The Roundtable program instituted in 2013 with a history of the drum kit moderated by Daniel Glass, Denny Brown, and Bill Ludwig III, was such a hit that Rob plans to make it a regular part of the Chicago Drum Show program.

The 2014 Roundtable event is titled 'Careers In The Percussion Industry', and will be moderated by Karl Dustman with a panel to be announced in January, 2014. Says Rob:

"I can't think of anyone in the percussion industry better qualified to lead this discussion than Karl. There are very good reasons why Karl is Executive Director of the Percussion Marketing Council, President of his own consulting firm, a gigging percussionist, and proprietor of an orchestral percussion sales showroom."

Karl has held executive positions with a number of the largest percussion manufacturers and has tremendous insights in the business of percussion.

Rob also expects to have drum makers, a magazine editor, and representatives of academia and the corporate world, most of whom also satisfy the definition of professional drummer.

The mission statement of this program is not to attempt actual placement, but to educate attendees as to talents, mindset, expectations, and pitfalls related to careers in the percussion industry. Explains Rob:

"I know this is something Karl has a great passion for along with his qualifications and desire to share his insights. A number of years ago he wrote a wonderful article for the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) on this very topic. There are a great many cautionary tales he can share, a great many more that he can draw from the panel. This is certain to be an entertaining event and a real eye-opener for younger attendees considering careers in the percussion industry."

Clinics will be presented by Mike Semerau, Hip Pickles, Curt Bisquera, Chip Ritter, Potts & Pans, and Stanton Moore.

Additional clinic and master class announcements will be made in late January of 2014.

In addition to the clinic stage and master class room, the Rebeats Cafe stage will host educational and entertainment programs throughout the show.

Show organizer Rob Cook reports that both exhibit halls are filling up:

"There's little doubt we will once again have a sellout; we are six months out and have filled about 90% of the 148 spaces."

New exhibitors for 2014 include Drumclip, Kumu Drums, Cymclip, Nick Hopkin Drums, Rob Birenbaum & Marty Monson, Humes & Berg, and Fugate Instruments.

25th Chicago Drum Show in 2015
Planning is also well under way for the 25th annual Chicago Drum Show to be held May 15, 16, and 17, 2015.

The 25th edition will be a special event with big-name clinicians filling all the clinic slots. Already confirmed are Cindy Blackman-Santana, Will Calhoun, Dave Mattacks, and Paul Wertico.