Professional Development Sessions to Bring the Future Into Focus at The 2023 NAMM Show

The 2023 NAMM Show will offer established and emerging professionals in the music products, pro audio, and entertainment technology segments a suite of 200-plus professional development sessions. Held in the Anaheim Convention Center, professionals will have the opportunity to elevate their businesses and further their careers by connecting with top thought leaders in sessions carefully curated to accelerate success and designed to engage and inspire business growth against the backdrop of the global gathering.

NAMM U: Navigating the Next Chapter of Music Business

Before the Show starts on Wednesday, April 12, members are welcome to register for The NAMM Marketing Summit and The NAMM Succession Summit, both held at the Anaheim Hilton. At The NAMM Marketing Summit, 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.

At the NAMM Succession Summit, presented by music industry accounting pros 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. The session will be held from 1 – 4:00p.m. and registration is now open online: https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/namm-succession-summit    

NAMM U Breakfast Sessions

Each morning of the Show will open with a special NAMM U Breakfast Session, located in the ballroom of the Anaheim Convention Center. On Thursday, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond will host the “Breakfast of Champions” with a lineup of industry leaders, artists, and innovators.

On Friday, innovation expert, futurist, and global retail authority Kate Ancketill will present “The Big Disruptors: How to Adapt, Innovate and Lead.” In this NAMM U Breakfast Session, Ancketill will address what innovations and disruptions are altering business as we know it and show you how to prioritize and think differently, so that you can position your business as a future leader.

The annual favorite, Best in Show, will return on Saturday morning. Members are invited to join Music Inc. President Frank Alkyer and a panel of retail experts to discuss their product and technology picks for the title from across the Show floor.                                  

Hot-topic sessions awaiting members at the NAMM Idea Center will cover myriad areas 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’s Chief Marketing Officer Kristen Cho; “How to Create Memorable Customer Experiences: Lessons From the Events World” from Phil Mershon, a veteran event experience designer; “Top Tips for Improving Profitability at Your Business,” from Amanda Rueter of Ernie Williamson Music; and “TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts: Mastering Social Media Algorithms for Artists,” presented by Temima Shames of Next Step Talent and TikTok star Brooklynne Webb.

Hear This: A3E, TEC Tracks, Dante, and More

More than 60 pro audio and music technology sessions await emerging and established professionals from all aspects of production and performance, presenting myriad opportunities to grow their careers in preparation for the future of all things sound.

At A3E: The Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange, the future is now with a series of sessions that explore how advanced audio applications are transforming the music industry, production, and performance. Future-focused sessions include “Revolutionizing Sound With Immersive Audio and AI,” where a panel of visionary artists, composers, and companies will focus on revolutionary changes in audio technology and the next advancement of audio design by reinventing what is possible and accessible to all creatives, including AI or generative music; “The Future of Next-Generation Plug-ins With Today’s Top Engineers,” where A3E and a panel of top engineers will explore next-generation plug-ins and discuss new techniques that are expressing artists' true creativity and taking their fans into those sounds and emotions; “VR/AR/XR for Interactive Media: Meeting Your Fans Wherever They Are,” which will explore the concepts of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and extended reality (XR) and the ecosystem of apps and technologies that will further set the stage for a digital future with AR, VR, MR, and XR experiences in music, gaming, and video; “What Will a Musical Instrument Be in the Next 10 Years?,” a session that will bring together the brightest minds and viewpoints on what new instruments may emerge in the next 10 years; and “Wearable Technology in Content Creation: Fostering and Accelerating Innovation,” which will examine the new era of multisensory experiences for both creators and audience members.

In celebration of the 40^th 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.” Join these panels of innovators, artists, and experts as they share what’s next for this groundbreaking technology.

TEC Tracks

For audio pros seeking exciting, 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: “3-D Mixing, the Technology and the Artistry.” Join Brian Hardgroove, former music director and bassist for Public Enemy, for a panel discussion on the technology behind 3-D mixing in a language that can be understood by artists, engineers, and producers. Other program highlights include “Golden Ears? Listen Like a Mastering Engineer,” where  mastering expert Jonathan Wyner will look at how to evaluate effective mastering as an artist, mixer or producer; “The Future of Personal Expression and Creativity in Popular Music,” with producer Michael Beinhorn and KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, as they discuss the importance of artistic expression ; “Mental and Physical Wellness in the Audio Industry,” where Karen Dunn will share practical ideas to maintain work-life balance in the pro audio business; and “Women Behind the Mic: Podcasting in 2023,” with Shure’s Market Development Manager Laura Clapp Davidson as she leads a discussion with some of today’s leading female podcasters. 

Dante

Audinate, the creators of Dante, will offer three levels of training and certification for participants at The NAMM Show. The free training will offer hands-on training and includes “An Introduction/Demonstration of Dante AV Ultra and Dante AV-H,” “Dante Certification Level 1, Second Edition,” “Dante Certification Level 3, Second Edition with DDM Demo – Live Prep Session,” and “Introduction to Managed Switches.” Attendees can register at audinate.com.

The Worship Musician Summit at NAMM

On Saturday at the Show, TEC Tracks will offer an all-day suite of sessions for house of worship audio professionals and musicians. Curated by Worship Musician magazine, session topics 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 presents.

Other professional education programs include those for entertainment technology and live event professionals from the Event Safety Alliance (ESA); Entertainment Services Technology Association (ESTA); Pro Production Sessions (PLSN and FOH magazines); and Lighting and Sound America/PLASA; GenNext for college-aged emerging professionals and faculty from across the industry; the Nonprofit Management Institute for nonprofit leaders; and Music Education Days for educators and administrators. Additional information on these sessions and others will be available in the coming weeks.

In addition to the professional development sessions, attendees will enjoy a robust show floor with exhibiting brands, including Adam Hall; ADJ; Allen & Heath; American Music & Sound; Apogee; Avid; beyerdynamic; C.F. Martin & Co.; Casio; Conn-Selmer; d&b audiotechnik; Ernie Ball; ESP; IK Multimedia; Ibanez; Kala; Kawai; KMC Music; Konig and Meyer; Line 6; Pioneer; Shure; Tama; Ultimate Ears; and Yamaha, among many others.  

The Show will also see the return of much-loved industry award events, including the Parnelli Awards, the TEC Experience, and the She Rocks Awards, as well as other event gatherings and networking opportunities, including the Top 100 Dealer, Pro Audio Pool Party, Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals receptions, and more.

NAMM Show+ 

For professionals seeking to engage in-person or online, NAMM Show+, the virtual extension to The NAMM Show, will offer more opportunities to connect than ever before. 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. It will be available worldwide, accessible 24/7 on mobile or desktop. Access to NAMM Show+ will be free to all Members who attend in person.

Registration for The 2023 NAMM Show is now open at https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend