Breakfast of Champions (The 2020 NAMM Show): Bryan Bradley

During “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2020 NAMM Show, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond sat down with Bryan Bradley, president of Group One, to discuss the growth of live sound, entertainment technology and live performances in general. Bradley mentioned that even schools and houses of worship have higher expectations than ever before for their live performances—and, as a result, there’s opportunity for retailers and music businesses.

“My kid’s school did ‘Mary Poppins’ this year, and they rented a harness and flew this 17-year-old girl in across the stage because they wanted that experience,” Bradley said. “The school has a sound system that works for the basketball games, but it certainly isn’t going to handle ‘Mary Poppins,’ so they rented it. They rent all this gear. And they don’t need to rent from some big, professional touring company. They’re looking for a small backline. They’re looking to augment what they have.

“If I’m a retailer, as long as I have the knowledge to set them up, this stuff is getting so intuitive and so easy to use that you could do a rental business that allows them to augment their experience. They own two wireless mics; they need 17 for this show. Show them how to do it. Set them up.”