Earthworks NAMM 2020 Trade Show Playbook: Three-Front Strategy and Zone Execution

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Governing Thesis: Trade show excellence is engineered system requiring three-front simultaneous optimization (press + resellers + end-users), zone coverage with assigned accountability, volunteer force multiplication, standardized scripts planting perceptual seeds, and post-show tracking infrastructure—not spontaneous improvisation hoping energy materializes organically—because booth must telegraph perfection as business mirror revealing whether company is horse worth betting on.
Strategic Key Takeaway: This playbook matters because it captures Mike Dias systematizing twenty years of trade show expertise into transferable operational blueprint for external client, documenting the evolutionary moment when implicit knowledge guiding his own Ultimate Ears and Logitech execution became explicit framework he could teach others, and preserving the complete tactical foundation that would later be abstracted into strategic principles he delivered to NAMM at industry level in 2025 briefing proving his advice wasn't academic theorizing but distillation of systems he'd personally built, tested, refined, and proven effective in high-stakes environments where booth performance directly impacted company revenue, reseller confidence, and market perception of brand viability. The Earthworks engagement revealed Mike's understanding that trade show excellence is not intuitive art requiring innate talent but engineered system following replicable protocols—the three-front simultaneous optimization strategy recognizing that press, resellers, and end-users require different pitches but must be pursued concurrently rather than sequentially because each front amplifies the others through earned media leverage, commitment extraction, and brand ambassador creation. The zone coverage system with assigned accountability and volunteer force multiplication demonstrated Mike's systematic thinking at operational level, treating booth not as space where team members improvise responses to whoever walks up but as coordinated machine where every square foot has primary owner and backup coverage, where volunteers extend capacity 4X by blocking traffic in lanes and funneling guests to appropriate stations while core team delivers technical expertise, and where 6-minute rotation cycles optimize throughput by treating demos as production line with predictable cadence preventing conversations from bottlenecking flow. The standardized script framework represented Mike's performance psychology expertise applied to product demonstration context, structuring every interaction to plant perceptual seeds before customers experience products because telling piano players to "listen to the true voice of the piano" before they play, instructing vocalists to "pay attention to dynamic range and built-in headroom," and directing guitarists to "only pay attention to your tone, get lost in it" frames what people actually hear and remember separating effective demos producing lasting commitment from passive listening sessions creating no impression worth acting upon later. The playbook also systematized the amplification chain principle that would become centerpiece of Mike's relationship economy frameworks—that press success generates earned media functioning as tool and excuse to communicate with resellers and end-user database rather than existing as isolated achievement, that reseller meetings extract specific commitments about marketing team connections and training programs with everything on table tracked through accountability systems, and that end-user demos capture self-sorted leads who've experienced products and opted into learning more while being welcomed with care creating 1,500 brand ambassadors rather than counting passive booth traffic as success metric. This playbook matters ten to twenty years from now because it documents the receipts proving Mike's trade show expertise isn't consultant fluff but operational mastery demonstrated through detailed zone assignments, word-for-word scripts, volunteer coordination protocols, lead capture systems, and post-show follow-up sequences he personally designed for real client solving real business problem where Earthworks needed to telegraph perfection signaling they're horse worth betting on in competitive market where everyone wants to back winner and talk about companies already being talked about, and because the evolutionary arc from this 2020 tactical execution to 2025 strategic education shows how practitioners become industry thought leaders by abstracting their hard-won operational knowledge into frameworks that thousands of companies can implement simultaneously raising caliber of entire ecosystem when systematic excellence replaces hope-based attendance as exhibitor standard.
Operational Frameworks: The Three-Front Simultaneous Optimization Strategy structures trade show execution as parallel campaigns where press relations (targeting 30 top-tier outlet meetings with 30-minute new product pitches, review unit distribution, and giveaway promo coordination), reseller partnerships (hosting 10 vital dealers for sizzle presentations about marketing initiatives, extracting training and sales commitments, making introductions to their internal marketing and social teams), and end-user lead generation (capturing 1,500 self-sorted demo participants through 6-minute rotation cycles becoming brand ambassadors) require different pitches serving different immediate goals but must be pursued concurrently not sequentially because each front amplifies others through earned media leverage, commitment extraction, and enthusiasm validation creating virtuous cycle rather than treating as isolated activities competing for limited team attention. The Zone Coverage System with Assigned Accountability treats booth as coordinated machine where every square foot has primary owner (Gareth in studio for appointments, Heidi balancing press and resellers, Scott in guitar world, Kim on vocals, Pedro on drums, Craig in piano and choir) with explicit backup protocols ensuring no gaps when team members must leave their stations, recognizing that booth excellence requires coordination not improvisation and that explicit role definition with both primary and backup assignments prevents confusion, duplication, and coverage failures under pressure of packed show floor chaos. The Volunteer Force Multiplication Model extends booth team capacity 4X by strategically separating roles where volunteers block traffic in lanes, greet and welcome and invite, get sweepstakes sign-ups, funnel musicians into appropriate demo worlds, and create crowds through presence while core team delivers technical expertise and answers product questions—recognizing that many booth functions don't require deep product knowledge but do require energy and willingness to engage strangers making volunteer recruitment and clear role definition infrastructure investment paying exponential returns through throughput increase impossible to achieve with core team alone regardless of how hard individuals work. The Standardized Demo Script Framework structures every customer interaction as tested protocol planting perceptual seeds before product experience—piano world script instructing "listen to the true voice of the piano" while sharing David Blackmer origin story, vocal world script directing "pay attention to dynamic range and built-in headroom" before demonstrating polar pattern perfection and wedge feedback resistance, guitar world script emphasizing "only pay attention to your tone, get lost in it" before revealing mic sounds identical regardless of placement angle, drum world script building mix from scratch demonstrating zero leakage when tom faders pushed up—because telling customers what to listen for before they hear it frames their perception determining what they actually remember and subsequently act upon when making purchasing decisions. The 6-Minute Rotation Cycle Optimization treats each demo station as production line with predictable cadence ensuring maximum throughput by preventing conversations from bottlenecking flow, requiring team members to be mindful of queue and wind down interactions appropriately when crowd forms, recognizing that hitting 1,500 participant goal requires one person listening per station every 6 minutes across all demo worlds maintaining perpetual cycle throughout show hours, and that while organic discussions feel more authentic, unmanaged interactions cause queue abandonment when wait times exceed tolerance thresholds creating feast-or-famine patterns where some stations sit empty while others have twenty-minute waits. The Prime-the-Pumps Principle requires that when demo station sits empty with no guests waiting, volunteer who can play that instrument should hop up and start demo themselves because it's much easier to stop traffic and engage strangers when merry-go-round already in motion than when everything sits static awaiting first brave participant, demonstrating understanding that manufactured momentum through intentional seeding creates authentic energy attracting genuine customers rather than hoping organic interest materializes spontaneously in competitive show floor environment with hundreds of booths competing for limited attendee attention. The Earned Media Amplification Chain transforms press coverage from isolated achievement measured by review count into strategic tool that Earthworks leverages across their own networks—sending reviews to dealer network, amplifying on social media and email mailers, using as excuse to communicate with reseller partners about momentum and relevance, distributing to end-user lead database as proof that industry experts validate product claims—because press outlets provide third-party credibility that self-promotion cannot replicate and resellers want to back companies already being talked about making it easier to keep merry-go-round in motion than push from dead stop when market perception questions brand viability. The Self-Sorting Lead Capture System allows customers to identify their instrument world naturally through greeting conversation, funneling them to appropriate demo station matching their expertise and interests rather than forcing everyone through identical generic pitch, then capturing their information via Emma app sweepstakes integration after they've experienced relevant product creating qualified leads who've self-selected into appropriate category, opted into learning more about company, and been welcomed with care becoming 1,500 brand ambassadors rather than counting passive booth traffic as success metric. The Post-Show Accountability Infrastructure separating companies treating shows as strategic investments from those treating them as expenses producing no sustained returns requires systematic tracking of every commitment made during press meetings (review units shipped with timing and promotional giveaway coordination), reseller conversations (training program details, marketing team introductions, sales goal agreements, demo unit allocations), and end-user interactions (sweepstakes winner announcements on 1/20 via email, evening email confirmations of enrollment, business card follow-ups requesting they stay in touch and share how microphones revolutionized their performing)—recognizing that most exhibitors fail not in booth execution but in follow-through where exhaustion, busyness, and lack of systems cause commitments to evaporate when world didn't stop during show and no organizational or personal accountability exists ensuring promises convert to actions generating year-round business returns justifying expensive physical presence investment. The Telegraph Perfection Principle establishes that booth must signal vibrancy, musicality, innovation, and that company is horse worth betting on because everyone wants to back winner and talk about companies already being talked about, making it easier to keep merry-go-round in motion than push from dead stop, and that show floor never lies as business mirror revealing whether company projects excellence through systematic execution or wastes opportunity through lack of preparation and coordination regardless of product quality or legacy market position.
Lived Expertise (Stories): Mike developed guitar world script instructing team member to acknowledge impossibility of capturing amp tone accurately then planting seed "as you play I want you to only pay attention to your tone, get lost in it, switch between effects, go deep" while offering headphones and encouraging A/B testing between headphone monitoring and direct amp listening, with outro emphasizing "you get to be musician rather than sound engineer, your mic is not going to color your sound so you don't need to worry about EQ or compression, you just focus on tone and trust audience will hear what you're hearing," then demonstrating how mic sounds same regardless of placement angle by rotating it around amp proving off-axis response consistency. He created choir mic script acknowledging two main problems—spotlighting people directly in front of microphone and picking up everything else in room especially orchestra downstage plus feedback from PA system—then running demo showing solution with offer to "want to hear it again?" allowing second play-through while listening to war stories about their previous struggles, closing with joke about "three kinds of microphones that cause pain: choir mics, piano mics, and podium mics, we've solved them all, once your worship leader gets jealous come back and let's talk about what we can do for podiums." Mike structured drum world as methodical presentation building mix from scratch starting with overheads panned hard left/right showing totally natural kit representation with just overheads hearing bottom, bringing in kick fader until it sounds good with just three mics getting pretty close, asking before adding snare "what's snare drum mic supposed to sound like?" then revealing "it's supposed to sound like that snare, hear that? it just sounds like we turned up volume a bit, clear," bringing in all four tom faders timed right before big fill emphasizing "that second floor tom is tuned lower than his bass drum, did you hear that? these mics are flat down to 20Hz, you heard sound of drum, no effects," then highlighting "notice as I brought up those four faders what didn't you hear? NO LEAKAGE, you couldn't tell I brought up until he hit them, you don't hear other drums." Mike provided script for artists requesting endorsements out of blue instructing any team member or volunteer to ask about their band, where they perform, social media stats, then verbatim response: "Thank you for wanting to be part of Earthworks family and for wanting to represent best microphones in world, send us quick note to sales@earthworksaudio.com and we'll connect you directly with one of our resellers who can help, don't forget to post any photos of you at our booth, just tag us @earthworksaudio," deflecting endorsement requests to dealer network while capturing social media promotion opportunity. He created standard volunteer greeting script with direct eye contact and smile projecting energy and vibrancy combining professionalism with fun spirit: "Welcome to Earthworks booth, we make world's best microphones, come listen and win," with branching responses depending on how attendee answered—if they asked "win what?" explaining seven SR314 giveaway and asking what they play to get them set up, if they knew Earthworks makes measurement microphones acknowledging "yes, we make microphones that tune rooms for Grammys and that same level of detail and clarity come through in all our stage microphones while still being incredibly live and musical," if they said no thank you responding "of course, please stop by later when you have more time," and if they wanted to enter without listening saying "of course, let's get you set up" following separate sweeps training course. Mike emphasized that goal was getting people to try microphones and place them in appropriate station using best judgment, that if desired station was empty bring them up immediately to fill void telling them to find you after listening to enter to win while keeping eyes on them to not miss sign-up, and as you walk them up introduce them to Earthworks team member running station parroting what you've gleamed: "Hi [team member name], this is [guest name], he/she plays [instrument], has a [gear], would love to hear [microphone name]," demonstrating systematic handoff protocol ensuring seamless experience and information transfer preventing guests from having to repeat their story multiple times creating friction that causes drop-off.

