The Women’s International Music Network founder Laura B. Whitmore will moderate an insightful and educational panel at the 2020 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California on Sunday January 19, 2020 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. Founded in 1901, The National Association of Music Merchants is held each January in Southern California, uniting over 115,000 registrants from 130 countries and regions at the global Crossroads of music, sound and entertainment technology. Their mission is to strengthen the music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. It is the world’s largest trade-only event for the music products, pro audio and event tech industry and a badge is required for entry.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
New Music Launch Checklist: How to Get Your Music Out There (Double Session)
Laura B. Whitmore, Mad Sun Marketing, Singer-Songwriter and Women’s International Music Network (Moderator), and Panel
You’ve finished a new music project. Now, you face the daunting task of releasing it to a noisy world with endless choices and distractions. What do you do next? Find out at this panel discussion of artists and industry execs, and get expert tips and advice for launching your new music. They’ll look at timing, assets, launch strategy, social media, communication, budgets and much more. Hosted by marketer, entrepreneur and singer-songwriter Laura B. Whitmore, this panel will give you real strategies for sharing your music with the world.
About Laura B. Whitmore
Laura B. Whitmore is a graduate of Hofstra University with a B.S. in Music Merchandising and an M.B.A. in Marketing. As the marketing manager for Korg USA for 20 years, she was instrumental in marketing, PR and artist relations for the Korg, Marshall, and VOX brands. She was also editor of Korg’s ProView Magazine. Prior to that, she worked in the Direct Marketing department of CBS Records.
In 2008 Whitmore left Korg USA and founded Mad Sun Marketing, a boutique agency that specializes in marketing, PR, artist relations, event production, graphic design, and more for music and audio companies. Past and current clients of Mad Sun include 108 Rock Star Guitars, Academic Superstore, Acoustic Amplification, Agile Partners, Breedlove Guitars, Colby Amplifiers, Dean Markley USA, Korg, KVRaudio, MusicFirst, Muse Research, NewBay Media, Notion Music, Peavey, R&M Tone Technology, SIR Entertainment Services, SIR Stage37, SoundTree, Sterling Audio, Take Me To The River, and more.
A singer-songwriter herself, Whitmore was the editor of Guitar World’s AcousticNation.com and the creator of the GuitarWorld.com featured blog series, Guitar Girl’d. She writes regularly for industry media outlets including Parade.com, Guitar World, Acoustic Guitar, MI Professional, In Tune and more. Whitmore has hosted and moderated many workshops and panels at events such as NAMM, Digital Hollywood, and SXSW on the topics of women in music, marketing, PR, apps and music making, songwriting, and more.
In 2013, she founded the She Rocks Awards which pays tribute to women in the music industry. This high-energy evening includes live music, awards and speeches, celebrity appearances, a fabulous silent auction, amazing gift bags and much more. Previous award recipients include Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, The B-52s, Colbie Caillat, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Ronnie Spector, Orianthi, Lisa Loeb, The Bangles, Esparanza Spalding, and many more, plus a collection of role models from all walks of the music and audio industries. The awards show is held during the Winter NAMM Convention and a badge is not required to attend.
In 2015 she and Brad Tolinski (former editor of Guitar World) launched a live event series called BackStory (backstoryevents.com) that is streamed live with major media partners like Guitar World, Parade.com and AOL.com. Guests have included Andy Grammer, Paula Cole, Orianthi, Colbie Caillat, Amy Lee, Ace Frehley, Roger Waters, Zakk Wylde, Tom Jones and many more.
