The INSPIRATION Strikes Here

Make plans to arrive early to the show this year. Whether you are looking for music business, pro audio or entertainment tech, we have workshops and sessions that were made just for you! Just let us know which events you plan to attend so that we can save your spot.

All events are free to NAMM members, but you must sign up in advance and present your NAMM Show badge to attend.       

• View Tuesday's sessions

• View Wednesday's sessions

11:45 am – 1:00 pm 
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 in between exhibit setup. Whether you’re a marketing executive, marketer or business owner, you’re invited to attend and get exclusive insights.

Hoeft works with many of the largest brands, retailers and influencers in the music products industry, and has executed several of the top influencer efforts. Here, he will share specific, actionable tactics for selecting the right content creators, contacting them, working with them, tracking collaboration success and fine-tuning your influencer plan to maximize this vital marketing lever in 2025.

Lunch will be served at the start of the session — first come, first served due to limited seating. An exhibitor badge will be required to attend this session and lunch.

1:00–4:00 pm
Retail Financial Summit
Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe, Friedman, Kannenberg & Co. 

Brought back by popular demand, 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 post-pandemic solutions and insights to help you make the most of 2025 and beyond. 

The Retail Financial Summit will be presented by industry financial experts Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe of Friedman, Kannenberg & Co. They’ll share powerful tools for driving profitability and cash flow by addressing a wide range of financial topics — all selected by you, the audience. Be it inventory management, succession planning, instrument rental programs, cash flow management, sales tax reporting, controlling expense overhead, disaster planning or any other financial topic impacting music retail, all content will be delivered in an interactive, entertaining manner. Along the way, Friedman and Jobe will reveal best practices and teach you how to avoid the biggest financial pitfalls that plague music retailers. Retail Financial Summit is open to all NAMM members, but you must register for the event at namm.org. 

NAMM Marketing Summit

Wednesday at The NAMM Show features 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. This event is free to NAMM members, but you must sign up in advance and present your NAMM Show badge to attend.

9:00–10:30 am
NAMM Marketing Summit: AI and Business
Mark Schaefer, Schaefer Marketing Solutions

The CEO of Microsoft called artificial intelligence the most profound technology in human history. But for many businesses, it’s hard to grasp. Kick off Wednesday morning with this fast-paced, entertaining session. Marketing expert and best-selling author Mark Schaefer will reveal an exciting new look at AI that’s rooted in traditional business reality.

He’ll make sense of the hype and provide actionable ideas that work, even in a fast-changing world. Discover how to stay relevant amid turmoil, push the limits of AI for your company and understand the three different types of AI in your organization. Schaefer will also share practical marketing applications for AI to use right now, walking you through specific technologies and prompts to jumpstart your AI journey. If you’re struggling to make sense of this new world, you’re not alone, and Mark Schaefer will help you create a practical plan for your organization.

10:45 am-12 pm
NAMM Marketing Summit: Win With Video Content Creation
Tracy Hoeft, Amplify 11

Video content is a vital marketing tool. And if you’re like most music industry professionals, you probably understand the importance of leveraging video but don’t think that you have the time or resources to do it well. This workshop is all about understanding what is working and how you can right-size the effort of creating video content.

In this session, presented by Tracy Hoeft from Amplify 11, you will get an actionable framework to supercharge your video content efforts. Hoeft and his team advise many of the brands, retailers and influencers from our industry on their video strategy. If you want to learn how to get more done with less, you won’t want to miss this session!

1:00–2:30 pm
NAMM Marketing Summit: Instagram Bootcamp
Jenn Herman, Jenn's Trends, Instagram Global Expert

What are the most important tactics right now to achieve real results on Instagram? Join globally recognized Instagram expert Jenn Herman for a deep-dive workshop on IG marketing strategies for your music retail business or brand. With all the changes in the last few years, what you did in 2020 — even 2022 — probably isn’t working for you anymore. But you can change that by attending this special 90-minute workshop!

Herman will share vital insights on the current Instagram landscape and what drives results. She’ll also look at how to create Reels that capture attention and get better retention, as well as integrating direct messages to get increased reach, engagement and conversions. Plus, she’ll show you how to ensure your account is optimized for search on Instagram and search engines. And not least of all, you’ll discover a content type that almost guarantees double the exposure.

TEC Tracks Studio Summit

Spend Wednesday at The NAMM Show polishing your chops and freshening up your 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. Seating for this special NAMM workshop is limited, so you must register ahead of time and present your NAMM Show badge to attend.

Schedule:

10:00 – 11:10 am
Studio Operations Panel: Succeeding Today and Tomorrow
Alan Friedman, Friedman, Kannenberg & Co (Moderator), and Panel

A panel of top name studio owners and managers will give their unique perspectives on the landscape of studio recording, what is changing, and how to please the clientele while staying competitive and profitable. The panel:

• Zoe Thrall (The Hideout Recording Studios, Las Vegas, NV)
• Fabrice Dupont (Flux Studios NYC, New York, NY)
• Lee Bench (SteakHouse Studios, N. Hollywood, CA)
• David Bendeth (formerly owned and ran House of Loud, NJ, and head of A&R for RCA Records)
• Paula Salvatore (Vice President, Universal Music Group)
• Rick Beato (Rick’s Music Production Ltd, YouTube Music Educator, Atlanta, GA)

Moderated by Alan Friedman (CPA/Partner, Friedman, Kannenberg & Co.)