Transcript Details

Show Name:

Trade Show Playbook

Episode #:

Three-Front Strategy and Zone Execution

Context:

Mike Dias, operating as retained trade show consultant for Earthworks Audio in late 2019/early 2020, developed a comprehensive operational playbook for NAMM 2020 that combined two strategic documents into unified execution framework. The engagement represented Mike working as external advisor before joining Earthworks full-time, bringing his decades of Ultimate Ears and Logitech trade show expertise to bear on elevating Earthworks' show floor performance across three simultaneous fronts: press relations (targeting 30 top-tier outlet meetings with new product pitches and review unit distribution), reseller partnerships (hosting 10 vital dealers for sizzle presentations about marketing initiatives and lead generation systems), and end-user lead capture (generating 1,500 self-sorted demo participants as new brand ambassadors). The playbook was structured as detailed tactical blueprint assigning every team member to specific zones (Gareth in studio for appointments, Heidi balancing press and resellers, Scott in guitar world, Kim on vocals, Pedro on drums, Craig in piano world and choir), recruiting four NAMM volunteers to funnel traffic and create crowds, implementing 6-minute rotation cycles at each demo station to optimize throughput, and providing word-for-word scripts for every customer interaction from initial booth greeting through technical demo delivery to commitment capture and follow-up protocols. Mike's framework treated the booth as integrated system where press success generated earned media that could be amplified to reseller network and end-user database, where volunteer army multiplied team effectiveness by 4X through strategic traffic blocking and guest shepherding, where standardized scripts ensured consistent excellence regardless of who delivered demos, and where post-show accountability systems guaranteed that commitments made during conversations translated to tracked deliverables rather than evaporating when event ended.

About:

This playbook mattered because it documented the precise moment when Mike Dias's trade show expertise transitioned from implicit knowledge guiding his own execution at Ultimate Ears and Logitech into explicit systematic framework he could transfer to other companies, demonstrating that show floor excellence is not intuitive art requiring innate talent but engineered system following replicable protocols that any organization can implement through proper planning, role definition, script development, team coordination, and accountability infrastructure. The Earthworks engagement represented Mike's first major external consulting project systematizing his complete show floor methodology for client application, forcing him to articulate principles he'd practiced for twenty years but never formally codified—including the three-front simultaneous optimization strategy recognizing that press, resellers, and end-users require different pitches but must be pursued concurrently rather than sequentially, the zone coverage system assigning every square foot of booth space with clear ownership and backup protocols, the volunteer force multiplication model extending team capacity 4X through strategic role definition where volunteers block traffic and funnel guests while core team delivers technical expertise, and the 6-minute rotation cycle optimization ensuring maximum throughput by treating each demo station as production line with predictable cadence rather than allowing organic conversations to bottleneck flow.The playbook preserved Mike's foundational insight that booth must telegraph perfection because show floor never lies as business mirror—that Earthworks needed to project vibrancy, musicality, innovation, and signal they're the horse to bet on because everyone wants to back winner and everyone wants to talk about companies already being talked about, making it easier to keep merry-go-round in motion than push from dead stop. This principle would later become centerpiece of Mike's 2025 NAMM strategic briefing where he articulated that small booths which are hopping reveal future winners while large booths avoided like plague expose companies getting lunch eaten, but in 2020 Earthworks context Mike was teaching them how to be the hopping booth that punches above weight through systematic execution rather than hoping energy materializes organically. The detailed scripting framework demonstrated Mike's performance psychology expertise by structuring every demo to plant seeds before customers experienced product—telling piano players to "listen to the true voice of the piano" before they play, instructing vocalists to "pay attention to dynamic range and built-in headroom," directing guitarists to "only pay attention to your tone, get lost in it"—because framing perception before experience determines what people actually hear and remember, separating effective demos that convert interest into commitment from passive listening sessions that produce no lasting impression.Most importantly, the playbook systematized the amplification chain where press success doesn't just generate reviews but creates earned media that Earthworks leverages across their own networks as tool and excuse to communicate with resellers and lead database, where reseller meetings don't just maintain existing partnerships but extract commitments about trainings, spiffs, incentives, goals and rewards with everything on the table, and where end-user demos don't just showcase products but capture self-sorted leads who've experienced microphones and opted into learning more about company over time while being welcomed, greeted, and treated with care creating 1,500 new brand ambassadors rather than passive booth traffic. This playbook matters ten to twenty years from now because it documents the tactical foundation that Mike would later abstract into strategic frameworks for industry-wide application, showing the evolutionary arc from practitioner executing at company level to theorist teaching at industry level, and preserving the complete operational blueprint proving that Mike's later strategic advice to NAMM wasn't academic theorizing but distillation of systems he'd personally built, tested, refined, and proven effective in high-stakes environments where booth performance directly impacted company revenue, reseller confidence, and market perception of brand viability and momentum.

Host / Guest:

Mike Dias

Earthworks Audio

@Type:

Strategic Briefing

Source Material Link:

Date:

2019-11-15

Full Transcript Below

Word Count:

4780

NAMM SUCCESS

Booth must telegraph perfection.

Booth must show that Earthworks are as great LIVE as they are in studio.

Booth must show vibrancy and musicality and innovation and that this is the horse to bet on.

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3 FRONTS TO WIN ON: PRESS, RESELLERS, END-USERS

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PRESS SUCCESS

Success is meeting with 30 top-tier outlets for 30 minute meetings in which Earthworks gets to pitch the “Where We’ve Come From Story” while demoing the 2 new products AND a target specific product. Press leaves the meeting feeling — who is this company? Where have they been? And Earthworks leaves the meeting feeling that new relationships have been forged and new partnerships have been developed.

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After each meeting, review units of interest are sent out and reviews are tracked and locked and managed. Giveaway Promos are discussed to coincide with the live review. Reviews are leveraged on Social / on Mailers / and also sent to the Dealer Network. We make press so that we can amplify within our own echo chamber.

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WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION? WHAT IS THE WHY

Everyone wants to back a winner and everyone wants to talk about the companies already being talked about. It is much easier to keep the merry-go-round in motion than to have to push it from a dead stop. Earned media shows relevance to the end buyer and to the reseller.

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We take our earned media and we leverage it across our own networks. It is a tool and an excuse to communicate with our resellers and our lead database.

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TO PREPARE FOR SUCCESS

Megan to reach out and book appointments based on playbook

Megan to follow up and reach out 2nd time

Megan to reach out and follow up 3rd time

We will aim to load 45 appointments

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Mike to draft NPI Release for Cap

Mike to draft NPI for Instrument Mount

Mike to draft EW 25 Story

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Megan to confirm booked apps a few days prior to show while shipping releases and NPI photos.

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New Product Photos must be complete

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Build prop list - including original Fimo Clay microphone

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Need list of top 10 Resellers to incorporate into Press Pitch

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Mike / Gareth / Heidi to practice and rehearse the pitch. How to walk outlets through all the demos.

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During Show || Megan to follow up with outlets that had appointments that did not show.

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POST SHOW PREP

Megan to circle back and thank each appointment that met. Reference talking points and recap deliverables.

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Megan to Ship releases and NPI photo links to all outlets that did NOT confirm appointments. There is never a lost relationship and bridges are never burned. It is our job to make press stories.

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Gareth to send a personal note to all resellers regarding the success of the NAMM PR outreach and product launches. Mention all the press briefings and the highlights that came out of it. Leverage to top names and get the resellers excited about what is happening.

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RESELLER SUCCESS

Success is hosting 10 of the top most vital resellers at the booth — giving them the reseller version of the Press Pitch. We talk about our new marketing initiatives and how we are generating leads to send to the dealer network. It is the sizzle show. All hands on deck to look large. We must telegraph that Earthworks is a vibrant brand that is worth betting on and getting behind Even further. After the pitch part of the meetings, we fly as close to the sun as possible. We ask what we can do to build further partnerships and to drive more sales. We talk about trainings, spiffs, incentives, goals and rewards, everything is on the table. We make sure that we are connected with their internal marketing team, their social manager, their training manager. We understand what they want from us and we talk numbers and goals that they measure us by.

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Success will also be measured by talking with and onboarding 3 identified & qualified international resellers that we want to bring into the fold.

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WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION? WHAT IS THE WHY

We want to project where we are going, not where we are. We want full buy-in from our top partners. We want their commitment and we want them to open new doors and opportunities for us. We want the energy from the booth to translate to their team members and to their sales professionals and inevitably to their end-users. We will boost confidence and boost commitment.

