2021 NAMM Show Cancelled By Covid-19

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) organization has announced that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, next year’s NAMM Show – normally held annually in January – is being cancelled.

The NAMM Show has long been the most important event for the introduction of new music gear, ranging from traditional instruments to synths, drum machines and software.

In its place, NAMM plans to launch an online event, Believe in Music Week. Scheduled for the week of January 18, 2021, the event will feature a mix of programming and professional education, as well as an interactive marketplace.

Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO, says, “

“While it remains unsafe for us to gather in person in January, Believe in Music week will use new, intuitive technology to connect us all to harness the incredible energy that happens when we come together,” notes NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. “With a robust marketplace to launch new products and share your brand story, Believe in Music will also feature networking and matchmaking for our buyers and our sellers, education for all segments of the industry, and live music and concerts.”

Several related events will be held the same week:

  • The 36th TEC Awards will recognize the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and multimedia. The TEC Awards call for entries is now open through August 31: www.TECAwards.org
  • The Top 100 Dealer Awards will also be celebrated during the week. Now in its 10th year, the annual awards honor music retailers who have demonstrated a commitment to best practices, creativity and innovation in retail. The submissions process is now open for NAMM retail members and will close on October 2, 2020.
  • Along with the award shows, music advocates will come together for The Grand Rally for Music Education. The annual event convenes music education advocates for a celebration of the benefits and pleasures of making music.

Additional details on the event plans are available at the event site.

8 thoughts on “2021 NAMM Show Cancelled By Covid-19

  1. So sad but so wise!! It’s great with how they will be doing an Alternative event ‘Believe in Music Week’ !!! I support that 100%!!

  2. Look, i get sick at Namm on a regular year, with all the shouting, and 1000s of people in close proximity from all over the world. There is not a thing they could do to entirely keep Namm from being a super spreader event this year. It might have ended humanity entirely. I think this was a very wise move to cancel.

  3. This is the only smart option. There’s simply no way that I’d want to be manning our booth in January. I’ve been lucky not to get sick the last few times, but there’s no way I’d be comfortable with thousands of people passing by and the hundreds of conversations I’d have to have while showing hardware each day.

  4. Sucks, but it’s the only responsible thing to do. I wonder how manufacturers are going to approach the product launch cycle now, will they just announce products as they become ready (rather than rushing to meet artificial deadlines) or try to coordinate launches across the industry to provide a feast of news over a short period?

  5. Why not just move NAMM to Portland or Seattle, media and congress seems to think things there are heading in the right direction.

  6. Masks should be required at NAMM every year! We could all wear Daft Punk style helmets and use Bluetooth transmitters to speak to people in our immediate proximity.

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