My First NAMM Show: Reflections on Music, Community, and the Work Ahead
- Feb 5
- 6 min read
What Brought Me to NAMM
My name is Ini, and I'm a multimedia artist and student who had the opportunity to attend the 2026 NAMM Show as an intern with We Make Noise. For those unfamiliar, The NAMM Show is a massive trade show hosted by the National Association of Music Merchants, designed to bring the global music, sound, and entertainment tech community together under one roof. It's where awards ceremonies and educational sessions unfold, but most notably, where exhibitions showcase the latest innovations in music technology. With so many people from all corners of the music field in one place, industry professionals make deals and make friends while shaping the future of music.
This experience was made possible thanks to Yamaha’s partnership with We Make Noise. This opportunity was extended to the members of our WMN HUB community in the form of free passes to The NAMM Show. I didn't know exactly what to expect walking in, but I knew this would be a chance to see the industry up close in a way I never had before.
Sensory Overload in the Best Way
The exhibition hall was larger than the eye could see, spanning multiple floors and buildings. There were dedicated areas for stages and panels, fully booked with talks and performances throughout the weekend. The Anaheim Convention Center is sprawling—over 1.8 million square feet—and I quickly learned that comfortable shoes aren't optional.
When we arrived Thursday morning, an electrifying performance from NiNi greeted us on the Yamaha Grand Plaza stage. The set combined melodies from traditional Chinese folk instruments with heavy metal and EDM, a fusion that followed me home via one of my newly updated seasonal playlists. It set the tone for the entire weekend: unexpected, genre-breaking, and impossible to ignore.
Some other notable exhibits that caught my attention included the Idea Center, a learning hub that staged insightful talks about topics relevant to today's industry, and a newsstand stocked with music magazines and refreshments for those needing a breather. Parked in the hall was the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a fully equipped mobile recording studio that travels the country offering free music education and recording opportunities to young people. Personally, the open drum circle became a weekend highlight for me, drawing in spontaneous participation in a rhythm session that was both a performance and group meditation.
As I explored the hall, I quickly made some realizations: NAMM is loud. It's crowded. Your feet will hurt. Notes for next time: bring earplugs, wear light clothes, carry as little as possible, and wear the comfiest shoes you own. Given the sheer size of the Anaheim Convention Center and the endless walking between buildings, floors, and booth sections, you'll rack up miles without even realizing it. Downloading the NAMM app ahead of time is a must; it lets you craft a schedule, reference maps, and take notes as you go.
Retrospectively, I'd also recommend thinking about your frame of mind as you enter the space. What is your goal? What are you seeking, and what are you representing? Having clarity on that made navigating the overwhelming scope of the event more intentional.
And yes, the experience was overwhelming, but in a positive way. So many variations of instruments and gear were on display, and talented musicians filled every corner. It was undoubtedly the greatest volume of music equipment I had ever been surrounded by. Some were artists performing sets for booths scattered around the venue, while many others were attendees excitedly testing and jamming with display items, turning the floor into an exciting cacophony that was essentially a massive jam session, disjointed yet melodic.
The Takeaways
Browsing the show floor left me with a much clearer picture of the different types of companies that make up the music ecosystem. There are so many corners of the industry that I hadn't considered to be linked through the music field. I saw booths from Fender, KORG, the MIDI Association, Roland, and more, each representing vital nodes that continually shape the possibilities of music-making.
I loved looking at gear and learning more about current music tech. I was particularly intrigued by Stylophone's On-The-Fly Performance sequencer (paired with their DS-2 synthesizer, of course), and the playful beat makers and synths brought by Blipbox. Every booth felt like a new rabbit hole to fall into, and I found myself scribbling down product names and bookmarking websites for later exploration.
I also gained knowledge of trends in the industry based on themes in NAMM's programming. Sessions covered topics like social media and digital marketing for artists, navigating the next generation of music in an unclear and evolving world, leveraging AI for growth, and business strategy. These practical sessions reflected the immediate concerns being discussed by people actively shaping the industry.
Seeing so many people gathered for the sake of music reinforced how much this industry means to people. It was great to be among a community of people who genuinely cherish the arts.
Community and Representation at NAMM
The attendees were mainly white men, a fact I knew was likely to be the case. Even though I walked in with this assumption, seeing the demographics of the event up close gave me a better understanding of the gap. The music industry definitely has many diverse voices and talents, but they remain underrepresented in spaces where deals are made, relationships are formed, and the direction of the industry is influenced.
Gender equity at NAMM has been an ongoing conversation, with Women of NAMM supporting leadership development initiatives for women since 2018. It was at the Women of NAMM reception where I learned about the WoN NAMM Show Scholarship, which sponsors women seeking to expand their network and leadership by supporting their attendance at The NAMM Show.
As grateful as I was to attend events such as these, as a nonbinary artist, I was keeping an eye out for spaces that honored and uplifted the contributions queer people have had on music and culture. Unfortunately, I was left seeking this throughout the show, and I feel that the experience could have been even more meaningful if these values were reflected in the programming and community spaces.
That said, there were still so many people who were there, sacrificing time and energy to advance the art of music with a passion for evolving the art form. This is a common goal, and achieving it requires diverse talent and experiences. To this end, we need to make sure that women and gender-expansive artists of all backgrounds have the resources to continue making significant contributions to the field.
A Post Mortem of NAMM 2026
After going to The NAMM Show this year, I felt inspired to make music as soon as I got home. Seeing interesting gear, watching talented musicians, and learning new techniques was motivating and artistically stimulating, and it all reminded me why I fell in love with music in the first place. Seeing and hearing from the people who develop the ubiquitous music technologies essential to music entertainment evolved my personal relationship with the brands. The brands that I know and love have turned from names and logos to the cumulative projects of teams of passionate problem-solvers and innovators. It was also great to meet and hear from industry professionals who believe in the mission of advancing gender equity through music and technology. The WMN team spent much of the event connecting with changemakers from all corners of the industry, including historical partners from Ableton, AIAIAI, and Save the Music.
At the same time, being at NAMM gave me a better understanding of the work that still needs to be done to create a more inclusive and creative industry. There weren't a lot of artists from younger generations, but those present were expressive, inquisitive, and excited. As I wandered the halls, I saw the reflection of these feelings in the eyes of others similar in age, identity, and experience to me. These budding young artists took up space on the show floor as they immersed themselves in product demos, and on the stages in and surrounding the convention, and I am excited for the growth of the next generation of the music industry.
Thanks to WMN, I was able to access resources that will help me advance my personal journey as a creative. Experiencing The NAMM Show gave me a firsthand taste of how important experiences like these are for innovative creatives who are traditionally left out or disregarded in the music industry.
How You Can Support This Work
There are so many ways to support WMN and make an impact on women and gender-expansive artists around the world. Experiences like mine are only possible because of our contributors, partners, and community.
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Written by Ini Obong
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