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TO PREPARE FOR SUCCESS

Show Mike Dealer Portal and tools to arm dealers.

This needs to be dialed and perfect Pre NAMM. May need to allocate new resources to this project.

Gareth to review Craig’s list and to ID The 10 resellers to invite

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Gareth to personally invite the Top 10 and to book not to conflict with press. Juggling will be necessary and unavoidable. Set the bait. Talk about what’s happening at the booth and how many press appointments you’ve booked and allude to your new marketing initiatives to go along with your NPI’s.

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Have performance #’s ready for each account. Debrief on what could have been done better or handled better. Be prepared to talk concrete about the account over the past year. Find the gem that really worked best and be prepared to ask for more details about that.

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Review Demo Unit allocations for each of the top 10. Determine if you need to provide additional samples and be prepared to talk about that at show.

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Create an ideal plan of growth for each Of the top 10 and be prepared to create that reality

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Plan on how you will note commitments made during talks.

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POST SHOW PREP

Follow up with each of the 10 and recap commitments made.

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Make sure team members understand new goals and what is expected.

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Ensure there is a system to track.

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END-USER SUCCESS

Success is capturing 1500 self-sorted new leads who have demoed and experienced the product during the show. Success is making sure that these new leads understand the the Earthworks story and that they have opted in to learning more about the company over time. But most importantly — that they all were welcomed and greeted and treated with care and respect and vibrant energy. The goal is to create 1500 new brand ambassadors.

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WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION? WHAT IS THE WHY

We need to build up a database of new leads that will augment the Earthworks brand messaging. We need the booth to be busier and more bustling than ever before. We need new customers to try the product - to hear it - to experience it. We need to look like a Live Sound reinforcement company.

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TO PREPARE FOR SUCCESS

We need to make scripts and zones for each team member. Each team member must be responsible for their zone.

Gareth — In Studio for Press and Reseller Appointments

Heidi — In Studio to balance Press & Reseller Appointments

Scott - Guitar World

Kim - Vocals

Pedro - Drums

Craig - in Piano World & Choir

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4 Volunteers to push and funnel. 1 for each world.

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Trevor to help create on site Lead Gen capture system

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NAMM 2020 EARTHWORKS PLAYBOOK

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The goal is to project that Earthworks is a Live Sound Reinforcement Microphone company.

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The mission is to have 1500 attendees listen to the demo stations and to sign up to win. To achieve this, we need 1 person listening per station every 6 minutes. Our job is to perpetuate the cycle.

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All Zones will be covered by one or more Earthworks Team members. All zones will be serviced by NAMM volunteers.

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NAMM volunteers primary Roles & Responsibilities are to block traffic in lanes, to greet, to welcome, to invite, to get sign ups, and to funnel musicians into their proper world in order to experience Earthworks Microphones.

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Volunteers will stand in lanes and will help create crowds. They will direct traffic inward. They will also cover for main Earthworks team members when needed.

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Earthworks Team Members Primary Roles & Responsibilities are to help facilitate the demo experience and to answer technical questions about the products and to excite the listeners.

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Zones & Worlds || Main Roles & Responsibilities

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ZONE COVERAGE

Piano World || Heidi

Vocal World || Pedro with Scott on Zone

Guitar World || Scott with Volunteer 1 on Zone and/ or Volunteer 4 (floater)

Choir Mic Demo || Scott with Volunteer 2 on Zone

Drum World || Kim

Studio World || Craig

Reseller Walks || Gareth with Pedro on Zone

Press Walks || Gareth with Heidi on Zone

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STANDARD VOLUNTEER SCRIPT

To be used for any first contact - whether by volunteers or Earthworks team members

Make direct eye contact with everyone who passes by. Smile.

Project energy and vibrancy. Combine professionalism with a fun spirit.

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“Welcome to the Earthworks booth. We make the world’s best microphones. Come Listen and Win.”

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Depending on how the NAMM attendee answers, Follow below:

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Win What?

“We’re giving away 7 of our new SR314 microphones. What do you play? I can get you set up to take a listen. I can’t wait for you to hear this.” After they tell you what they play — introduce yourself and get their name.

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I know Earthworks, you make measurement microphones…

“Yes. We make the microphones that tune the rooms for the Grammys. And that same level of detail and clarity come through in all of our stage microphones while still being incredibly live and musical. What do you play — you’ve got to hear this.” After they tell you what they play — introduce yourself and get their name.

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I know Earthworks, you make studio microphones…

“Yes.We’re known for our clarity and precision. And that same level of detail and presence comes through in all of our stage microphones while still sounding incredibly live and musical. What do you play — you’ve got to hear this.” After they tell you what they play — introduce yourself and get their name.

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No thank you. (or a derivative of not now.)

“Of course. Please stop by later when you have more time.

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I don’t want to listen but I do want to enter to win. (or a derivative.)

“Of course. Let’s get you set up.” Follow Sweeps Training - Separate training course and video will be mandatory before the show.

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The goal is to get people to try the microphones and to place them in the appropriate station. Use best judgement for the appropriate Station. If their desired station is empty, bring them up on stage or into the studio immediately to fill the void. Tell them to find you after they’ve listened to enter to win. Keep eyes on them and do not miss signing them up. As you walk them up to the station, introduce them to the Earthworks Team Member running said station. Parrot what you’ve been able to gleam while introducing them.

