NAMM News
By Zach Phillips
BRINGING THE FUTURE INTO FOCUS
With Education at The 2023 NAMM Show
A hallmark of any NAMM Show is free education — actionable ideas , strategies , and tactics that you can take back to their businesses and put in place immediately . And for The 2023 NAMM Show , we ’ re planning a full suite of 200-plus free sessions across the Anaheim Convention Center campus . Expect presentations , panels , and training opportunities presented by top thought leaders and industry experts to help you grow your business and advance your career . In other words , a three-day idea fest , with pre-show education to boot !
For many of our members , NAMM U is the nexus that brings all aspects of the music trade together . To help them get a jumpstart on their time in Anaheim , we ’ ll offer two pre-show summits on Wednesday , April 12 : the NAMM Marketing Summit and NAMM Succession Summit . At the NAMM Marketing Summit , members will experience a daylong immersive education experience designed to help them harness the power of brand storytelling and turn prospects into lifelong customers . Presented by marketing veteran Park Howell , NAMM members will discover and make the most of new methods , ideas , and best practices for brand storytelling , so they can elevate their sales and marketing in this new era of commerce .
From 1-4 p . m ., the NAMM Succession Summit , presented by music industry accounting pros Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe of Friedman , Kannenberg & Co ., will immerse members in the essentials of succession planning . The summit will help attendees evaluate the activities that add and subtract value to their businesses and learn how to calculate the dollar amount of what a business is truly worth . The presenters will also look at the pros and cons of various music store transition options as illustrated in five real-life case studies .
Beginning Thursday , April 13 , each morning will kick off with a NAMM U Breakfast Session in the Anaheim Convention Center ballroom . On Thursday , NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond will host the “ Breakfast of Champions ” with a lineup of industry leaders , artists , and VIPs . On Friday , futurist and global retail expert Kate Ancketill will present “ The Big Disruptors : How to Adapt , Innovate and Lead .” Ancketill will address what innovations and disruptions are altering business as we know it and show you how to prioritize and think differently , so you can position your business as a future leader . Then on Saturday , the annual favorite “ Best in Show ” returns . Members are invited to join Music Inc . President Frank Alkyer and a panel of retail experts to discuss their picks from across the show floor .
Each day of the show , the NAMM Idea Center ( located in the lobby of the Anaheim Convention Center ) will focus on hot-topic sessions curated to give businesses the tools to accelerate their marketing , sales , lesson programs , and customer relationships now and into the future . Sessions include “ How to Create Memorable Customer Experiences : Lessons From the Events World ” from Phil Mershon , a veteran event-experience designer ; Ernie Williamson Music ’ s vice president of finance , Amanda Rueter , will present “ Top Tips for Improving Profitability at Your Business ”; lessons authority Pete Gamber will be joined by Melissa Loggins and Laura Paone at “ Secrets of the Most Successful Lesson Programs ” to dive into what ’ s working in different programs and what big opportunities that you might be missing as we emerge from the pandemic ; and “ Actionable Tips to Incorporate DEI Into Your Hiring and Marketing ” from Reverb Chief Marketing Officer Kristen Cho and an expert panel .
More marketing and sales strategies and tips will be presented through several sessions : “ Online Sales Strategies to Overcome Buyer Reluctance ” from The Acoustic Shoppe ’ s Jeremy and John Chapman ; “ Video Success Secrets for TikTok , Instagram and YouTube ,” presented by Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11 ; “ How to Create an Online Journey That Turns Followers Into Buyers ” from marketing strategist Kenya Moses ; and many others .
Even though the 40-plus Idea Center sessions could fill up your time at the show , members are encouraged to take advantage of other professional development sessions to engage , connect , and grow their knowledge from the likes of A3E : The Advanced Audio + Applications
ZACH PHILLIPS
Exchange , TEC Tracks , Dante , and The Worship Musician Summit .
Other professional education programs include those for entertainment technology professionals from the Event Safety Alliance ( ESA ); Entertainment Services Technology Association ( ESTA ); Pro Production Sessions ; and Lighting & Sound America / PLASA ; GenNext for college-aged emerging professionals and faculty from across the industry ; the Nonprofit Management Institute for nonprofit leaders ; and Music Education Days for educators and administrators .
Along with access to all the sessions , attendees will enjoy a robust show floor featuring the likes of Adam Hall ; ADJ ; Allen & Heath ; American Music & Sound ; Apogee ; Avid ; beyerdynamic ; C . F . Martin & Co .; Casio ; Conn-Selmer ; d & b audiotechnik ; Ernie Ball ; ESP ; IK Multimedia ; Ibanez ; Kala ; Kawai ; KMC Music ; Konig and Meyer ; Line 6 ; Pioneer ; Shure ; Tama ; Ultimate Ears ; and Yamaha , among many others . Also , much-loved industry events will return , including the Top 100 Dealer reception , the TEC Experience , She Rocks Awards and more .
To help plan your schedule and make the most of your time at show , NAMM Show + is your one-stop solution . Through the app you can plan your days , make appointments , and connect with other industry professionals .
Zach Phillips is the Director of Professional Development at NAMM . He can be reached at
zachp @ namm . org .
16 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE