The NAMM Show returns to Anaheim, California January 24-27, 2019. The NAMM Show will be hosted in the newly-expanded Anaheim Convention Center and will offer an overview of new products from 7,000+ brands, special live music events, celebrity appearances, dozens of educational sessions tied to today's trends, and the world's largest gathering of top music and audio technology innovators, artists and professionals.
As the 2018 edition confirmed, with the inauguration of the new ACC North halls, part of the Anaheim Convention Center expansion. For years, the growth potential was there, but there simply wasn't space to accommodate the long overdue show expansion. Finally, it happened and now the NAMM Winter Show was finally able to welcome further participation from the audio industry, realizing the full potential of what was already one of the best and most vibrant industry trade shows. Still, no one was expecting that due to the two new halls, the NAMM could so quickly become such a powerful event!
The enthusiastic involvement of professional audio companies and the NAMM cooperation with other industry associations, such as the Audio Engineering Society (AES), Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA), A3E - Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange, as well as the enthusiastic promotion by media partners (such as audioXpress and Voice Coil), were a vital trigger to this major expansion.
In 2018, the NAMM show gained the full scope of an AES West Coast convention with the exhibits in the new AAC North Level 1 hall, plus the AES@NAMM sessions at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel, while the new Level 2 hall looked effectively like a condensed version of a Prolight+Sound show (the sound part of it...). All this, while the traditional Hall A gained a new life with more space for exhibitors in the home recording and stage product segments. The traditional halls at the NAMM show also benefited largely from wider walkways, and more dispersed noise clusters, and there's still space for further expansion at the Anaheim Arena.
NAMM 2018 reported nearly 2,000 exhibiting companies, with 115,085 registered visitors. International attendees increased by 8% with representation from more than 100 countries, totaling 19,356 registrants. We have no doubt that, given the positive expansion, in 2019 there will be plenty more exhibitors, brands, and visitors.
The Loudspeaker System Showcase
At The 2019 NAMM Show, top audio manufacturers will present a showcase of line array and loudspeaker technologies in a new Show feature, the Loudspeaker System Showcase. Held Thursday – Saturday and under the guidance of the team from our colleagues at Live Sound International magazine, the systems showcase will take place inside the Anaheim Convention Center arena, giving participants the opportunity to demonstrate both their flown and portable systems in a real-world setting to a mix of industry professionals.
"The Showcase presents a unique, controlled environment demonstration designed to provide side-by-side listening opportunities for evaluating leading loudspeaker systems from around the pro audio industry, in addition to getting further technical details and pricing information from qualified representatives of each company," states Kevin McPherson, executive publisher of Live Sound International. "We're really pleased to be partnering with NAMM to offer this valuable opportunity to Show attendees."
In total, thirteen participating companies will have the opportunity to showcase both their flown and portable systems as part of the Showcase. Participating companies include Alcons Audio, BASSBOSS, Crest Audio, dbTechnologies, Martin Audio, RCF, TW Audio, Verity Audio, and VOID Acoustics.
The Loudspeaker System Showcase will run twice daily, Thursday – Saturday, featuring a music track as selected by a popular vote of participating companies and hosted by a neutral industry expert. NAMM Show attendees can also engage with the companies in their respected spaces in the Showcase to trial portable systems.
In between the scheduled line array demonstrations, systems integrator 4Wall will host a new, experiential display, highlighting the latest in gear and technology from the company’s extensive list of distribution partners, through a series of lighting demonstrations within the arena. 4Wall will also provide video walls as well as the infrastructure to power the Loudspeaker System Showcase.
Retail Innovation Summit
Retail is evolving at an unprecedented speed, and harnessing new opportunities to transform business in today’s tech era has never been more critical. That’s why NAMM retail members are invited to attend the new Retail Innovation Summit at The 2019 NAMM Show. Held Wednesday, January 23 before the official opening of the Show, the Retail Innovation Summit will present a future-forward NAMM U educational experience, hosted by world-renowned retail guru Bob Phibbs, “The Retail Doctor.”
“Retail is changing around us, from the technology we use to market our products and services to the technology we use to manage our staff,” affirmed Phibbs. “I've found some really good tools for both, and we're going to explore how they can help you get more sales. I'll demystify the opportunities, so you can see how putting maybe only one into place will help you thrive in the new retail.”
As part of the daylong summit, Phibbs will cover the top trends, including the new technologies, platforms and more shaping the customer experience, and offer solutions to scaling business to meet them. Phibbs will also provide a futurist’s outlook on the strategies to help reshape business’s future and to encourage all levels of retailers to think more strategically about how they can innovate and add value—whether they’re an owner, manager or a first-time salesperson.
The daylong summit will include two parts. In the morning, participants will hear where the future of retail is headed and new concepts to implement in their places of business. In the afternoon, Phibbs will provide a hands-on workshop designed to help participants identify opportunities to set their stores up for retail success. In between the morning and afternoon session, a lunch will be provided.
Phibbs continues: “One thing hasn't changed about brick-and-mortar retail: The more you make people feel they matter, the more they will buy. Using these new ideas will help in your ability to do that better than anyone else!”
To register or learn more about the Retail Innovation Summit, please visit: https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2019/educational-sessions/nammu/retail-innovation-summit
34th Annual NAMM TEC Awards
The Technical Excellence and Creativity (TEC) Awards has announced that stand-up comedian and entertainer extraordinaire Demetri Martin will return as the host of the 34th Annual NAMM TEC Awards. The TEC Awards take place during The NAMM Show on Saturday, January 26, 2019.
The in-demand and unconventional humorist who just released his latest Netflix special, The Overthinker, is known for his deadpan delivery style, humorous quips, and impeccable timing. After his rousing and successful hosting of the 2018 TEC Awards, the organization was pleased to invite Martin back for another year. Of returning to the Show Martin shared, "I'm excited to return to host the NAMM TEC Awards. I had fun last year, and I plan to be even more prepared this time. I'm going to write several new jokes and hopefully, learn to play at least one new chord on my guitar for the event."
The NAMM TEC Awards are bestowed annually in honor of the many individuals, companies and technical innovations used in sound recordings, films, broadcast television, and video games, with the 2019 nominees announced earlier this year here. On the evening of the awards, the winners in 31 categories of products and projects in the areas of Technical or Creative Achievement will be announced.
Purchase tickets on site or in advance here for $65 (General Admission) or $195 (VIP). The show begins with a VIP-only reception at 6PM, followed by the awards ceremony at 7PM, held in the Hilton Anaheim Hotel’s Pacific Ballroom.
www.tecawards.org
AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio 2019
Once again, taking place concurrent with The NAMM Show 2019, the AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium will provide a series of hands-on training sessions and technical presentations from expert presenters. Topics to be covered will touch upon the latest line array technology and applications; live mixing console training; entertainment wireless technology and in-ear monitoring; recording studio technology and applications; microphones: studio and live; and sound system measurement and optimization.
Discounted Registration for The NAMM Show 2019 is available to AES@NAMM attendees. See Registration page for details at http://www.aes.org/events/AESatNAMM/2019/
January 24-27
The NAMM Show 2019
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, CA
www.namm.org/thenammshow/2019