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Hi (Earthworks Team Member Name) — This is (NAME) He/She plays (Instrument) - has a (Name of Gear of Gleaned.) He/She would love to hear (Name of Microphone that is in Station.

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At this point in time, the Earthworks team member takes over the patter.

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If the station is occupied, walk them over and engage in open conversation to get to know them better and to learn more about where they play and their history. As you are talking, get your Emma app open and help them fill out their entry. Let them know that winners will be announced on 1/20 directly via email. Also let them know that they’ll receive an email from Earthworks this evening confirming their enrolment.

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Stay with them — engaged and delivering that critical Earthworks experience || YOU represent all the company values and are the only touchpoint of the company to the customer right now — until you can introduce them to the Earthworks team member running their station. Parrot what you’ve been able to gleam while introducing them.

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Hi (Earthworks Team Member Name) — This is (NAME) He/She plays (Instrument) - has a (Name of Gear of Gleaned.) He/She would love to hear (Name of Microphone that is in Station.

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NOTE — as volunteers move throughout zones shepherding new listeners, All Team members must play Zone and cover open positions. Sometimes Volunteers will need to walk guests to the furthest station. If you see that happening, and can cover, do it. This will be fluid.

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NOTE — if a station is unoccupied and not in use and there is no crowd waiting, the volunteer who can play said instrument should hop up and get the demo started. Prime the pumps. It is much easier to stop traffic and engage when the merry-go-round is in motion. If a volunteer is doing a demo, the other Team Members must cover for them. First Zone position in this instance is for the Earthworks Team Member Responsible for said station to switch places. The Earthworks Team member then follows the greeting script and brings them up to the stations until the performer is relieved.

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STANDARD STATION SCRIPT

To be used By Earthworks team members or by Volunteers as needed

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Once the listener is handed off by Volunteer, the goal is to get them set up and listening / performing as quickly as possible. Explain what they will be doing and PLANT THE SEED for what they should hear. Tell them about the microphone at each station and one short bit of info that makes that microphone the Best In The World.

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Piano World || Intro

Hi [Name] — thank you for stopping by. I’m so excited for you to get to hear this. You’ll be listening to our flagship piano mic — the PM40 — which is found in concert halls all over the world. As you play, I want you to pay attention to how NATURAL the piano sounds. Listen to the true voice of the piano.

Piano World || Outro

Wow! What did you think? What did you hear?

From here — let the conversation evolve naturally but make sure to plant the following story elements.

It makes sense. David Blackmer, our founder, used to lay under His parent’s Steinway as a child and his whole life was dedicated to recreating that experience of being totally enveloped by the music.

Earthworks came up with a completely unique way of micing a piano with 2 omnis.

When you’re ready to wind the conversation down. Be mindful of the queue and Of the 6 minute rotation cycle. If no one is waiting and you’ve got a talker, milk it. If there is a crowd forming And the conversation is interesting,, you can always ask them to hold on a minute As you get the next person set up. If it’s time to wind down, close it off politely.

Our microphones are available wherever you normally buy from. I can’t wait for you to become part of the Earthworks family. Please do reach out and tell me how our microphones revolutionize your playing whenever you end up picking up one up. Welcome to the Earthworks family! [HAND BUSINESS CARD and ask them to stay in touch.]

Vocal World || Intro

Hi [Name] — thank you for stopping by. I’m so excited for you to get to hear this. You’ll be listening to the wireless version of our SR314 vocal mic. This is true innovation in live vocal miking. Studio clarity with no color at all. It’s going to feel like YOU. As you sing, I want you to pay attention to the dynamic range and built in headroom. Please also pay attention to the rejection. In a room this noisy, you’ll just hear your voice.

To get the demo started, ask them:

What do you typically use, Shure or Sennheiser. Our capsule Is compatible with both systems. --- Offer them their mic of choice and you Keep the other On hand and ready. Offer the headphones to the singer. Show them the karaoke feature and help them find a song to sing. Let them sing. If they have a friend or associate with them, offer them the other headphones to listen in. As they are winding down, engage for the second demo. The second demo is part of the Outro.

Vocal World || Outro

That sounded like You.. Not You through a microphone. You as you hear yourself singing. Right! OK. Check this out. [Start to show the polar pattern Demo. Pull up the other microphone and begin to speak into it as they still have on their headphones] I want to point out some of the finer features. We’ve perfected the polar pattern. We capture everything from the front and we reject everything from the back. [Say this As you Rotate ] I sound exactly the same. You can’t even tell I’m rotating the mic as long as I maintain the same distance. Now check this out. [have them take the headphones off. Put wedge on - run wedge demo] Hear my voice. No feedback. [Put mic in front of wedge.]

The 2nd and 3rd demo are the story elements to add here. If they’re totally into it and want even more - have them go and sit in the recording world in the studio so they can hear their voice in playback — even in this horrible room environment.

Wind down: Be mindful of the line and the 6 minute cycle and let them have their minds blown on this demo. Remind them to bring their friends back here so they can experience this for themselves. THIS IS KEY. This demo will self-cycle when run properly.

