RPMDA Cancels 2022 Convention

The Retail Print Music Distributors Association (RPMDA) has announced it has cancelled its 2022 convention, which was to be held in Austin, Texas, later this month.

RPMDA President David Jahnke of Hal Leonard sent a letter to members notifying them of the organization’s difficult decision to cancel.

“This decision was not made easily and it was made with the best interest of the association and our members in mind,” Jahnke said. “Our industry is still experiencing the lingering effects of the pandemic and while there are positive signs of recovery in some areas, other regions still have a long way to go. For some of our international members, COVID-19 is still very real and the war in Ukraine has complicated local economies beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Domestically, we are also experiencing increased costs that impact every aspect of our business. We understand that there is a strong desire for people to connect in person, but the uncertainty has made planning and participation in our convention difficult. The RPMDA board came to a cross-road and decided canceling the event was a better option than hosting an event with reduced participation that didn’t fulfill RPMDA’s standard for excellence.”

Jahnke continued by saying, “Canceling the convention does not belittle the important role print music continues to play in the daily lives of musicians around the world. Print is still the GPS that guides musicians at every level of their music-making journey. For RPMDA, we just need to take a step back and wait a little longer before we can continue the mission we started 46 years ago in-person.”

With the 2022 convention cancelled, the organization said it will turn its focus toward creating a modified online event which will include the association’s annual business meeting.

All registration and sponsorship monies will be refunded.

printmusic.org