Anaheim, CA—The NAMM Show marks 125 years in 2026, and it’s been an interesting ride—particularly the last five years. The pandemic kicked in right after the 2020 edition, so the 2021 convention was replaced by a virtual event, the 2022 and 2023 shows were each held in later in the year, 2024 saw the convention’s heralded return to its traditional January timeslot and 2025 found the NAMM Show moving to an expanded five-day format while simultaneously assuring the industry that it was still taking place despite the L.A. wildfires being fought 60 miles away. Whew; that feels like 125 years all by itself.
The 2026 edition—the vaunted 125th anniversary—finds NAMM building on success, however, as it fine-tunes the new five-day structure and addresses the challenges of the current economy head-on.
“When you have a big anniversary or milestone or birthday, you get to make a longer speech,” NAMM president/CEO John Mlynczak says with a chuckle. “I’m not going to focus on ‘Congratulations, NAMM,’ but more like, ‘Why does our industry have the longest running national trade association? What is it about music-making and products in our industry that has shown resiliency over literally every other industry?’”
TAKING ON TARIFFS
That’s not just idle talk, either. The economic upheaval of the last 12 months has affected all industries, and the ones NAMM represents—pro audio and MI—have not been immune. However, the fact that they and NAMM itself have always been proactive and creative in their efforts to keep moving forward is significant, says Mlynczak: “That theme of resiliency is going to be important because it propels us to the next [NAMM Show]. We had to be resilient in 2025. We had to be resilient in 2008 and 2021 and there have been a lot of other times we’ve had to be resilient.”
When tariffs were first implemented last spring, most manufacturers across the industry found themselves having to re-strategize. “On the manufacturer side, their costs have gone up across the board, so they’re absorbing that,” notes Mlynczak, “but moreover, it was the distraction of not being able to innovate because you’re on defense instead of offense—and they had to play defense for six months.”
Starting around October, however, outlooks began to change, he says: “What’s happened is, because they were on defense so long, now they’re running the plays super hard on offense. Everyone’s playing catch up because things have settled down: There’s the one-year agreement for China. We had a good Q4. Holiday sales went well. Consumers are buying in the U.S. Suddenly, what would have been six months of planning [for the NAMM Show] and readying new releases and energy building, that’s happened in about six weeks! The energy is compressed, and it is exciting to see the brands switch to offense. We hear about all the embargoed new products, we get the plans about what they’re doing, and they’re going all out. We’ll see a flurry of activity at the NAMM Show.”
PACKING THE PRO AUDIO HALL
One of the places visitors will see that optimistic return to form will be inside ACC North—the two-level hall dedicated to pro audio. Inside it each year are hundreds of brands displaying new hardware, software, services and more for audio professionals. While there are some pro-audio companies that exhibit in the main halls, the vast majority can be found in ACC North, resulting in a space that has all the excitement and spectacle of the main halls, but with a specialized, dedicated focus on the needs and interests of audio professionals. Bringing together so many different companies from across pro audio and putting them in one building has its own appeal, too—not only for attracting attendees, but the exhibitors as well. Simply put: There’s power in numbers.
“Pro Audio was one of the first halls to sell out for us,” Mlynczak reports. “That part of the industry is thriving, even through tariffs.” Crediting the enduring popularity of live music—often said to be economy-proof—the NAMM president/CEO cited the hall’s sizable demo rooms as a key attraction, because they allow visitors to not merely ogle a new line array or networking device, but see and hear them put to use.
“The demo rooms, that hall is absolutely going to be full, and it’s a lot of energy,” notes Mlynczak. “There are a lot of new products where the innovation is high; that entire sector of the industry is becoming so technical. I think what’s driving that is the expectation of more high-quality audio everywhere, whether it’s big stadiums, concert experiences or corporate applications. Audiences have higher expectations, so we’re seeing a lot of innovation to meet them.
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“The demo room experience is really key, then, because brands can show a holistic view of what they can do, not just ‘We’re on a trade show floor. This is our new speaker. It’s black and it’s powder-coated.’ The demo rooms provide the opportunity for a lot of interactivity, and brands are upping their game as part of the show. I’ve seen this for a few years—it’s not just the product; they’re bringing in artists and putting on amazing performances. Do not miss out on what these brands are putting on in their demo rooms. Don’t walk by a demo room and think, ‘Oh, that’s a speaker pitch,’ because it is an experience, and it’s one that you should really take advantage of.”