2015 Summer NAMM began with the “NAMM Retail Summit,” a NAMM U Breakfast Session that explored the strategies of NAMM Top 100 Dealers. In a series of one-on-one interviews with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond, the session looked at how these music products retailers are rising above the rest in a hyper-competitive marketplace.

Sam Ash Music took home a NAMM Top 100 Award for Best Online Presentation. At the “NAMM Retail Summit,” Sammy Ash, COO of the Hicksville, N.Y.-based company, joined NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond for a candid conversation about how the chain retailer reached its 91st year in business.

Carter Vintage Guitars won a NAMM Top 100 Award for Best Exterior. But a pretty storefront is just a small part of Carter’s story. In two years, the Nashville retailer, led by Walter and Christie Carter, has grown into a nearly $4 million business with a bustling location. During the “NAMM Retail Summit,” the Carters revealed their success strategies to NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. 

Gayle Beacock of Beacock Music in Vancouver, Wash., and Myrna Sislen of Middle C Music in Washington, D.C., operate under a simple but powerful strategy: Break down the barriers that keep people from making music. During the “NAMM Retail Summit,” NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond interviewed these two powerhouse independent retailers about how they execute this day in and day out.

At the “NAMM Retail Summit,” NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond called on Jon Haber, a previous NAMM Top 100 winner, for online retailing advice. Haber, owner of Middletown, N.Y.-based Alto Music, shared his strategies for transitioning from a brick-and-mortar-only retailer into a multichannel e-commerce powerhouse.

In 2014, Rand and Cindy Cook of The Candyman Strings and Things in Santa Fe, N.M., won NAMM’s Dealer of the Year award. Twelve months later, they regrouped with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond at the “NAMM Retail Summit.” There, they delved into the strategy behind their award-winning full-line store.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of “Best in Show.” To celebrate, host Frank Alkyer, publisher of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, has assembled a who’s who panel of independent music retail buyers. They’ve shopped the show floor, and here, they’ll reveal the best products and services at Summer NAMM.

What products and trends are driving the music industry? NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond addressed this question during “Breakfast of Champions,” the opening session at the 2015 NAMM Show. He kicked off the session by challenging the audience to stay open to new trends. "If we had an end zone for this session, even for the entire show, we’d want you to leave here informed but, maybe more importantly, inspired."

Synth pioneers Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith explored the analog synth revival with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond during “Breakfast of Champions” at the 2015 NAMM Show. Smith, who founded Sequential Circuits and now runs Dave Smith Instruments, attributed this trend, in part, to the individuality of analog synths. “We strive to give our instruments personality," he said.

Blake Augsburger, president of Harman Professional, weighed in on pro audio and live sound trends during “Breakfast of Champions” at the 2015 NAMM Show. In speaking with Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO, Augsburger commented, “where we’re seeing our main growth is in installation and touring, or live sound.”