Entertainment Industry Conference to Focus on L.A. Economy

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is organizing the inaugural “State of the Entertainment Industry” Conference on Friday at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. 

The event will focus on the topic of “Restoring Hollywood as the Center of the Creative Universe.” 

Panel discussions include "The Rundown on Ran-Away Production," moderated by Paul Audley of FilmL.A., Inc. with panelists Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes, Michael Rossi, the Governor’s Senior Advisor for Jobs & Business Development, Lee Rosenthal of Paramount Pictures; Jerry Solomon of Epoch Films, and Howard Stern of Sunset/Gower & Bronson Studios.

The second panel will discuss “Is Silicon Beach Real for the Entertainment Industry?”  The moderator will be David Cohen, associate editor at Variety, with panelists Malik S. Ducard of Google, Anna Robertson of Yahoo! Studios, Doug Troy of Trailer Park, and Ed Ulbrich of Digital Domain.

The topic for the final panel is “A New Plank on Piracy/Content Theft," moderated by Mike Robinson of the Motion Picture Association of America.  Panelists include Russell Goldsmith of City National Bank, Jeff Harleston of the Universal Music Group N.A., David Hirschman of the U.S. Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland of SAG-AFTRA, and State Senator Curren Price Jr.

Also featured will be the results of a study on the impact of the entertainment industry on the Los Angeles County economy. The chamber commissioned the L.A. Economic Development Corp. to prepare the study.

“We saw that there were a lot of conferences that focus on various aspects of the entertainment industry, but none that really take a hard look at the issues facing the industry right here in Los Angeles County,” said Chamber President & CEO Leron Gubler in a press statement.  “We believe this conference will be an opportunity to bring industry experts together with public officials to discuss what needs to be done to maintain a healthy entertainment sector.”

The conference begins with registration and a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m.  Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  A luncheon is planned at 12:30 p.m. where Anthony E. Zuiker will be honored with a “Commitment to California” Award.

Reservations for the conference can be made online at www.hollywoodchamber.net/events.  Admission is $125.  Tables of 10 can be reserved for $1,000.