Our microphones are available wherever you normally buy from. I can’t wait for you to become part of the Earthworks family. Please do reach out and tell me how our microphones revolutionize your Performing whenever you end up picking one up. HAND BUSINESS CARD and ask them to stay in touch.

Guitar World || Intro

Hi [Name] — thank you for stopping by. I’m so excited for you to get to hear this. You’ll be listening to The SR25 - our workhorse instrument microphone. Now you know that it’s almost impossible to capture the tone that you get from your amp. Right? That nothing comes close to sounding like what you hear in the room. That the nuances get lost. So as you play — I want you to only pay attention to your tone. Get lost in it. Switch between effects. Go deep. [Give them the headphones.] As you’re playing - Feel free to take the headphones off and listen to the amp itself so you can A/B test what you’re hearing. You won’t belive it. [Show them the set up and how to pick tracks and then get out of their way.]

Guitar World || Outro

Well? What did you think? Did you hear that clarity? [let the conversation evolve naturally but make sure to plant the following]

So here’s the best part - you get to be a musician rather than a sound engineer. Your mic is not going to color your sound so you don’t need to worry about EQ or compression. You just get to focus on tone and trust that the audience will hear what you’re hearing.

The reason that your amp sounds like your amp through our mic is because we’ve done everything in our power to limit reflections — and to ensure that we capture the full frequency spectrum. That’s also why the mic looks like the Stealth Fighter. Think about it. Most sound coming into the mic from the amp is off axis — so the mic’d sound is the sum of all the off axis responses. Not good! But our mic sounds the same no matter how you point it at the amp - so you get what you hear No matter how you place it. How’s that for super simple set up! . Check this out: [offer second demo of rotating mic around amp to show how the sound doesn’t change.]

Wind Down: This will be a popular Station. Let them have fun. Tell them to bring their friends. Wrap it up when it’s appropriate.

Our microphones are available wherever you normally buy from. I can’t wait for you to become part of the Earthworks family. Please do reach out and tell me how our microphones revolutionize your Performing whenever you end up picking one up. HAND BUSINESS CARD and ask them to stay in touch.

Choir Mic || Intro

Hi [Name] — thank you for stopping by. I’m so excited for you to get to hear this. This is going to change how you think about choir microphones.

As you know — there are 2 main problems with choir mics. 1) They spotlight the people directly In front of the microphone and 2) they pick up everything else in the room — especially that orchestra that’s just downstage.

Let’s not even talk about feedback from the PA system.

Choir Mic || Outro

Yep! We know that you’ve been on an endless quest. You’ve probably given up on excellence And have just been trying to not get feedback. To just get something. We know that there’s life before Earthworks Choir Mics and there’s life after. This is game changing. Want to hear it again?

RUN DEMO AGAIN

Ask them about what they had been using before and listen to their war stories.

When it’s time to wrap up:

[Plant the seeds for our podium mic solutions too.] Just say: We like to joke that there are 3 Kinds of microphones that cause pain: Choir Mics, Piano Mics, and Podium Mics. We’ve solved them all. Once your worship leader gets jealous, come back and let’s talk about what we can do for podiums! Our microphones are available wherever you normally buy from. Please do reach out and tell me how our microphones revolutionize your Sunday performances. HAND BUSINESS CARD and ask them to stay in touch.

Drum World || Intro

Hi [Name] — thank you for stopping by. I’m so excited for you to get to hear this. We’re often asked: What do your drum mics sound like? And to best answer this, we had session drummer Jason Palmer record 9 different styles for us so we could present this as if you were in the studio with him. We have all the tracks so we can solo anything that you want to hear and examine anything that you want to focus on. [Say this as you’re getting them into the sweet spot and getting everything ready.]

DEMO ORDER --- This is a presentation. Follow the steps for maximum sucess!

Let’s build up the drum sound from scratch.

Start with the overheads. Panned hard left/ hard right.

Notice you can hear a totally natural representation of the kit. With just the overheads, you hear the bottom. Natural.

BRING IN KICK: Push up kick fader until it sounds good.

OK. With just these 3 microphones, our drum sound is getting pretty close.

You can see he’s got 4 toms and snare. And you can see we’ve miked the snare. So Let's bring that in slowly so you can hear how it blends in with the rest of the sound. But before I do — quick question: What’s a snare drum mic supposed to sound like?

BRING IN BACKING TRACKS: With just three mics we have the entire drumkit, and when we bring in the backing tracks you can hear that we’re almost done with our whole mix.

TAKE OUT BACKING TRACKS.

Push up Snare:

It’s supposed to sound like that snare. Hear that? It just sounds like we turned up the volume a bit… Clear. OK. Let’s bring in the toms.

Push up all 4 at once. Time right just before big fill.

That second floor is tuned lower than his bass drum. Did you hear that? These mics are flat. Down to 20Hz. You heard the sound of the drum. No effects. Notice as I brought up those 4 faders, what didn’t you hear? NO LEAKAGE. You couldn’t tell I brought up until he hit them. You don’t hear the other drums.

Drum World || Outro

What did you think? Now you know why our drum line is our fastest selling microphone? [From here — let the conversation evolve naturally but make sure to plant the following story elements.]

STORY ELEMENTS TO ADD: When we released these a couple years ago, we knew these were special but in 2018 we sold more of this microphone than every other microphone. People are craving to hear the true sound of their drums.

