January 25, 2022 I Event
Believe in Music Sees 15,000 Attendees from 120 Countries
On Jan. 20, NAMM’s virtual Believe in Music opened to welcome virtual attendees from 120 countries and territories for professional development, live interviews, networking opportunities and performances. The event, which was billed as a preview of The 2022 NAMM Show and closed Jan. 23, saw participants engage with brands, a full suite of education spanning 11 tracks and 115 speakers, view new products at the NAMM 2022 gear sneak peek, and enjoy the Believe TV’s livestream of interviews with top artists.
“This year’s Believe in Music event served as a bridge in bringing our global industry together as we make our way to The NAMM Show in June. The industry-enhancing education, quality content and valuable networking opportunities were important reminders of just some of what we experience at the show,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO. “And while gathering virtual is a great way to experience aspects of The NAMM Show, in my opinion, there is no substitute for stepping onto the Anaheim campus, running into old friends, and discovering new products, strategies and tools to help propel your business forward.”
For the 15,000 registrants, the event created a social network of industry activity from members across the globe to network and learn. At press time, NAMM said that international registrants from Afghanistan to Zambia representing more than 120 countries and territories attended, and nearly 20,000 messages and contacts were exchanged or made.
With all eyes focused on the June reunion in Anaheim, California, Believe in Music served as a preview of the event to come.
Tom Sumner, president of Yamaha Corporation of America, shared: “For Yamaha, Believe in Music served as an important ‘road stop’ on the way to The NAMM Show. We’re grateful for the technology to connect us all, but nothing beats being together in person. We look forward to returning to The NAMM Show to launch new products, reconnect with global partners, meet with our dealers, and unite with the industry at large.”
“We’re very excited to return to the June show,” said Jeremy Chapman, owner of The Acoustic Shoppe. “I am looking forward to the return to normal that only comes from meeting face-to-face with our vendors and manufacturers, the NAMM Idea Center sessions, and seeing and feeling the newest products in person that we can bring back to our customers…We always come back from the show energized and ready to grow.”
On Thursday, Believe TV, hosted by Joe Lamond and Herb Trawick of Pensado’s Place, featured a day of industry updates and live keynote interviews with notable artists, including a special opening interview with Keb’ Mo’. When asked about the importance of gear and who influences the design of gear — the artists or the manufacturer — Keb’ Mo’ expressed his gratitude. “Any time I pick up any piece of gear, I know that there’s a bunch of people standing there who put that gear together… It really speaks to how much help you’re getting when you’re going for your dream. So, there’s a deep sense of gratitude so that I can play and have my dream, and hopefully, when they’re making the gear, they have their dream too.”
Believe in Music’s Business Track brought together the top minds in the industry to offer actionable strategies, tactics and best practices for music retailers and brands to navigate to the next level. At the heart of the track were NAMM U sessions on pressing topics, including a keynote-style session from author, futurist, and “Retail Prophet” Doug Stephens, “The Customer of the Future.” Stephens shared key shifts in demographics, technology, economics, and media, all of which are changing the very essence of how customers buy as we emerge from the pandemic.
Other top-of-mind sessions included “How to Use Facebook Ads to Increase Your Lesson Students” from Ayana Webb of The Musical Webb; “Social Media, Video and Digital Ads: Keys to Online Marketing for 2022” with Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11; and Dennis Stafford of Organiksol Marketing, who presented “Music Retail: How to Put Artist and Influencer Marketing to Work.”
The 2022 NAMM Show is scheduled to be held June 3–5 in Anaheim.
