Kick Off NAMM Week With Expanded Education Summits
Get ready to kick off your NAMM week with even more opportunities to collect actionable insights from industry experts. The 2027 NAMM Show will expand its education lineup with three days of immersive education summits on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It’s your chance to dive in and discover new ideas and innovations at the start of a five-day event schedule.
This year's program will feature a broader range of half-day summits, giving you more opportunities to explore a range of education opportunities. You’ll discover new strategies, tactics and skills from expert presenters that dig deep, offering you an in-depth education experience that’s relevant to your field.
Space is limited for the paid summits, so be sure to secure your seat early for your top choices. Summits are $60 per half-day event ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline) and $120 per full-day event ($150 after the Nov. 13 deadline). Here’s the lineup — current as of Sept. 1, 2026.
Also, discover more education sessions at The 2027 NAMM Show when the app opens on Sept. 23.
NAMM Succession Summit
How to Build Value in Your Business — Whether Buying or Selling
Tuesday, January 26
9 am-12 pm
Every business owner will want to understand the key drivers of business value and how to prepare for a successful exit, whether that transition is years away or imminent. Through real-world case studies and industry examples, Alan Friedman of Friedman, Kannenberg and Co. and Daniel Jobe of Music Retail Accountants and Specialists, LLC will reveal the critical difference between simply operating a business and building one that others want to buy.
Participants will explore what buyers and successors actually look for and discover the valuation factors that matter most — and find out how to avoid common succession planning mistakes. You'll gain actionable strategies for increasing business value before a transition and understand the distinct approaches for internal, family and third-party succession options. Walk away with a clear roadmap for maximizing long-term value and positioning your business for a successful handoff.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
NAMM Financial Summit
Bridging the Gap Between Cash Flow and Profitability
Tuesday, January 26
1-4 pm
A business can be profitable on paper and still struggle to pay its bills. It can also generate cash in the short term while underlying profitability continues to erode. Understanding the difference and the relationship between cash flow and profitability is critical to the long-term financial success of every business.
This interactive session will help music retailers, manufacturers and distributors determine whether issues with profitability, cash flow or a combination of both is holding their business back. Participants will discover how to recognize financial warning signs, identify the metrics that matter most and take action before temporary challenges become long-term problems.
Using real-world examples in the music products industry, the summit will explore common issues, such as working-capital constraints, shrinking margins, excessive inventory levels and ever-increasing operating expenses. Participants will discover how to diagnose the source of financial pressure and apply targeted strategies to improve cash flow, strengthen profitability and build a more resilient business. Given the interconnected but often overlooked strategic partnership between music retailers, manufacturers and distributors, everyone in attendance will walk away with a newfound appreciation for the challenges each other faces.
Join music-industry financial experts Alan Friedman of Friedman, Kannenberg & Company, P.C., and Daniel Jobe of Music Retail Accountants & Specialists for a practical explanation of the numbers, decisions and strategies that drive lasting financial success.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
Music Education Advocacy Summit
Tuesday, January 26
1-4 pm
Join education policy experts for an interactive briefing on the current state of music education advocacy. This first-ever summit of its kind at The NAMM Show will cover the funding landscape, key policy levers and strategies for building effective coalitions to support music programs in schools.
Participants will walk away with practical tools and messaging ready to implement immediately. You'll gain actionable insights and resources to bring straight back to your state and use in your advocacy efforts for music education funding.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
Music Education Leaders Summit
Wednesday, January 27
9 am-6 pm
Join education and industry leaders for the Music Education Leaders Summit, a forward-looking exploration of how music education prepares students for success in a rapidly changing world — and opens the door to hundreds of careers throughout the music, sound and live event industries.
NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak will open the summit with a keynote framing the day's conversations around opportunities in music, workforce readiness and the enduring value of music learning. A panel of Disney Live Entertainment Imagineers will illuminate the many careers and pathways available across music and the arts, including creative technical, business and production roles beyond the stage, while sharing how music education helped build the skills that continue to drive their professional success.
The program will also feature a discussion with national music education leaders and music industry human resources professionals examining the durable workforce skills deeply embedded in music education — including creativity, collaboration, communication, adaptability, discipline and problem-solving — and why these distinctly human capabilities are becoming even more valuable in the age of AI.
Registration fee: $120 ($150 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
NAMM AI Marketing Summit
Wednesday, January 27
9 am-12 pm
AI is rewriting how work gets done and how buying decisions get made. And whether you're a retailer or a brand, this exclusive NAMM Show education summit will give you the mindset shifts to make sense of AI, the frameworks to make it usable and the strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11 advises music brands, retailers and independent businesses on the marketing challenges and opportunities that AI creates — drawing from real experience in how this industry actually operates.
