NAMM News
By Esha Bahl Krishnamoorthy
The NAMM Show ’ s Highly Anticipated Return to Southern California
From June 3-5 , tens of thousands of attendees descended upon the Anaheim Convention Center , marking the largest global gathering of the music , sound , and live event industries in over two and a half years . The show featured thousands of participating brands , an expansive variety of cutting-edge education sessions , over 150 musical performances across seven stages , and unforgettable experiences . The excited buzz and energy that could be felt all weekend solidified one thing : The NAMM Show is back .
Throughout the three days , attendees were able to explore and interact with the over 3,500 brands from across music , pro audio , entertainment tech , and education . Brands like Yamaha and Taylor Guitars housed incredible showcases on the upper floors of the ACC , with breathtaking displays , including a wall-mounted piano space that attendees were able to play .
Many of the show ’ s participating brands used the show as an opportunity to launch new products and company innovations . This year , Yamaha debuted its flagship grand piano , the CFX , at the show , welcoming a large number of dealers , media , and guests to touch , play , and feel the instrument .
Smaller up-and-coming companies also took advantage of the show ’ s return , using the opportunity to make their NAMM Show debut . Joue Music , a company based in the southwest of France , used the 2022 show as their company ’ s debut onto the scene , taking advantage of the built-in media coverage and large attendee presence to introduce their brand and the products they have been tirelessly working to complete for the past few years .
The Return of Much-Loved NAMM Show Favourites NAMM U Breakfast Sessions kicked off each day of the show with energetic community sessions . The first was the Breakfast of Champions event , where NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond spoke with a panel of industry leaders and innovators . Joe was also joined on stage by Sophia and Desdemona , music-making robots from Hanson Robotics , providing an entertaining preview into the future of music and AI . The event concluded with the presentation of the Music for Life Award to trailblazing Grammy-winning musician Kenny Loggins . Other Breakfast Sessions included an in-depth leadership strategy seminar by UnMarketing ’ s Scott Stratten and the Best in Show event , where retail gear experts recognized their favourite finds from across the show floor .
Attendees were also able to access over 200 transformative education sessions across multiple industries . Education highlights included pre-show retail summits , hands-on training in Dante , the inaugural Worship Musician summit , and partner sessions curated and presented from A3E , AES , ESTA , ESA , TEC Tracks , and NAMM U , plus Pro Production sessions from PLSN and presentations led by LSA ’ s Richard Cadena . Students , educators and nonprofit attendees had a variety of specialized education offerings from the NAMM Foundation ’ s Gen- Next , Nonprofit Management Institute , and Music Education Days programs .
Industry-Wide Awards Celebrations The show featured several industry awards celebrations , recognizing industry trailblazers from across music , pro audio and live event production . The She Rocks Awards celebrated its 10 th annual awards show , recognizing women across the music industry . Honorees included Dionne Warwick , Carmen Vandenberg , and Yvette Young , along with behind-the-scenes legends Leslie Gaston-Bird , Sherri Chung , EveAnna Manley , and Kerry Fiero .
Thursday evening also marked the Top 100 Dealer Awards ’ Southern California debut , where the spirit and accomplishments of independent music retailers were honoured . This year ’ s Top 100 Dealers were recognized , while the “ Best of ” category winners , Dealer of the Year ( All County Music ), and Customer ’ s Choice ( Andertons Music Co .) winners were also announced .
The pro audio community gathered to celebrate the 37 th Annual NAMM TEC Awards , where the winners of 28 categories of products and projects in the areas of Technical and Creative Achievements were announced , recognizing the most ground-breaking pro audio innovations and organizations . During the ceremony , accomplished music producer Peter Asher was inducted into the TEC Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry as a producer and performer . Iconic bassist Carol Kaye was also honoured as the winner of this year ’ s Les Paul Innovation Award , joining past winners , including Paul McCartney , Joni Mitchell , Peter Frampton , and more .
NAMM Show + With the introduction of the NAMM Show + digital platform , select content and experiences from the show were made accessible to attendees across the world who were unable to make the journey to the show . In-person attendees used the app to access their customized event schedules and take advantage of useful features like the interactive show map , while online-only attendees were able to utilize interactive brand paces , livestreamed sessions , and the opportunity to network with fellow attendees to bring The NAMM Show to them .
Nearly 100 sessions and special events were livestreamed from the NAMM Campus onto the platform , including live music performances and the NAMM U Breakfast Sessions , making The 2022 NAMM Show the most accessible event in the show ’ s history .
The return of The 2022 NAMM Show seems to have officially marked the return of large industry gatherings , as we all make our way back to normalcy from the trials and tribulations of the last few years . Attendees were reminded of the importance and value of face-to-face interactions and how in an industry so reliant on hands-on interactions and experiences , the importance of gathering as one large family once again , sharing experiences with one another , and being together in-person are vital to the present and future of the industry , no matter how times change . At the end of the day , we as an industry are stronger when we are all together and can continue to push the boundaries as one by maintaining our relationships and creating new ones at each NAMM Show to come .
Esha Bahl Krishnamoorthy is the Marketing Coordinator for the National Association of Music Merchants ( NAMM ), the global not-for-profit trade association representing 9,000 manufacturers and retailers of musical instruments and sound products . NAMM ’ s mission is to strengthen the music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music .
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