The Australian Music Association is pleased to announce that at the last executive committee meeting it appointed Alex Masso as the new Executive Officer of the AMA. Alex will replace our longest serving EO, Rob Walker and the executive believes Alex will do a great job taking over where Rob left off. Continue reading
Members and others have confirmed to the executive committee the key roles members expect the AMA to play in the industry, by participating in the September survey. These include provision of statistics, events, communications, and importantly its advocacy efforts representing the interests of members. Nearly half the members responded to the survey, which provided a good sample of opinions from a broad section of the industry.
A summary of the key responses can be viewed by clicking here Summary Survey Data_All_210920
The final question in the survey regarding a single thing the members valued yielded a variety of replies, but coming through strongly was the AMA persisting with its advocacy efforts on behalf of music education and the promotion of music making generally across the community.
After first being appointed to the AMA in 1990, Rob Walker will hand over the position of Executive Officer at the end of 2021. Rob has been in his current role since returning to the AMA in 2013 and is now stepping back from this responsibility.
In this time, Rob helped the executive committee resurrect AMAC (Australian Music Association Convention) and the guitar show concept (Melbourne Guitar Show), and develop new ones, as well as develop strong partnerships with organisations such as NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) and the NAMM Foundation.
Rob will participate in the transition process and continue to advise the AMA on future events and remains part of the family. He is deputy-chair of the board and has been integral to the launch of the industry Charity, Music for All.
Rob has invested over 30 years’ service to the music products industry. This includes being past president of the AMA, three years working for the NAMM organisation in North America as well as seven years in retail. He has facilitated, project-managed or convened 30+ events for the industry in that time and represented the AMA to various levels of government and to organisations on many fronts.
The AMA would like to publicly thank Rob for his dedication to the AMA and the music industry more broadly both commercially and as a musician.
Rob said, “It has been my privilege to act as Executive Officer of the AMA. We have weathered the storm of the last couple of years, a bit battered, but still floating and ready for the next stanza – we’ve got some young, enthusiastic and influential members on the board who represent the future of the industry, and this is good to see. I’d like to thank all the members for their support over the years and I appreciate the many friendships I have made and great people I’ve dealt with over the years.”
I would personally like to thank Rob for his extraordinary investment of time and energy into the AMA, shouldering the bulk of the workload, managing relationships, and providing stability for the association.
The AMA is now entering a new chapter.
Michael Shade
President
The State & Federal Governments have now announced various cash funding for employees and small businesses that have been affected by the current Lockdowns.
COVID-19 Disaster Payment
This scheme provides $375 per week for those workers who have lost between 8 and less than 20 hours’ work, or have lost a full day of work, and $600 per week if a person has lost over 20 hours’ work.
Application is via your MyGov account from Wednesday 28th July 2021, with payments weekly in arrears.
For more details see https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/covid-19-disaster-payment
Services NSW has opened the online application process.
The two Grants and links to the application forms follow:
2021 JobSaver Payment
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/jobsaver-payment
2021 Covid 19 Micro Business Grant
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/2021-covid-19-micro-business-grant
Support is also available if you are impacted by the Victorian and SA lockdowns.
South Australian small and medium-sized businesses forced to close as a result of the state’s lockdown (beginning 20 July 2021) may be eligible for a $3,000 emergency cash grant as part of a major financial assistance package announced by the Government of South Australia.
Small businesses who don’t employ staff (ie. sole traders) may be eligible for $1000.
The $100 million Business Support Package will assist an estimated 50,000 eligible SMEs to cover ongoing operating costs such as rent, power bills, supplier and raw material costs and other fees.
The Victorian Government has announced new cash grants for businesses impacted by the lockdown declared on 15 July 2021.
The cash grants will be paid automatically to businesses that successfully received a grant from the Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two or the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 (including regional businesses). See the info sheets below.
Support is available for individuals as well as businesses. Full details are available at the links below. These information sheets have been shared with members by the association’s auditors, Page Harrision & Co
What lock down support is available to business in NSW?
Victorians only have 5 reasons to leave home for the next week. These include care and caregiving, exercise, authorised work, groceries and getting vaccinated. Face masks will now be required everywhere outside of the home (previously masks were required in indoor settings only). Exercise and shopping will be limited to five kilometres from home. Non-essential retail will be closed, but may operate for contactless click-and-collect and home deliveries only. (Essential retail includes: Supermarkets, food stores, petrol stations, banks, bottle shops and pharmacies).
You can download the Statement From The Acting Premier_ May 27
And see a list of New rules applying to the Lockdown for May 27 – June 3
A summary which can be read by CLICKING HERE reveals that the 2020 ABS Import statistics would record an uplift in the overall music products market with a near 2% value increase over 2019, along with a 4% drop in volume. While some sectors had very challenging times through the pandemic period others experienced strong demand. Difficulties in supply were experienced and back orders long. The usual patterns of imports arriving were altered and may become evident in 2021 figures.
The full summary of all product segments for 2020 is available in the Members area of the website.
The Australian Retailers Association has today circularised its members that the Western Australian Government has today (February 1) announced new measures affecting retailers, following yesterday’s announcement of a five-day lockdown until 6pm Friday 5 February.
Non-essential retail will be required to close as part of the lockdown.
Retailers are also required to use the government’s QR Code system from 6am tomorrow – the SafeWA contact tracing system. This has been brought forward from its previously announced start date of Friday 12 February.
Retail providers of essential goods are permitted to stay open, and include the following categories:
Shopping centres may open to provide access to essential retail providers. All other retailers are required to close.
Essential retailers are also permitted to open their associated warehouses to conduct business activities. Non-essential retailers may only operate their warehouses to undertake necessary tasks to avoid business failure, such as to perform critical maintenance.
Click-and-collect services can only continue for essential retailers.
Please monitor the Western Australian Government’s website. for formal announcements and detail. As at 5.30pm the website had not been updated with additional detail.
Maton was featured in media recently in a comprehensive piece about past and present to celebrate 75 years since Bill May started Maton – congratulations to Mrs May and the Kitchen family on such a monumental achievement – this news piece says it all. (we have to forgive Channel 9 for getting Neville’s name wrong!)
We have been advised of a recent eBay scam that targets music store websites. This one or similar has been going around for a little while according to our enquiries.
This is how these scams are foistered on stores.
eBay seller Person/Business advertises a product for sale on eBay that they don’t actually have. The Customer buys the product from the eBay seller and pays them the money
The eBay Seller goes to your website and enters in the Buyer’s name and delivery address. The eBay Seller the uses a stolen credit card and fake email address in the transaction details.
The actual card holder disputes the transaction – you get a chargeback. The Ebay Seller has received the Buyers money and the Buyer is not aware of the scam.
In consulting with other members we’ve been advised that all retailers should cross reference the Full Name, Address and Email of the customer and if anything looks fishy, make some further enquiries. Some credit card processors do this automatically but it is well worth enquiring about 3D security layering with your processor to ensure a better piece of mind. Also, as eBay uses Paypal frequently all Credit Card transactions through paypal (as opposed to Paypal to Paypal) should be checked carefully by the retailer.
Another scam has also been reported.
Basically the customer uses their own credit card to purchase an item, they then receive the item and notify their bank that someone has fraudulently used their credit card (which in fact belongs to them) the bank charge back the money immediately no questions asked (as per all banks’ policies).
The retailer eventually has the money charged back and has lost the stock. The bank then closes the case with no recourse for the retailer.
Again ID of the buyer is critical. Checking your customers Email, Name and Address Match up and having Proof of Delivery info accurate and easily accessible plus increasing your fraud protection with your credit card processor is important (even if it comes at a cost)
“We resolved this by being able to prove it was his credit card and that it was him who signed for it”
Victoria’s music retailers will celebrate some good news with the retail reopening date for metropolitan Melbourne, officially announced by the Victorian Premier from Wednesday 28 October 2020.
Staff are now permitted back into any Melbourne metropolitan stores to begin Covid safe and Christmas preparations.
There are no new restrictions imposed on retailers at this time. Victorian retailers need to keep stores, staff and customers safe and have a COVIDSafe Plan in place before re-opening. If you need help creating a COVIDSafe Plan, please call Business Victoria on 13 22 15.
The Australian Retailers Association has provided some facts sheets to assist with reopening:
