Zach Phillips brings us the latest news on The NAMM Show

After several attempts, we finally had the honor of speaking with NAMM’s Director of Member Services, Zach Phillips, who made room in his schedule to chat about all the work he and his team have been doing for NAMM, the educational part of the organization, and their annual event, The NAMM Show.

Zach’s Experience as a musician 

Before Zach shared everything related to NAMM, we wanted to learn a bit about his previous career as a musician. He made it very clear that he was a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and singer. Even though he now devotes most of his time to NAMM, he keeps writing songs, recording music, and releasing albums.

With regard to his favorite genres, he loves hip-hop, but the types of music he usually plays are Americana and folk rock—which, in his own words, are not quite as interesting or complex as salsa.

He was also part of a band called Zach and The Walkins, but the music he releases today is under his own name and distributed on Spotify and other streaming services.

The Origins of The NAMM Show and Its Mission 

On the subject of NAMM, Zach began by explaining that NAMM is a non-profit organization at the service of the music, the sound, and the entertainment industry. Its primary mission has been to strengthen the industry and promote music-making since its founding in 1901, meaning that it has celebrated its 125 years of having been created.

The organization was created by a group of piano retailers, and its first trade show took place in 1909. While the founders are no longer living, they left a legacy that is still carried on the shoulders of those who are taking the project forward today.

The association provides many services for its members, the largest being The NAMM Show. The 2026 edition had an attendance of more than 60,000 people, more than 1,600 exhibitors and nearly 5,500 brands. In essence, NAMM remains an association passionate about music and the strengthening of the industry, something Zach does not see much to change.

One of the key things The NAMM Show continues to promote is the opportunity to network and stimulate innovation in the industry. It is a platform to offer new products and help brands expand their market presence. It also features a very important educational component containing around 250 sessions and panels covering ideas, strategies, and practices aimed at improving attendees’ performance.

Why Zach Decided to join NAMM 

The reason why Zach decided to join NAMM was the mission it offered. Strengthening the industry and promoting music are two vital causes for the artist, who joined NAMM in 2012. Before that, Zach worked as a trade journal editor, which led him to connect with NAMM to lead professional development and educational programs. Since then, his role has evolved. Today, he oversees member programs that include networking, music industry history, and career management within the industry, among other areas.

The association provides education 365 days per year. One such tool is NAMM U Online, where those interested can access classes and articles on how to get better and better in the business. Similarly, it has sessions focused on teaching everything about music store inventory and using social media to promote the music business and brand marketing.

Another program is TEC TRACKS, where students can learn everything they need to know about mixing and audio engineering directly from prominent producers and artists who share their expertise.

The NAMM Show 

The 2027 NAMM Show will take place in four months, specifically, from January 26 to 30 next year. For this upcoming edition, Zach and the rest of the NAMM team have begun to meet into at the organization’s offices a month ago, but the funny thing is that they are already working on the 2028 edition 16 months in advance.

In other words, they are not only preparing for the upcoming show throughout the previous year, but they are also working on the next two trade shows simultaneously. On this subject, Zach stated the following:

“The planning process includes everything from engaging the brands to make the most of, of the show platform, to, you know, building out the education program by, by finding the most talented speakers and thought leaders, and also planning hundreds of events at the NAMM Show. It’s, it’s, it’s… It is more than a year-round effort. it’s a tremendous feat that we do. NAMM staff’s only about 45 people, but we’re working on this year-round because it’s a big event.”

Zach also told us that, from 2027, the Bass Magazine Awards will move to The NAMM Show and be hosted in the Convention Center Arena. NAMM is also collaborating with a group called Backline Talk, which will present its own awards at the show as well.

Obviously live music could not miss. The Bands At NAMM program gives groups and singers the opportunity to submit their applications to the association to be selected to perform during the event. The lineup for next year’s show has not been announced yet, so we will be waiting for those names.

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