Next week — Tuesday, July 7 through Friday, July 10, NAMM is presenting The 2020 NAMM U Virtual Summit, which will offer four days of webinars and presentations designed to help businesses take advantage of new opportunities to positively impact their future.
Presented by NAMM U, TEC Tracks, and A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange), the free, online Summit will offer a suite of sessions across three tracks: business, audio and technology. The sessions will cover topics ranging from online marketing strategies to the future of music technology, presented by experts in each area.
“This spring, we amped up our webinars to help NAMM members navigate business in the time of COVID-19,” says Zach Phillips, NAMM director of professional development. “The webinars proved to be popular, so we’re expanding upon the online education this summer as we all navigate new business realities. The NAMM U Virtual Summit will offer a dozen Zoom super-sessions that hone in on the most vital topics going forward, along with some fascinating sessions that highlight the changing industry. Think of it as a mid-year refresher — and an opportunity to stay ahead of the curve.”
The Summit will present one webinar per day, per track, for a total of 12 sessions. A NAMM.org account is required to register; visit NAMM.org to log in or create a new account before registering. The NAMM U Virtual Summit is free and open to all industry professionals. Register here.
The schedule:
The Future of Retail in a Post-Pandemic World
Tuesday, July 7, beginning at 9 am U.S. Pacific time
In the history of retail, the COVID-19 pandemic will be a permanent mile marker, remembered for generations to come as a major inflection point. Companies will point to this as the moment that everything shifted off its axis and, for the first time in recorded history, the global retail machine ground to a halt. And to kick off the virtual summit week, NAMM welcomes best-selling author and retail futurist Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, to explore what it all means. In an interview with NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond, Stephens will offer a look into the future of retail in a post-COVID-19 world.
How Disruptive Technology Will Reshape the Industry
Tuesday, July 7, beginning at 9 am U.S. Pacific time
The first part of this two-part session will offer an inside look at technologies that may influence the future of audio and entertainment technology, based on A3E’s (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) recently conducted survey. Whether you’re a manufacturer, R&D professional, music technologist or retailer, you’ll discover what technology is disrupting your markets and business, and how other industries are adapting to, integrating and optimizing this tech. Get a three-year outlook from analysts averaging more than 30 years of expertise across music, audio, software, cloud/web, IT, engineering, broadcast, service and related industries. Part two of this presentation will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 9.
Getting a Small Studio to Sound Like a Big One
Tuesday, July 7 beginning at 1 pm U.S. Pacific time
The notion of the home studio has taken on a whole new meaning in the age of the pandemic when we’re all home, all the time. But aside from the relatively few residential “palaces of sound” that can rival top-tier commercial facilities, can a home/project studio provide comparable results to a conventional studio facility? Audio journalist Dan Daley, studio designer John Storyk and long-time project studio entrepreneur Lij Shaw, along with others, will share their experience in achieving a high level of performance from home studios. They’ll also discuss how best to utilize smaller spaces for music production, from acoustical, design and ergonomic angles.
How to Stand Out in the New “Next”
Wednesday, July 8 beginning at 9 am U.S. Pacific time
Building on the popular NAMM U Breakfast Session at The 2020 NAMM Show, customer experience professional, best-selling author and Hall of Fame speaker Scott McKain will share his views on how to stand out from the competition in a post-pandemic economy. He’ll ask an important question in the music business — “Why would we get chosen instead of our competition?” — and offer his specific steps to be taken.
Emerging Platforms for Artist Marketing and Fan Engagement
Wednesday, July 8 beginning at 11 am Pacific time
As the music industry continues to evolve into the digital age, artists rely on their social media profiles to define their brand as much as they do their music. Meet a panel with a good deal of experience in digital marketing and fan engagement, and discover the high-tech tricks and best practices they use to represent the top artists, athletes and brands in the world.
Live Sound 2.0 in the Time of COVID-19
Wednesday, July 8 beginning at 1 pm U.S. Pacific time
With today’s COVID-19 precautions, new protocols for social distancing, cleaning and travel are required. The impact of these precautions will be felt throughout all segments of live sound, from concert reinforcement to houses of worship and live sports production. Veteran live sound engineer Mark Frink will host a conversation on the changes that will occur leading up to Live Sound 2.0. What will be the “new normal” in live sound protocols?
New Marketing and Social Media Strategies for 2020
Thursday, July 9 beginning at 9 am U.S. Pacific time
The world has fundamentally changed since COVID-19. Have your social media, online marketing and content changed with it? What updates will you want to be aware of? What changes will you want to make to your website and social media, and most of all, where is everything going? Find out at this session presented by marketing professionals Jenn Herman of Jenn’s Trends and Larry Bailin of Single Throw Marketing, with moderation by Zach Phillips, NAMM’s director of professional development. They’ll offer strategies, tactics and advice to connect with consumers in the new “next.”
How AI, Blockchain and 5G Will Reshape the Industry
Thursday, July 9 beginning at 11 am U.S. Pacific time
The second part of this two-part session will provide an inside look at how artificial intelligence, blockchain and 5G are influencing and shaping the future of audio and entertainment technology, based on A3E’s (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) recently conducted survey. Get a three-year outlook from analysts averaging more than 30 years of expertise across music, audio, software, cloud/web, IT, engineering, broadcast, service and related industries. (Part one of this session was held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7.)
Session Work Reimagined
Thursday, July 9 beginning at 1 pm U.S. Pacific time
It’s a musical game-changer when technological advancement synchronizes with pandemic crisis response. In this case, we’re talking about session musicians who were previously jumping from studio to studio to lay down their signature lines. Music industry raconteur Mr. Bonzai will lead this webinar with top session players — bassist Leland Sklar, saxophonist Mindi Abair and drummer Russ Kunkel — to discuss the changes, positive and negative, from doing their work more remotely, rather than on the other side of the control room window.
NAMM Young Professionals (YP)—Keynote
Friday, July 10 beginning at 9 am U.S. Pacific time
Industry veteran Steve Zapf, an online retail pioneer and Conn-Selmer president and CEO will discuss leadership, career development and the role of mentorship in the music industry. NAMM YP is a group of young music products industry professionals focused on the future of the business by providing opportunities to connect.
The Future of Mobile Music Production and Collaboration
Friday, July 10 beginning at 11 am U.S. Pacific time
With the advent of 5G, mobile musicians are poised for an array of new experiences. Higher-fidelity audio streams flowing at faster speeds may open the door for real-time mobile music collaboration with multiple players. Augmented and virtual reality concerts could come to life, as well as new gamified interactive experiences between performer and audience.
Creating a Hit Record in Challenging Times
Friday, July 10 beginning at 1 on U.S. Pacific time
This session will be hosted by hitmaker Beth Neilson-Chapman speaking with guests that include country music producer Tony Brown, Canadian singer/songwriter/producer/session musician Marc Jordan and polymath songwriter/guitarist/producer Danny Kortchmar.
Again, register here for the 2020 NAMM U Virtual Summit.