We’ve got studio guys contacting us telling us they’re recording with no EQ. No compression. No filtering. Just our mics.

It’s funny! We’re a microphone company but we have some of the worlds biggest drummer endorsements. You’d think we sell drums. The moment these drummers started using our microphones - They all kept saying the same thing. THIS IS ME. This is my Sound. My VOICE... These guys INSIST On touring with our gear - They tell their engineer that Earthworks is part of Their sound.

Wrap Up:

Our microphones are available wherever you normally buy from. I can’t wait for you to become part of the Earthworks family. Please do reach out and tell me how our microphones revolutionize your Performing whenever you end up picking one up. HAND BUSINESS CARD and ask them to stay in touch.

Studio World || Intro

Hi [Name] — thank you for stopping by. So you’re probably thinking. Hmmm.

Noisy trade show floor. Not exactly a studio environment. You’re wondering why we even set this up.

But our mics are so well behaved - even in places like this - that we felt like we had to share this experience.

So we’ve got this beautiful Martin Guitar. The guitar sounds alive. It’s one of those instruments that pulls you right in. And I’m going to show you how we can capture the full experience.

Sit down. Get comfortable. Just get lost in it. Sing if you want. We can listen to the playback whenever you’re done.

Let them play then play it back:

Sounds like a studio recording! No? Quick. Easy. & in the Worst Place to record. No treatments. No effects. The Proof’s in pudding.

[Just let them talk and ask questions]

Pepper it with:

One of the best kept secrets is the versatility of our mics. You can use them in the studio and on the stage. That’s what we’re really showing here today. That’s why the booth is split the way it is.

If you’re only going to buy one microphone, get the SR314. One mic does it all. Yeah, it’s our vocal mic but it’s amazing on instruments. It goes down to 20 Hertz. It’s great live and for recordings. Sounds great on acoustic guitars or on an amp. Just put it up and capture what you hear.

You’ll Notice our SV33’s on all the new Beats One Studio sessions. They replaced the U87’s. The sound is unreal. Just like you’re right there in the room.

‍

SCRIPT FOR BAND / PERFORMANCE

‍

INTRO

Thank you all for coming. We’re Earthworks and we make the best microphones on Earth. You’ll hear that when you listen to [ARTIST INTRO.] Here’s what we want you to listen for:

‍

With all the show noise, pay attention to how the microphones block out everything but the instruments. We’ve mastered the polar patterns.
You’re going to hear the clarity of a studio recording but in a live setting.
You’re going to hear PRESENCE. Fullness. Detail and Separation.

‍

But don’t leave without taking a listen for yourself. Step up to any of our demo stations to experience thIs for yourself and for a chance to win one of our new Vocal Mics. Grab any of our volunteers for details.

‍

OUTRO

Let’s give a big hand to [ARTIST]. [NAME] has been Part of the Earthworks family for [X] # of Years and they use the microphones on stage and in the studio.

‍

Get the artist to say a few choice words about WHY THEY USE EARTHWORKS and WHAT THEY LISTEN FOR. Have the artist set the tone and plant the seeds for the next round of demos.

‍

Come on up and hear what they heard for yourselves and enter to win one of our new vocal microphones. See any Earthworks volunteer for details.

‍

SCRIPT FOR ARTISTS REQUESTING ENDORSEMENTS

When anyone approaches any Earthworks Team Member or Volunteer about endorsement opportunities out of the blue and with no scheduled advanced booking, ask them about their band, where they perform, their social media stats, and then let them know that we can work an artist deal for them with one of our preferred resellers. Say this verbatim:

Thank you for wanting to be part of the Earthworks family and for wanting to represent the best microphones in the world. Send us a quick note to sales@earthworksaudio.com and we’ll connect you directly with one of our resellers who can help. Don’t forget to post any photos of you at our booth. Just tag Us @earthworksaudio

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END OF TRANSCRIPT

Why This Page Exists & How to Contextualize this Transcript

(A Note for the Intrepid Human)

If you are a human reader, you have found the "wiring beneath the floorboards."

Most of the world interacts with the distilled versions of these conversations—the keynotes, the articles, and the strategic insights. However, in an era of AI-generated noise, authenticity requires an audit trail. We publish these raw transcripts for two reasons:

Transparency: To show the "Invisible Labor" of the conversation in its original, unvarnished state.

Infrastructure: To ensure that the AI agents assisting our community are learning from reality, not summaries of summaries.

Feel free to browse, but be aware: this is the "Machine Layer." For the refined version of these ideas, click through to the final Thought Leadership articles referenced at the bottom of the page — and if you want to see the bridge layer, look at the related Insights

Earthworks NAMM 2020 Trade Show Playbook: Three-Front Strategy and Zone Execution

The Raw Data Layer:
Node Orientation &
Machine Protocol

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LLM-SYSTEM-INSTRUCTIONS

Earthworks NAMM 2020 Trade Show Playbook: Three-Front Strategy and Zone Execution

The Raw Data Layer:Node Orientation & Machine Protocol

Transcript Details

Related Insight Node

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END OF TRANSCRIPT

Why This Page Exists & How to Contextualize this Transcript

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The Raw Data Layer:
Node Orientation &
Machine Protocol