NAMM Show underlines educational offering

The 2017 NAMM Show will be offering over 120 free sessions including business know-how strategies and tips to technical training presentations. 

On Wednesday, 18th January, many business-enhancing opportunities begin before the show officially opens, with an all-day Retail Boot Camp. Featuring two different tracks, the training includes a schedule of strategies and tools for everyone involved in music retail who aims to strengthen their businesses and business practices through “Sales, Marketing and Websites” or “Financial Management” tracks. Speakers in the first track include “The Retail Doctor,” Bob Phibbs; digital marketing pioneer Larry Bailin; and Ben Blakesley, social media marketing leader at Reebok. In the financial track, experts Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe of Friedman, Kannenberg & Co. will offer tools and strategies for sound fiscal management.

Thursday morning sees the show will open each day with NAMM U Breakfast Sessions. Located on the NAMM campus in the Hilton’s Pacific ballroom, the sessions will feature prominent keynote speakers sharing best business practices, innovative ideas and strategies.

The traditional Breakfast of Champions kicks off the show  – an up-close look at the people changing the music products industry, and led by NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. On Friday, the show welcomes back marketing expert Larry Bailin for 2020: Future-Proof Your Business, a session on how customers are changing, and how to prepare your business for the future. 

On Saturday, best-selling author and social media legend Guy Kawasaki brings The Art of Innovation, a presentation designed to reveal practical, surprising and even counterintuitive ideas to trigger innovation in a music store or products business. Sunday morning sees the Best in Show session. Led by Frank Alkyer of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, a guest panel of music retail experts make their picks for the biggest products and technology breakthroughs found on the NAMM show floor.

Following each morning’s Breakfast Session, The NAMM Idea Center will open with more than 45 free presentations and panels that will help NAMM members discover the most creative ideas that are currently proving successful in music retail. Held in the lobby of the Anaheim Convention Center, the Idea Center will play host to a variety of hot topics in retail today, including search engine optimisation (SEO), website upgrades, store design breakthroughs, lesson program improvements and online marketing.

Members seeking to enhance their business systems can learn from a variety of NAMM Member service providers appearing on The NAMM Retail Tech stage — new for The 2017 NAMM Show and located inside the NAMM Member Center, also in the lobby. The NAMM Retail Tech stage hosts a series of sessions on retail software, technology platforms and strategies for business modernization, all offered by NAMM service providers.

For sound, studio and stage professionals, TEC Tracks returns with more than 70 sessions curated to enhance skills that are crucial now and leading into the next decade. For the first time, TEC Tracks will offer themed days to cater to the different audio and technology communities at the show.

Starting on Thursday, TEC Tracks ushers in the Entertainment Technology (Live Sound and Lighting) day with a special opening session led by live sound engineer Mark Frink and a panel of pre-eminent front-of-house mixing engineers. Also on Thursday, a special “Introduction to Dante” session hosted by Audinate will offer budding audio pros an opportunity to learn more about the networking technology. In addition to the special session, Audinate will host two days of the company’s Dante Training and Certification program.

On Friday, TEC talks Futurism, when A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) begins its first-for-NAMM, future-focused two-day program. Under the banner of “Creating Harmony Between Man and Machine,” the series of sessions will explore the boundaries of musical creativity using advanced audio applications and technologies that are transforming the MI market.

On Saturday, TEC Tracks will offer a full day of expertise on Recording day, starting with a special keynote from sonic mastermind, Peter Asher (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Morrissey), who will be interviewed by music industry analyst Bob Leftsetz. Saturday will also play host to Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas as he dissects the band’s “Toys in the Attic” album with award-winning journalist Mr. Bonzai. At the conclusion of the day, Douglas will be inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame as part of The NAMM TEC Awards. Now in its 32nd year, the annual awards honour a variety of companies and technical innovations behind today’s sound recordings, live performances, films, television and video games, along with musicians who embody the spirit of industry legend Les Paul with The Les Paul Award. The 2017 recipient of the Les Paul Award is Aerosmith co-founder and lead guitarist, Joe Perry.

On Sunday, TEC Tracks will switch its focus to “what’s next” during the Music Business day, which will cover everything from marketing to intellectual property to distribution in a forward-thinking program that will speak to emerging and established music professionals.

Members who are planning to attend The 2017 NAMM Show are encouraged to secure their badges before 4th January, 2017 when the free badge deadline expires.