What you'll take away from this immersive three-hour workshop:
- A clear-eyed perspective on where AI belongs in your work and where it doesn't
- The difference between using AI and building with it — plus how to create repeatable tools and workflows
- Ready-made skills, workflows and agents you can implement immediately
- How to address AI's role in customer discovery and visibility
- A practical method for creating authentic social media content that stands out
Go into 2027 with an AI playbook, new tools you can put to work immediately, and a vision for where to focus next.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
TEC Tracks Studio Summit
Wednesday, January 27
9 am-12 pm
If you’re operating, building or managing a recording studio today, you know that disruption is a given. Staying ahead of trends isn’t optional — it’s essential. And in this full-day, expert-led education summit, you’ll hear directly from many of the most respected names in pro audio and studio operations, as they share the latest intelligence, strategies and ideas shaping the future of the studio business.
This year’s Studio Summit will cover such timely and essential topics as how AI is already changing music production; the future of studio design, acoustics and architecture; emerging revenue models; legal and financial best practices; and much more. Leave with actionable ideas and perspectives to move your business and career forward.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
TEC Tracks Live Sound Summit
Wednesday, January 27
1-4 pm
In this three-hour NAMM Live Sound Summit, industry-leading "road warriors" and staging geniuses will discuss the most relevant opportunities and issues facing live sound engineers. Summit moderator and industry luminary Daniel Liston Keller will lead the summit, bringing to the stage highly respected FOH engineers and crew to share their views on how rapidly evolving stage technologies are changing the creative possibilities of high-level touring. The emphasis will be on keeping it practical: what technologies teams are deploying now, what's coming next and how sound, lighting, visuals, automation and production infrastructure increasingly need to work as one system.
Attendees will receive a 30,000-foot view of the production and operational side of globally touring artist projects. They will gain useful perspective on how creative ideas ultimately translate into scalable touring productions. And they will discover how artist teams coordinate with production managers, designers, vendors and technical crews to execute those ideas.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
Women of NAMM: Leadership Amplified
Wednesday, January 27
1-4 pm
This interactive workshop from Women of NAMM is designed to help women reconnect with their personal power and translate that into meaningful career and life growth. Through a blend of practical frameworks, guided reflection and experiential exercises, participants will deepen their understanding of themselves and discover how to create tangible, lasting results in their life.
Presented by executive coach Emily Juricek, the summit will help participants identify their unique strengths, challenge their own limiting patterns and create a clear picture of what is next for their future. The workshop bridges the gap between personal leadership and real-world action, helping women clarify what they want, communicate it effectively and make decisions from a place of confidence and self-trust.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
TEC Tracks Sync Summit
Thursday, January 28
1-4 pm
The TEC Tracks Sync Summit is an intensive three-hour program designed for music creators who want to build sustainable careers through sync licensing. Hosted by Marcus Manderson, composer and producer of Da Fingaz Music, this comprehensive deep dive combines creative education, business guidance and actionable strategies to help attendees understand the current sync landscape and chart a clear path forward. Participants will discover how to create music that serves professional media, explore how music gets heard and licensed, and hear about emerging opportunities and market changes affecting imdependent creators. The summit will go beyond basic introductions, offering practical guidance directly from experts in the field.
At the heart of the Sync Summit is mastery of the craft: finding out why certain songs get chosen over others and how to write music that resonates with licensing professionals. Attendees will explore critical elements, including song structure, dynamics, arrangement, production quality and how to tailor music to different media formats — from film and television to advertising, gaming and beyond. Along with creative techniques, the program will address the business side of sync, covering copyright and publishing fundamentals, sustainable revenue strategies, career pathways in the sync industry and how to build a thriving sync business. By the end of the summit, participants will have a deeper understanding of how decisions get made in music licensing and the concrete steps needed to succeed.
Registration fee: $60 ($75 after the Nov. 13 deadline)
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To sign up for NAMM education summits, please log in or create your NAMM account. From the left-hand menu, select Badge Registration to register for the show and add any of the education summits. If you have already registered, you can also add summits directly through the link in your badge confirmation email.
About the Author
Zach Phillips serves as NAMM’s director of member services, where he oversees the organization’s education and membership initiatives. He previously served as director of professional development, where he led NAMM’s education programs for business, pro audio and live event professionals. He was also the editor of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, as well as a contributor to NBCChicago.com.