Canadian Music Trade - October / November 2019 | Page 18

NAMM NEWS
By Zach Phillips
A Look Ahead to
The 2020 NAMM Show
New Products, Education Opportunities & Experiences on Tap!
Every year, competition for retail dollars seems to get fiercer. New ways
to connect with consumers and deliver products across the world have
changed how people shop, and changes will continue. The NAMM
Show is a tool to help level the playing field, giving all attendees a view
to trends, information, resources, and contacts to better understand how
to position their business to stay ahead of the curve.
The show map is available at www.namm.org, displaying 7,000
brands across a sprawling campus organized by product neighbor-
hoods, showcases, education centres, and lounges. Attending the annu-
al global gathering of the music, sound, and entertainment technology
industries is a unique opportunity to find new products to differentiate
your inventory mix and develop relationships with the leadership of the
brands you carry. Reach out to exhibitors to set up appointments with
current and prospective vendors beforehand. Our Show Directory has a
convenient way to email exhibitor contacts through their profile listing,
and we will offer onsite connection tools through our mobile app.
With more than 400 education sessions, a trip to NAMM is a unique
learning opportunity and a practical way to develop new skills. We’ve
organized seven education programs by topic (Music Retail, Music
Business, Music Educators and Students, Nonprofits, Policy, Audio Pro-
duction, and Entertainment Technology), making navigating hundreds
of sessions intuitive, so you can easily curate an education schedule for
your specific goals. And, daily Breakfast Sessions will spotlight leading
minds from an array of professional disciplines, offering attendees the
chance to see future trends and envision ways to capitalize on them.
New this year are two daylong, interactive summits held the day
before the show opens on Wed., Jan. 15 th .
The Retail Innovation Summit is led by sales and marketing
expert – and best-selling author – Marcus Sheridan, who will walk
attendees through the shift in buying, how it will influence sales and
marketing in the retail music business going forward, and which types of
content will increase traffic, both online and in-store.
Meanwhile, retail financial gurus Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe of
Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., will lead the Retail Financial Summit,
delving into new financial trends and regulatory updates, as well
as highlighting recent changes in sales tax and labour laws that are
impacting your business.
Register in advance at www.namm.org/retailsummit.
And the education goes far beyond retail. At the crossroads, attendees
have opportunities to learn about the latest in audio production and
entertainment technology through dedicated tracks.
With attendees ranging from retail to live event production, you
never know where your next opportunity might come from. I’ve heard
from retailers who said they picked up creative inspiration from a record
producer speaking at TEC Tracks or a discussion on future-forward
music-making technologies at A3E sessions; likewise, the Pro Produc-
tion and ESTA-curated education sessions will unveil the world of stage
lighting and entertainment – and the people behind it.
There are even many demo opportunities, including the Loud-
speaker System Showcase, where top sound manufacturers present a
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CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE
showcase of line array and loudspeaker technologies inside the arena,
giving participants the opportunity to hear and learn about both flown
and portable systems in a real-world setting, sparking new audio and
rental concepts in the process.
The NAMM Show is a playground for thinking beyond your current
objectives and discovering new ideas. The education schedule will go
live in late November at www.namm.org/education.
And, as the world sets to gather in Southern California, you’re pro-
vided an opportunity for networking, to see old friends and make new
ones. With the return of the NWC Canadian Reception
(www.nwcworld.com/namm), events like the NAMM YP Reception,
Women@NAMM, the TEC and Parnelli Awards, and countless other
events, The NAMM Show has no lack of opportunities to meet associates
from all over the globe, making the world feel like a smaller place.
And by the way, if the products, education, and networking aren’t
enough to make the trip, it’s usually pretty warm and sunny here in
January, and regardless of the daily weather, we can safely say the only
snow you’ll see is on top of Disney’s Matterhorn.
We can’t wait to see you in Southern California!
Zach Phillips is the Director of Professional Development for the National Asso-
ciation 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.