HRTS Press Releases

March 15, 2010

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LOS ANGELES, CA, March 15, 2010 – The Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS) will present the Hitmakers: Cable Reality “Unscripted on Cable: The State of the Business,” on Wednesday, April 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (9876 Wilshire Blvd). It was announced today by Kevin Beggs, president of HRTS.

Panelists scheduled to take part in the forum include Thom Beers, CEO of Original Pictures, executive producer, “Deadliest Catch”, “Ice Road Truckers,” “Monster Garage” and “Black Gold;” Mark Cronin, co-owner of 51 Minds Entertainment, executive producer, “Flavor of Love,” “For the Love of Ray J,” and “Rock of Love with Bret Michaels;” Jason Goldberg, co-founder/CEO of Katalyst, co-creator/executive producer, “Punk’d,” “Beauty and the Geek,” and “True Beauty;” Randy Jackson, founder of Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment, executive producer, “Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew;” Craig Piligian, founder of Pilgrim Films & Television, executive producer, launch of “Survivor,” “American Chopper,” “Dirty Jobs,” and “The Ultimate Fighter;” and Sally Ann Salsano, founder and president of 495 Productions, executive producer, “Jersey Shore,” “Tool Academy,” and “Disaster Date.”

“The popularity of cable reality programming has grown exponentially in recent years with titles and characters that have become staples within many households,” said Beggs. “The information shared by our accomplished panelists will give our members a ‘reality check’ on the current state of the business and the challenges involved in trying to stay ahead of the curve.”

Thom Beers is the driving force behind the Primetime Emmy® Award-winning “Deadliest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers,” and top-rated shows, “Monster Garage” and “Black Gold.” He has created a unique brand of television programming featuring unheralded heroes in high risk, high reward situations. His catalogue of more than 40 series is firmly entrenched across cable powerhouses Discovery Communications Networks, History, WeTV, SPIKE TV, The National Geographic Channel, TruTV and TLC, among others. In February 2009, FremantleMedia acquired a majority stake in Original Productions, allowing Beers and his team to expand its growing slate. When he founded Original Productions in 1999, Beers began producing and distributing a lineup of unique programming domestically and internationally. Less than a decade later, his company is one of television’s leading suppliers of unscripted reality programming.

Mark Cronin is the co-owner of 51 Minds Entertainment, the product of a merger in 2003 between Cronin’s reality production company, Mindless Entertainment which he founded in 1997, and Cris Abrego’s 51 Pictures. Anchored by flagship show “The Surreal Life,” the company produces VH1’s biggest and most successful lineup of reality television. 51 Minds Entertainment has brought the cable network 10 series in the past four years, many of them its biggest hits, including “Surreal Life” spinoffs “Strange Love,” “My Fair Brady,” “The Surreal Life Fame Games,” “Flavor of Love” and “I Love New York.” Most of these series set multiple VH1 and basic cable ratings records, digital exploitation and represent a five-year run of consistent popularity and success both in the US and all over the world. Cronin’s experience began with Howard Stern’s nationally syndicated Saturday night television show as one of the only two staff writers in 1991. He later became the head writer for the pilot and first season of MTV’s hit dating show “Singled Out” and went on to run the show for its two highest rated seasons.

Jason Goldberg is co-founder and CEO of Katalyst, a studio for social media, creating original programming in television, film and digital media. Founded in 2000 with Ashton Kutcher, Goldberg has served as co-creator, executive producer and showrunner of MTV’s hit series “Punk’d,” the CW reality series “Beauty and the Geek” and “True Beauty.” Katalyst’s film credits include “The Butterfly Effect,” “Guess Who,” “Spread” and the upcoming Lionsgate feature, “Killers” with Katherine Heigl. Its digital media properties include Kellogg Cares Feeding America Program, Mountain Dew DEWmocracy Campaign, and Pepsi Refresh Everything Program, along with The Presidential Pledge, 24 Hours at Sundance and the Web reality series KatalystHQ. Goldberg got his start as a producer on the film “Homage” with Blythe Danner and later produced “Cafe Society” with Lara Flynn Boyle and Peter Gallagher.

