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From navigating the shifting sands of the music industry to steering teams through external economic shocks, political upheaval and global crises, turbulence doesn’t just test your strategy, it tests your people. Sarah Yule’s career has been defined by leading in uncertain times. Through her career at Orange Amps and beyond, she’s discovered ways to build resilience, retain team motivation, foster trust and aim for clarity. In this Idea Center session, join Yule to explore practical strategies for navigating disruption — so when external forces challenge your plans, you can turn u

Live from the Idea Center at The NAMM Show, join Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond and Julia Olsen for a special conversation around their insights on the future of leadership. In this session, you’ll discover how to level up your leadership style through the art of meaningful conversation. The ReVoicing the Future team has spent the past five years interviewing top industry leaders on this Women of NAMM podcast. Now, they’ll share the most powerful lessons they’ve learned to help you develop as a leader. Find out how listening, preparation, and authentic storytelling can build t

Rapid growth can be exciting, but it can also stretch your team, finances and operations to the limit. AIMM Executive Director and music retail expert Eric Matzat shared practical strategies drawn from real‑world experience. He covered how to negotiate smarter leases, manage operational strain, support team culture across multiple locations and safeguard cash flow during acquisitions. We learned tools for reducing risk, building resilient systems and creating an environment where people and performance thrive. Whether you’re planning your next location or refining your current ope

Want better results on social media? In this NAMM Idea Center session from The 2026 NAMM Show, marketing strategist Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11 shared the framework he uses to help brands, retailers and creators grow on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Discover how to use AI tools like ChatGPT to spark stronger ideas, sharper hooks and more engaging videos — without losing your authentic voice.

What does it take to stay relevant, profitable and thriving for five decades in the music products industry? In this rapid-fire NAMM Idea Center session from The 2026 NAMM Show, Gayle and Russ Beacock shared their proven ideas, traits and strategies from their indie retail powerhouse, Beacock Music, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in business this year. From simple tricks and reminders to timeless and not-so-obvious best practices, these real-world insights are designed to spark new thinking and inspire you to apply what works. Join Gayle and Russ Beacock, who run the Vancou

How do you build a lesson program designed for consistent growth? How do you create a system to convert prospects to students — and keep them for the long run? Lessons expert Rory Cain of Opus1 showed us how to get started at this NAMM Idea Center session from The 2026 NAMM Show.  He not only broke down the customer journey of a strong lesson program but also showed how to measure performance at every step — from the first inquiry to long‑term enrollment. Cain also revealed how to pinpoint key conversion levers and uncover hidden bottlenecks in a program that stalled growth. Don’t

If you’re tired of pouring time and money into events that don’t move the needle, this session is for you! At this NAMM Idea Center session from The 2026 NAMM Show, Phil Mershon, author of Unforgettable: The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences, shared a practical model for transforming digital buzz into real‑world attendance and post‑event loyalty.  Drawing on examples from retailers, manufacturers and creative brands, he showed how to design promotions that engaged audiences before, during and after an event. You’ll uncover the psychology behind why people attend, w

At The 2026 NAMM Show, we dove into what it really took to drive foot traffic in a world where customers could buy anything, anytime. In this powerful half-hour session, industry veteran Tim Pratt of Dietze Music revealed actionable ways he had been getting buying customers into his music retail stores. Focusing on customer experience, layout and store design, he shared proven strategies that helped build Dietze Music into an award‑winning company. Most of all, attendees discovered how he created repeat business and turned customers into raving fans.

AI is changing everything we do, from writing emails to informing our decisions. In this session, attendees discovered practical tips for incorporating AI into their music retail businesses without risking their data, brand, or sanity — no computer degree required! CJ Averwater of Amro Music covered what to use and what to avoid, and also shared tips that helped participants look like geniuses — even if they couldn’t spell “algorithm.”

The final morning of The 2026 NAMM Show closed out with "Best in Show," a roundup of the biggest products, services and technologies at NAMM. Moderated by Frank Alkyer of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, the session featured a panel of gear experts and buyers who shopped the show floor to bring you their top picks, including Jim Tuerk of Reverb, Laura Penrose of Nick Rail Music and Penrose Strings, Geoff Metts of Five Star Guitars, Cyph Shah of Astro Audio Video Lighting, Robert Christie of A & G Central Music and Gayle Beacock of Beacock Music.  Here are the winners in

Shipping musical instruments, parts, accessories and equipment isn’t always easy, and it’s rarely inexpensive. If you're not moving shipments in high volumes, getting competitive rates can feel out of reach. The good news is that you have options to decrease shipping expenses without having to rely on volume discounts. There are ways to make small package shipping easier and more cost-effective for you and your business:   Create right-sized packaging for your shipments. Optimize packaging by determining what size works best for your shipments, eliminating extra space to avoid c

We work in one of the world’s most exciting industries, but too few people know about us. Ask someone what it means to have a music career, and they’ll likely picture a high school band director or a drummer with a day job. Rarely do they imagine someone managing logistics for a touring company, running finance at a global retail business or building the promotional strategy for a boutique pedal line. It’s time to shift that perception and open the pipeline to more talented, passionate people — for our industry, and for your company. Discover NAMM’s Careers in Music program. We cr