The 2025 NAMM Show Highlights Knockout Lineup With 5 Days of Events and Education for Retailers, Brands and Global Attendees

CARLSBAD, CALIF., October 16, 2024 – NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants), the largest global not-for-profit music trade organization, has announced today its initial listing of events for The 2025 NAMM Show, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center January 21–25, with events and education beginning on Tuesday, January 21. Exhibits and the show floor open January 23, creating an action-packed week with full energy through late Saturday evening, January 25, 2025.

“The NAMM Show unites the entire global music industry for one spectacular week of exhibits, education and networking in January,” said John Mlynczak, president and CEO of NAMM. “The expansion to five days of events is necessary to provide more time for education and networking that our global members depend on to grow their businesses, industry and professional community.”

The NAMM Show, with five days of events, will offer extended education programs for every NAMM member community, including retail, brands, pro audio, entertainment technology, music education and music technology professionals, as well as tracks for artists and college music business students.

“Tuesday opens the week with our Day of Service and giving back to the local community with support from our members, followed by networking and education panels specially designed for retailers and brands at the show” said Mlynczak. “Wednesday’s robust schedule offers more education, as well as the highly anticipated NAMM Global Media Day, where multiple iconic brands introduce onstage brand-new, cutting-edge products.” 

The first two days of the schedule can be found here (https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/preexhibitsessions), which will include more long-form, workshop-style opportunities for attendees to dig deep into new strategies to help grow their businesses and professions.

This includes the brand-new TEC Tracks Studio Summit for pro audio professionals, which will be presented by major thought leaders in recording, music technology and studio operations. Entertainment technology expert Richard Cadena will host a full-day workshop for live event professionals on powering stages.

For retailers and brands, NAMM U will feature an expanded NAMM Marketing Summit that covers AI, content creation and digital marketing, along with the return of the popular Retail Financial Summit. NAMM will also host a special lunch session for exhibitors on Tuesday that reveals the latest influencer-marketing strategies. Thursday through Saturday will continue a robust events schedule balanced with plenty of opportunities to engage with the 4,000-plus brands exhibiting. 

A full list of 2025 NAMM Show exhibitors, companies and brands from around the globe can be found at https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend.

NAMM will continue to announce, throughout the fall and winter and leading up to the show in January, new schedule additions to exhibits, education and events, as well as must-see artists and performances that will make The 2025 NAMM Show the ultimate destination for the global music industry. The full schedule of detailed events will be posted in early November.

NAMM Week 2025 Preliminary Schedule Highlights

Tuesday, January 21

• NAMM Foundation Day of Service and Networking with the Pros

• NAMM Networking events

• Featured sessions include:

• Special Exhibitor Lunch Session: How to Unlock the Full Potential of Influencers 

Tracy Hoeft, Amplify 11 

How do you get the most out of influencers in your marketing? Find out at this special lunch session, presented by industry insider Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11. This event is designed specifically for NAMM Show exhibitors looking to take a break during exhibit setup. Whether you’re a marketing executive, marketer or business owner, you’re invited to attend and get exclusive insights. 

• Retail Financial Summit 

Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe, Friedman, Kannenberg & Co.  

This half-day, audience-driven workshop for music retailers will reveal the vital financial education you’ll want and need to know to thrive in today’s marketplace, while exploring new trends and developments that are certain to impact your business. As a bonus, the event will dive into your most pressing financial questions, feature an extended Q&A and deliver new solutions and insights to help you make the most of 2025 and beyond.  

Wednesday, January 22

• Global Media Day, featuring iconic brands and formal executive remarks that focus on new music industry product introductions from top music brands and companies

• International Coalition meeting and global reception

• Featured sessions include:

• NAMM Marketing Summit

A special education experience for retailers, brands and anyone looking to elevate their marketing. Join us for workshops and sessions exploring the latest strategies and best practices in harnessing AI, content creation and making the most of social platforms. Workshops include:

• AI and Business, Mark Schaefer, Schaefer Marketing Solutions 

• Win With Video Content Creation, Tracy Hoeft, Amplify 11

• Instagram Boot Camp, Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert

• TEC Tracks Studio Summit
  Audio professionals can spend Wednesday at The NAMM Show freshening up their thinking by attending the TEC Tracks Studio Summit. Here, the recording industry’s most critical topics will be discussed by leading lights of audio technology and studio operations. Sessions and workshops include:
  • Studio Operations Panel: Succeeding Today and Tomorrow, Alan Friedman, Friedman, Kannenberg & Co (Moderator), and Panel 

  • Innovations in Music Production: Tools and Techniques for Modern Studios, Deston Bennett

  • Pro Tools, 2025 Updates, Tips and Techniques, Jose “Chilitos” Valenzuela, Audiograph 

  • Best Practices: Session Checklist, Paula Salvatore, Universal Music Group

  • The Future of Recording: Changing Roles and Relationships in the Ecosphere, Craig Anderton, Music Technology Expert

  • Wendy Parr’s Studio Branding Toolkit and Industry Circle, Wendy Parr

• Entertainment Tech Summit: Powering Stages 

Richard Cadena, Lighting&Sound America 

This education summit is designed to cover many aspects of electrical power distribution and electrical safety, including practical applications and important concepts every live event tech will want to be aware of. All levels of experience can benefit from attending. Note: Each hour that an ETCP certified electrician or rigger attends counts towards 1 ETCP recertification credit.

• Dante Training by Audinate 

Thursday, January 23

• Exhibits open 10 am to 6 pm at the Anaheim Convention Center 

• Yamaha Concert Series and Bands@NAMM

• TEC Awards 

• Industry Insights 

John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM, and Special Guests From the Music Industry

How do we get more people making music and elevate our industry globally? Find out at this opening NAMM U Breakfast Session with NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak. He’ll be joined by an all-star lineup of special guests to reveal how we can grow the music business by uniting as an industry. Hear new insights about the concept of unity — and what it means to you.

Friday, January 24

• Exhibits open 10 am to 6 pm at the Anaheim Convention Center 

• NAMM Dealer Awards

• NAMM International Networking Reception 

• Yamaha Concert Series and Bands@NAMM

• Parnelli Awards

Saturday, January 25

• Exhibits open 10 am to 5 pm at the Anaheim Convention Center

• Grand Rally for Music Education

• Best in Show awards

• Bands@NAMM 

• SheRocks Awards

About NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $19.5 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM is comprised of over 10,000 global member companies and individual professionals representing a global workforce of over 475,000 employees. In addition to The NAMM Show and NAMM’s member services, The NAMM Foundation advances active participation in music-making across the lifespan of learning. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.org.