Twenty-year music industry veteran and Grammy Award winning producer Randy Jackson started out at the young age of 13 playing bass guitar and got his big break when he joined the band Journey. As a prolific musician and producer, he also spent eight years, as the vice president of A&R at Columbia Records followed by four years as Senior Vice President of A&R at MCA Records. As he expanded into TV production, he set up the Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment banner at Warner Horizon Television and launched MTV’s hit series “Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew.” As a result of his success as a television producer Jackson has been included for the past two years in The Hollywood Reporter’s Annual “Reality Power List.” While working on over one thousand gold and multi-platinum albums, which have sold over 200 million albums worldwide, Jackson’s amazing talent, vast studio knowledge, performing, touring and record company expertise, have made him one of today’s highly coveted music industry experts and the perfect candidate as a reoccurring judge on “American Idol,” which has proved to be a massive hit for FOX, and has become a pop culture phenomenon around the world.

In 1991, Craig Piligian produced some of the industry’s first “reality” programming, including Genesis Entertainment’s “Emergency Call” and “Real Stories of the Highway Patrol,” which became the first successful launch and sustained production of a syndicated reality strip. In 1997, he founded Pilgrim Films and Television and has since produced numerous hours of programming and projects including the launch of the reality mega-hit “Survivor” in 1999 for CBS, serving as the series’ co-executive producer. Piligian produced series and specials for Discovery, including “Discovery Channel World Championship Adventure Race” and “Covert Action.” He continued his prolific relationship with Discovery Channel, creating and executive-producing such long-running hits as “American Chopper;” “American Hot Rod;” “American Casino;” and the ultra-popular “Dirty Jobs,” which received an Emmy® nomination for Best Reality Program. Piligian also created and executive-produced the Syfy hit series “Ghost Hunters,” Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter,” WEtv’s “My Fair Wedding,” and Discovery’s Emmy® award-winning “Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment”(Best Cinematography, 2009). In 2008, he also helped launch Discovery’s network, Planet Green, when he executive-produced the critically acclaimed “Greensburg.” He began his career in the news business, working as an assignment editor at the Las Vegas ABC affiliate, KTNV, and at CNN.

Sally Ann Salsano is the executive producer of the break out MTV series “Jersey Shore,” which is currently shooting its second season. Founder and president of 495 Productions, she launched her company with instant hits including four seasons of HGTV‘s number one rated show “Design Star,” Oxygen’s number one rated show “Dance Your Ass Off,” three seasons of MTV’s “A Shot At Love,” three seasons of VH1’s “Tool Academy,” and two seasons of MTV’s “Disaster Date.” Salsano started her career interning at “The Howard Stern Show” and “Sally Jesse Raphael Show,” where she ascended to a producer on the show. Quickly recognizing the reality television phenomenon and becoming an instant fan, Salsano tackled the genre and produced numerous non-scripted shows including numerous seasons of ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” “Trista & Ryan's Wedding,” and “Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition.” She also worked for FOX on “Surprise Weddings I & II” as well as numerous projects for Dick Clark, Sony, Telepictures, Paramount, Tribune and MTV.

The Hitmakers Cable Reality: “Unscripted on Cable: The State of the Business,” is chaired by Sean Perry, Co-Department head of Alternative Television, WME Entertainment. VIP Reception will open at 11:30 a.m.; lunch and panel at 12:00 p.m. Tickets: HRTS Individual Member: $105/member; Table of 10: $1,050. For reservations or information on non-member tickets, please call (818)789-1182 or visit www.HRTS.org, which will also stream the panel live.

The 2009-2010 HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Season is sponsored in part by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and The Lippin Group.

