Entertainment Tech Pros Engaged With Their Community at The 2024 NAMM Show
When you attend the annual NAMM Show, you’ll find the whole gamut of music industry professionals. Entertainment tech pros were among the mix of 62,000+ attendees this year, and members of this community came together via the variety of entertainment tech-focused education sessions, networking opportunities and trade show floor activities.
On the education schedule, Richard Cadena, a seasoned lighting designer and entertainment technology media professional, appeared to give a handful of ESTA-curated sessions. Cadena presented “Powering Your Festival Stage With Batteries and Solar,” where he covered the pros and cons of using battery power for the stage and how to solve common challenges. In “Clean Power for Audio, Video and Lighting Systems,” Cadena discussed the difference between “clean power” and “dirty power” and how each affect live audio, video and lighting.
Other sessions included “Healthy Touring — Maintaining a Healthy Headspace on the Road,” where psychotherapists Jodi Milstein and Whitney O’Malley explored how touring professionals can improve group dynamics and reduce chronic stress while on the road; “Pulling the Plug: When to Cancel, and What Comes Next,” covered reasons why an event may need to be canceled and factors to consider when making that call.
The NAMM Show also offered opportunities for industry pros to gain new skills. Hands-on training included Dante Networking 101 + Bootcamp, and Dante Certification Level 1. In the Level 1 certification session, participants used a personal computer to learn how to design, set up and operate a Dante audio/video system on a single network switch as well as gain an understanding of the fundamentals in digital audio, digital video and networking.
After a day of learning, attendees could let their hair down at social hours like ESTA’s Happy Hour for Behind the Scenes, where people enjoyed meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
A stroll to Hall A brought you to the pro lighting and hazing fog machine exhibitors. Live event pros could discover international and U.S. brands exhibiting both legacy and newly launched products. Act Entertainment, American DJ, Eliminator Lighting, German Light Products, SGM Light and Rasha were among the brands connecting with attendees who explored their latest offerings.
The Parnelli Awards held Friday night placed the spotlight on backstage professionals. The awards, now in its twenty-second year, recognized the highest achievers and innovators in the live event industry, including touring, pro audio, concerts, lighting, staging, rigging and video. Highlights included Solotech/Taylor Swift winning Lighting Company of the Year; Sound Image/Jimmy Buffett taking home Sound Company of the Year; and 4Wall/Metallica being recognized as Video Production Company of the Year.
There’s a special energy at The NAMM Show, where all the music industry’s communities come together to gain unique business and personal growth opportunities. Retailers, manufacturers, pro audio, artists, influencers and entertainment tech pros engaged with each other and with their niche communities. With international attendance up by 40.8% from the previous year, the show gave attendees the chance to discover worldwide brands. If you didn’t make it to the show this year, we look forward to you being part of it all in 2025.
Attend The NAMM Show
Check out The NAMM Show page, where you can register to attend the largest global gathering of the music products industry. Discover worldwide brands, participate in product demos and find the latest tools of the trade for your business. In addition to exploring the latest gear, participate in educational sessions for NAMM member communities, including retail, brands, professional audio, music technology, live event production, music education, artists, nonprofit and community leaders, college students and more.
About the Author
Jessica A. Baris is a writer on the marketing team at NAMM and editor of Playback Blog. She covers member stories and topics relevant to the music products industry and its many communities. She leads a musical life as a Latin dancer, growing singer and player of small instruments, including castanets, clave and tongue drum.