band Chicago are celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band this year so that was one of the red flags that went up as to who we would recognize and then it was a no brainer that it’s their 40th anniversary, we’re in Chicago, their called Chicago and that made them the perfect choice for that.
DK: Now can you tell me a bit about Digital NARM. Is that new for this year?
JD: Yes, that is a brand new event that we’ve not done before. It is a conference within the convention. Clearly there’s no question that digital is a key ingredient in a success formula for any aspect of this business has to look at how they can embrace digital and look at ways to make it part of their business model as it makes sense for them. It’s clearly going to be a growing area, we firmly believe that physical product will be around forever; that there will always be a place for people wanting to own and hold and bestow, gift-wise some kind of physical product. But the product will continue to change, it may not be the current product that we have now and there will always be a need for stores. People love to shop and love to be in the shopping environment, the stores will change and they’ll have different offerings. Consumers want to have choices they may want to download from their phone, they may want to do it from their computer, but there’s a place for the experience of a store and a physical product and they will co-exist.
DK: I was noticing on the NARM site a notice about CD burning kiosks and was wondering how much planning goes into a new technology before it hits the market?
JD: A lot, sometimes years. We’ve been exploring or enabling our companies to explore the whole in store CD burning kiosk model for a number of years now and sometimes it takes that long for the business model to sort itself out and for the investments to be made on all sides in terms of having content, technology and logistics all sorted out. That is something you’ll continue to see NARM providing the forum for those kinds of things as well.
DK: As you were talking, I was wondering what form of media to be the most user friendly or reliable over the years?
JD: In my position, I’ve had to engage with everything that’s come down the pike. I’ve tried to familiarize myself with and experience just about everything that’s available. I try to enjoy it all and embrace it all and I guess in closing what I would say is I would encourage those who are interested if they’re industry professionals, I would invite them to check out what we’ve got to offer at the convention, particularly with the Digital NARM and register and attend it. It is not open to the public per se, although I did skip over one aspect of the conference when I mentioned Chaka Khan, the interview session that she’s doing, she’s being interviewed by Dedry Jones who is an urban retailer in the Chicago area called the Music Experience. He’s done these interviews with musical artists that are sort of along the lines of like inside the actor’s studio, but with a musical artist. He generally does them at the DuSable Museum and he’s a member of NARM and when we were visiting Chicago and we saw one of his “experience” interviews we said “Gee, wouldn’t you love to do one of these as part of the NARM convention when we’re there in Chicago next year and he agreed and Sony BMG and Burgundy Records are sponsoring the appearance with Chaka Khan and that’s really terrific and the public can attend that event because that is not a closed industry event. The public can get in touch with Dedry Jones at the Music Experience and that is an open event.
DK: What would you like people to walk away with after this convention is done?
JD: There’s an immense amount of knowledge and learning get from the information that we share with the speakers, the trends, the research, etc. Part of the other thing about coming to this convention is the intangible of for a few days, taking a break from your business and there’s a reunion atmosphere of sorts. It energizes people and energizes the base if you will. These are really tough times for the industry and I would hope people come to the convention and leave the convention with a renewed sense of purpose, to go back and realize that through collaboration and cooperation of all aspects of the industry that there’s nothing that we can’t do if we really work together.
DK: Excellent. Well, I took a little bit more of your time than expected, but I thank you very much for your time just the same.
JD: That’s not a problem. Well I’ve enjoyed talking with you and I look forward to meeting you in Chicago.
DK: Same here, thanks!
For more information, please visit NARM's official website at: http://www.narm.com
Jim Donio Biography
Jim Donio is the President of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM). As the leading trade association for music retailers, wholesalers, distributors, suppliers, and individuals involved in the business, NARM advances the promotion, marketing, distribution, and sale of music by providing its members with a forum for diverse meeting and networking opportunities, information, and education to support their businesses, as well as advocating for their common interests. Donio has been with NARM since 1988, when he joined the organization as Director of Creative Services, focusing primarily on editing a monthly newsletter, as well as creating a series of promotional and informational publications and materials. In 1991, Donio added PR and marketing functions to his NARM resume, and was promoted to the position of Communications Director. In 1995, he took on oversight of NARM's conventions and conferences as Vice President of Communications & Events. In 2000, he was elevated to Executive Vice President, adding most of the organization's day-to-day administrative and operational responsibilities to his job description. Donio was was named President in 2004. Prior to joining NARM, Donio held a variety of editorial, PR and event-related positions for the Association of Information Systems Professionals (AISP), an international individual membership organization focused on the needs of office systems professionals. Donio earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia. He has been active in Philadelphia-area TV and cultural events, winning a local Emmy Award in 1986 for “Outstanding Cultural Programming.”
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