About HRTS
HRTS is the entertainment industry’s premier information and networking forum. Chartered since 1947, the HRTS gathers together leading industry executives and companies representing broadcast and cable networks, studios, talent and management agencies, producers, legal and financial firms, new media companies and more to address issues that are relevant to the ongoing success and future of the entertainment business. Current HRTS membership represents over 700 executives and 48 leading companies from across the entire industry landscape.

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Media Contact: Michael Samonte/Pam Golum
The Lippin Group
323-965-1990

December 8, 2009

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LOS ANGELES, CA, December 8, 2009 – The Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) will present “The Hitmakers,” a gathering of some of the hottest creators and producers in television on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel (2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA), it was announced today by Kevin Beggs, president, HRTS.

Taking part in the panel are Carter Bays (How I Met Your Mother), Steven Levitan (Modern Family), Ryan Murphy (Glee, Nip/Tuck), Craig Thomas (How I Met Your Mother) and Matthew Weiner (Mad Men). Peter Tolan (Rescue Me), who moderated the 2008 Hitmakers Luncheon, will moderate once again.

“We are extremely fortunate to have some of the most innovative and influential creators and producers in television assembled for our sixth installment of the Hitmakers Luncheon,” said Beggs. “This will be a great opportunity for our members to gain valuable insight into the business and the driving forces of the industry.”

Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are the co-creators, writers, and executive producers of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The show has earned four Primetime Emmy® Awards and five nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The show has also garnered multiple award show nominations including a Golden Globe, three People’s Choice Awards, and three Teen Choice Awards. Prior to the creation of How I Met Your Mother, both wrote for a number of television shows including Quintuplets, Oliver Beene and Late Show with David Letterman, where each earned a total of five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program from the years 2000-2002, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1998 and 1999. They are both members of the band The Solids, which performed the theme songs for both Oliver Beene and How I Met Your Mother.

Steven Levitan is the writer and producer of ABC’s hit comedy series Modern Family, which premiered this fall season. As executive producer, Levitan won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1996 for Frasier in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. He was also nominated in that same year for Outstanding Writing in Comedy Series for The Larry Sanders Show. He was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series category for Just Shoot Me! and earned two more nominations as executive producer. Levitan won the Humanitas Prize (for writers whose work best communicates and encourages human values) in 1996 for the Frasier episode titled “Breaking the Ice.” He has also won a CableACE Award and a Writers Guild nomination for The Larry Sanders Show; garnered a Producers Guild Award and a Television Critics Association Award for Frasier; a People’s Choice Award for Stark Raving Mad; and a Golden Globe nomination for Just Shoot Me!.

Ryan Murphy is the co-creator, director and executive producer of FOX’s critically acclaimed fall freshman comedy Glee and creator and executive producer of FX’s drama series, Nip/Tuck, which earned a Golden Globe in 2005 for Best Television Series – Drama and his first ever Emmy Award nomination in 2004 for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He started his career in television in 1999 with Warner Bros. teen comedy series Popular. In 2006, Murphy wrote the screenplay for and directed the feature film Running with Scissors, based on the memoir by Augusten Burroughs. His next project as director will be the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Starring Julia Roberts and produced by Brad Pitt, the film is currently in production.

Matthew Weiner is the creator and executive producer of the television series Mad Men about the advertising world in the 1960s, which has won nine Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards. Weiner also earned two Writers Guild Awards and a PGA Golden Laurel Award for his work on the drama. Previously, he was an executive producer and writer for The Sopranos, for which he won two Emmys, a Writers Guild Award and two PGA Golden Laurel Awards. His other producing credits include Becker and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. He wrote and directed the film What Do You Do All Day?.

HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon: The Hitmakers is co-chaired by Adam Berkowitz, Aaron Kaplan, Eric Tannenbaum and Sarah Timberman. VIP Reception opens at 11:30 a.m.; lunch and panel at 12:00 p.m. Tickets: HRTS Individual Member: $105/member; Table of 10: $1,050. For reservations or information on non-member tickets, please call (818)789-1182 or visit www.HRTS.org, which will also stream the panel live.

