January 23, 2023 I Event
NAMM Previews 2023 NAMM Show Professional Sessions
NAMM has announced a selection of the professional educational session that will take place during the upcoming 2023 NAMM Show, to be held April 13–15 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The sessions will offer both established and emerging professionals in the music products, pro-audio and entertainment technology segments a suite of 200-plus professional development sessions.
The day before the show starts, NAMM will hold its NAMM Marketing Summit and NAMM Succession Summit on Wednesday, April 12 at the Anaheim Hilton. During the NAMM Marketing Summit, NAMM members will experience a day-long immersive education experience designed to help harness the power of brand storytelling and turn prospects into lifelong customers. Presented by marketing veteran Park Howell, the free summit will offer all NAMM members the opportunity to discover and harness new methods, ideas and best practices for brand storytelling to help to elevate their sales and marketing in this new era of commerce.
During the NAMM Succession Summit, presented by music industry accountants Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe of Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., members will be immersed in the essentials of succession planning. The summit will present tools to help members evaluate the activities that add and subtract value to a business and how to calculate the dollar amount of what your business is truly worth. They’ll also look at the pros and cons of various music store transition options, such as internal and external transfer, gift, sale, and liquidation, including the effect each option has on cash, control and tax, as illustrated in five, real-life music store transition case studies.
As always, each morning of the show will open with a NAMM U Breakfast Session, located in the ballroom of the Anaheim Convention Center. On Thursday, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond will host the annual Breakfast of Champions with a lineup of industry leaders, artists and VIPs. On Friday, innovation expert, futurist and global retail authority Kate Ancketill will present “The Big Disruptors: How to Adapt, Innovate and Lead,” where she will address what innovations and disruptions are altering business as we know it and show retailers how to prioritize and think differently so that they can position their business as a future leader. The annual favorite, Best in Show, will return on Saturday morning when attendees are invited to join Frank Alkyer, Music Inc. magazine’s president, and a panel of retailing experts to discuss their favorite product and technology picks from across the 2023 show floor.
Hot-topic sessions awaiting members at the NAMM Idea Center will cover a slew areas and have been curated to give members the tools to accelerate their businesses. Topics include “Video Success Secrets for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube,” presented by Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11; “Actionable Tips to Incorporate DEI Into Your Hiring and Marketing” from Reverb Chief Marketing Officer Kristen Cho; “How to Create Memorable Customer Experiences: Lessons From the Events World” from Phil Mershon, a veteran event-experience designer; and “Top Tips for Improving Profitability at Your Business” from Amanda Rueter of Ernie Williamson Music; amongst others.
Also during the show, more than 60 pro-audio and music technology sessions will offer myriad opportunities for attendees to grow their careers in preparation for the future of all things sound. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of MIDI, two special A3E sessions will examine the future of MIDI in “MIDI 2.0: What Developers Need to Know About Free Tools for Developing MIDI 2.0 Products and Apps” and “What Musicians Need to Know About MIDI 2.0.”
For audio pros seeking big-picture sessions and speakers, TEC Tracks will uncover topics ranging from a series of workshops to key expert insights, including a two-session keynote panel entitled “3-D Mixing, the Technology and the Artistry.” During this panel, Brian Hardgroove, former music director and bassist for Public Enemy, will host a panel discussion on the technology behind 3D mixing in a language that can be understood by artists, engineers, and producers.
On Saturday, TEC Tracks will offer an all-day suite of sessions for house-of-worship audio professionals and musicians. Curated by Worship Musician magazine, sessions will include “Buying, Selling and Installing the Right Sound and Tech Gear:” “Music Directors: The What, Why and How;” “Performance Rights: Live and Streaming;” “Sound + Tech: Teams and Workflow;” and “Worship Guitar Gear,” covering everything from guitars and basses to effects, modelers and presets.
For those seeking to engage in-person or online, NAMM Show+, the virtual extension to The NAMM Show, will offer more opportunities to connect than ever. With NAMM Show+, all attendees will have the capability to create a more productive onsite experience. Industry professionals and music makers who cannot travel to The NAMM Show will be able to experience highlighted sessions and events from the show. Access to NAMM Show+ will be free to all members who attend in person.