11:20 am – 12:30 pm
Innovations in Music Production: Tools and Techniques for Modern Studios
Deston Bennett

Leading music producers, sound engineers, software developers and studio owners will discuss the latest innovations in music production, from software and hardware advancements to new recording techniques.

12:30 – 1:15 pm
Lunch Break
 

1:15 – 2:30 pm
ProTools, 2025 Updates, Tips and Techniques
Jose “Chilitos” Valenzuela, Audiograph

Have you kept up with the evolution of Pro Tools? Are there functions and features that you may have missed along the way? Jose “Chilitos” Valenzuela, CEO of Audiograph, will discuss and demonstrate the latest ProTools updates and modifications.

2:35 – 3:15 pm
Best Practices: Session Checklist
Paula Salvatore, Studio Manager

Paula Salvatore, famed former studio manager of Sound City and Capitol Records Studios, will break down the steps and information that provide the basis for a successful, organized and (ideally) stress-free recording session. From the first phone call (or email) from the prospective client to the delivery of the final master, this mini-workshop will reveal how top studios make the recording session a seamless experience.

3:20 – 3:55 pm
The Future of Recording: Changing Roles and Relationships in the Ecosphere
Craig Anderton

Craig Anderton discusses his vision of the future of the roles in recording. It used to be pretty cut and dried — this was the producer, this was the artist, this was the mastering engineer and so forth. There was also a traditional differentiation between composers and players. With today’s tools and music recording options, those roles have become blurred, and many people just say they’re “producers.” In this session, Anderton will look at how people’s skill sets will evolve to accommodate the changes brought on by new tools and the implications that will have for both solo artists and collaborations — and ultimately the studios.

4:00 – 6:00 pm
Wendy Parr’s Studio Branding Toolkit and Industry Circle
Wendy Parr

Part 1: Take control of your studio’s journey; identify with all the weird, wonderful layers that make your operation unique; and see how to bring them to life in your professional community.

Part 2: In a world of “create, succeed, drive, growth,” it can be challenging to slow down and connect on a deeper level with colleagues and friends. The Industry Circle is a guided conversation to give studio owners and operators a valuable opportunity to gain priceless information and make genuine connections.
 

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. You can attend all six sessions or just those that are relevant to you. Note: Each hour that an ETCP certified electrician or rigger attends counts towards 1 ETCP recertification credit.

These events are free to NAMM members, but you must sign up in advance and present your NAMM Show badge at entrance.

9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Entertainment Tech Summit: Powering the Stage, Part 1
Richard Cadena, Lighting&Sound America

Electrical Safety: Electrical power distribution comes with hazards, but they can be mitigated with the right precautions. The first precaution is understanding the hazards.

Voltage Drop: Ohm’s law says that when electrical current flows through a conductor, it drops voltage. Consequently, the voltage applied to a load is less than the supply voltage. How does that affect the operation of the equipment?

Power Requirements: Understanding and predicting power requirements is the most important job of a live events technician or electrician. How do the equipment specs help us with our circuiting and power requirements? 
 

1:00 – 4:00 pm
Entertainment Tech Summit: Powering the Stage, Part 2
Richard Cadena, Lighting&Sound America

Grounding and Bonding: Faulty grounding is the most common cause of electrical stage mishaps. What is faulty grounding? What is proper bonding? Why do they matter?

Cabling: Cords and cables are made for specific purposes, and they have limited ability to carry electrical current. Where do you go to find the ampacities of cables, and what factors would influence that?

Codes and Regulations: In North America, electrical codes dictate how we should be distribution power on stage. What are the codes, how do they work, and why should we comply with them?

Dante Training by Audinate

9:00 am-12:00 pm
Dante – Level 1 Training

Requirements: This hands-on training requires a PC or Apple computer with a USB C port, or bring your own dongle with network capabilities (No Chromebooks or tablets)

After completing Dante Certification Level 1 (2nd Edition), students can comfortably design, set up and operate a Dante audio/video system on a single network switch. Demonstrations offer attendees a practical feel for Dante's breadth, reach and simplicity.

During Dante Certification Level 1 (2nd Edition), you will discover the basics of using Dante and have the opportunity for hands-on experiments. You’ll learn some simple, practical guidelines for connecting and working with Dante.

Upon completion, attendees will:

• Be able to design, set up and operate a Dante audio/video system on a single network switch.
• Gain an improved understanding of fundamentals in digital audio, digital video and networking.
• Be able to explain the benefits of a complete networked solution, as opposed to point-to-point connections, digital snakes or AVoIP protocols.

1:00-3:30 pm
Dante – Level 2 Training
Prerequisite – Dante Certification Level 1, Second Edition

After completing Dante Certification Level 2 (2nd Edition), students can confidently design, set up, operate and troubleshoot Dante systems that span multiple network switches. A combination of live and prerecorded demonstrations (due to required scale or elapsed time) will bring these features to life.

Upon completion, attendees will:

• Be able to design, set up, operate and troubleshoot a Dante audio/video system that spans multiple network switches.
• Attain increased confidence in networking and the underlying principles to build truly robust, reliable systems.
• Gain an understanding of networking that should foster informed conversations with IT departments.