The 2009-2010 HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Season is sponsored in part by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and The Lippin Group.

About HRTS
HRTS is the entertainment industry’s premier information and networking forum. Chartered since 1947, the HRTS gathers together leading industry executives and companies representing broadcast and cable networks, studios, talent and management agencies, producers, legal and financial firms, new media companies and more to address issues that are relevant to the ongoing success and future of the entertainment business. Current HRTS membership represents over 700 executives and 48 leading companies from across the entire industry landscape.

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Media Contact: Michael Samonte/Pam Golum
The Lippin Group
323-965-1990

October 29, 2009

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LOS ANGELES, CA, October 29, 2009 – The Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS) will present a special Newsmaker Luncheon address and Q&A with broadcasting legend Vin Scully. Q&A to be led by writer/director/producer Ron Shelton on Tuesday, November 10 at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, it was announced today by Kevin Beggs, President, HRTS.

“For anyone who knows baseball, Vin Scully is in a class by himself. To have one of the greatest sports broadcasters of all time as our guest is thrilling for us and we hope our members will enjoy this once in a lifetime experience,” said Beggs. “This extraordinary event would not have been possible without HRTS’ board member Andy Friendly.”

Entering an unprecedented 60th season broadcasting the Dodgers, Vin Scully continues to rewrite the record book of his trade each and every time he goes on the air. With awards and accolades beyond comprehension, Scully’s standing as the greatest sportscaster of all-time was reaffirmed earlier this year by the American Sportscasters Association (ASA), which puts his name atop the list of the 50 greatest to ever sit behind a microphone. The Hall of Famer’s 60 years of consecutive service with the Dodgers is the longest of any current sports broadcaster with one team.

The ASA also elected Scully as the top sportscaster of the 20th century in a vote by more than 500 national members of the organization in 2000, topping such broadcasting icons as Howard Cosell, Mel Allen and others. And while the latest poll by that organization put the “Voice of the Dodgers” atop the list of all-time greats, that group is not alone. In the 2005 book “Voices of Summer,” Scully was named as baseball’s all-time best broadcaster based on “longevity, continuity, network coverage, kudos, language, popularity, persona, voice knowledge and miscellany.” Each criterion was rated from 1-10, with the perfect score being 100. Scully was the only broadcaster to reach that number.

Ron Shelton, who will lead the Q&A with Scully, is a former professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league system and has written, directed and produced some of Hollywood’s most popular films in the sports genre. The 1988 Oscar-nominated screenplay, “Bull Durham,” was his directorial debut. The film garnered critical acclaim for Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, while Shelton was honored by the Writers Guild of America (Best Original Screenplay), the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. He then teamed up with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in the 1992 playground basketball comedy “White Men Can’t Jump.” In 1994 the film “Cobb,” starring Tommy Lee Jones, was Shelton’s uncompromising depiction of one of baseball’s darkest heroes. Shelton and Costner re-teamed in 1996 with the romantic gold comedy “Tin Cup.” He went on to work with Woody Harrelson, Antonio Banderas, Lolita Davidovich and Lucy Liu in the 1999 film “Play it to the Bone,” a road movie about boxing.

“Broadcasting Legend, Vin Scully” is chaired by HRTS board member Andy Friendly, President of Andy Friendly Productions.

“We are more than thrilled to have Vin Scully and Ron Shelton, both who’ve had illustrious careers and milestone achievements, to participate in this special Newsmaker Luncheon,” said Friendly.

VIP Reception opens at 11:30a.m.; lunch and panel at 12:30p.m. Tickets: HRTS Individual Member: $105/member; Table of 10: $1,050. For reservations or information on non-member tickets, please call (818)789-1182 or visit www.HRTS.org.

The 2009-2010 HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Season is sponsored in part by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and The Lippin Group.

