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Summer NAMM Marks Return to In-Person Events From business-advancing professional development sessions and member-focused networking events to the latest in new gear , industry friends and colleagues reconvened in Nashville in mid-July for Summer NAMM ; the first in-person event for the industry in 18 months . The week included the two days of Summer NAMM , July 15-16 , plus three additional days of co-located events and learning opportunities .
“ This Summer NAMM was the industry gathering that needed to take place , our first since the start of the pandemic . I ’ m grateful to the intrepid NAMM members who came to meet with their industry partners and to improve their knowledge and competitive advantage . It sure seems to me that they will have an edge in this rapidly changing marketplace ,” says Joe Lamond , NAMM president and CEO .
The week-long gathering , which took on a pandemic-protocol-dictated size and approach , welcomed fellow industry associations the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants ( AIMM ), the Event Safety Alliance ( ESA ), the Music Achievement Council , the National Association of School Music Dealers ( NASMD ), Retail Print Music Dealers Association ( RPMDA ), and Show Makers in co-located yet socially distanced conferences and events .
In total , 5,671 NAMM members representing a cross-section of buyers , dealers , and commercial members in music products , pro audio , and technologies took part in the conference , which convened more than 700 brands represented by nearly 300 exhibitors .
Across the two days of Summer NAMM , NAMM U and TEC Tracks welcomed a convergence of established and emerging professionals and thought-leaders and experts to share in actionable ideas , new perspectives , and future-focused outlooks .
On Wednesday , July 14 th , the conference kicked off with the “ Online Marketing Summit : Meeting the Challenges in A Post-Pandemic World .” Award-winning marketing executive and entrepreneur Larry Bailin offered a half-day immersive workshop on proven strategies , tactics , and updates to prepare for what ’ s next in online marketing .
Each day of the show started with a special NAMM U opening session in the NAMM Event Center . On Thursday , a panel of manufacturers and retailers joined Lamond for the “ 2021 State of the Industry Address .” In a series of one-on-one interviews , Lamond welcomed Sammy Ash , Sam Ash Music ; Jamie Deering , Deering Banjos ; Chris Martin , C . F . Martin and Co .; Laura Penrose , Nick Rail Music and Penrose Strings ; and Barbara Wight , Taylor Guitars , to explore the state of business , the future , and lessons learned from a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic .
Topics at NAMM U included “ New Innovations in School Music Retail ,” “ New Innovations in Store Events ,” and “ Lessons Learned for the Next Pandemic .”
TEC Tracks harnessed a future-focused program to help professionals in the audio space meet the opportunities of today and to prepare for the future . Topics included “ Live Sound Post-COVID : Interview with Blackbird ’ s John McBride ” with Mark Frink , interviewing John McBride of Blackbird
Studio and Blackbird Academy ; “ How Recording Studios Can Thrive Through Disruption ,” with Sean Giovanni , producer , engineer and owner of The Record Shop ; “ Cross-Cultural Issues and Solutions in the Music Industry ,” presented by Public Enemy bassist and producer Brian Hardgroove ; and “ The Future of Livestreaming ” with VYE CEO Maggie Seidel-Laws , Fireplay CEO Nick Whitehouse , and Peter Sotos from Epic Proportions Tour .
The music instrument , pro audio , and entertainment technology industries will again gather from Jan . 20-23 at The 2022 NAMM Show in Anaheim , CA . Registration will open in the fall .
For more information , contact NAMM : 760-438-8001 , www . namm . org .
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