About HRTS
HRTS is the entertainment industry’s premier information and networking forum. Chartered since 1947, the HRTS gathers together leading industry executives and companies representing broadcast and cable networks, studios, talent and management agencies, producers, legal and financial firms, new media companies and more to address issues that are relevant to the ongoing success and future of the entertainment business. Current HRTS membership represents over 700 executives and 48 leading companies from across the entire industry landscape.

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Media Contact: Michael Samonte/Pam Golum
The Lippin Group
323-965-1990

August 11, 2009

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The Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS)
presents
“The Digital Chiefs: A special conversation on the future of media in the digital age”

Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, to Moderate

LOS ANGELES, August 11, 2009 –The Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) will present “The Digital Chiefs: A Special Conversation on the Future of New Media in the Digital Age” Newsmaker Luncheon on September 8, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel it was announced today by Kevin Beggs, President, HRTS. The event will kick-off the 2009-2010 HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Season and also launches HRTS’ new initiative to focus activities on the industry’s transition into the digital space.

Taking part in the panel are Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief, Wired Magazine; Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder, YouTube; Jason Kilar, CEO, Hulu; and Jonathan F. Miller, Chief Digital Officer, Chairman and CEO, Digital Media Group News Corporation. Robert A. Iger, President & CEO, The Walt Disney Company, to moderate.

“This discussion couldn’t have come at a better time as our industry now relies so much on new media. In this expanding digital space, content can be created, distributed and marketed to audiences all over the world,” Mr. Beggs stated. “This is one of the most prestigious panels we have ever presented to our membership and it reflects the importance of the industry’s move into the digital world.”

Chris Anderson is editor in chief of Wired magazine, a position he took in 2001, and has led the magazine to nine National Magazine Award nominations, winning the prestigious top prize for general excellence in 2005, 2007 and 2009. He is the author of The New York Times best-seller The Long Tail, which is based on an influential 2004 article published in Wired, and runs a blog on the subject at www.longtail.com. Anderson will publish his next book, FREE: The Future of a Radical Price, in July 2009. He is also founder of Booktour.com, a free online service that connects authors on tour with potential audiences. He was named in April 2007 to the "Time 100," the news magazine's list of the 100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world. Previously he was at The Economist, where he served as U.S. business editor, Asia business editor and technology editor. Anderson's media career began at the two premier science journals, Nature and Science, where he served in several editorial capacities. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from George Washington University and studied Quantum Mechanics and Science Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley.

Chad Hurley is CEO and co-founder of YouTube, the world’s largest video sharing site. As CEO, Hurley’s responsibilities include oversight of business development, marketing and overall operations for the company. YouTube serves hundreds of millions of videos daily and has created a new market for discovering, sharing and distributing videos around the globe. YouTube was awarded "Best Invention of the Year" by Time Magazine and was the first Web site to receive "Entertainer of the Year" by Entertainment Weekly. From heads of state and major Hollywood studios to local politicians and independent artists, YouTube is an open, democratic platform where anyone can come, connect and share entertainment and experiences. Hurley has received several prestigious honors and acknowledgements from the business and entertainment communities including: World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, 2007 Webby “Person of the Year,” Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People of 2007,” Business 2.0's 50 Most Influential People, GQ's "Men of the Year,” and Fortune's "Most Powerful People in Business." Prior to YouTube, Hurley was the first user-interface designer at PayPal. He played a fundamental role in the early development of the payment service. Following eBay’s acquisition of PayPal, Hurley consulted for several technology companies. He received a B.A in Fine Art at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Jason Kilar serves as the CEO of Hulu, an online video joint venture of News Corp and NBC Universal. Kilar joined Hulu after nearly a decade of experience at Amazon.com, where he served in a variety of key leadership roles. After writing the original business plan for Amazon's entry into the video and DVD businesses, he ultimately became Vice President and General Manager of Amazon's North American media businesses, which included the company's books, music, video and DVD categories. He later served as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Application Software, where he led an organization of hundreds of world-class technologists and reported directly to CEO Jeff Bezos. Kilar began his career with The Walt Disney Company, where he worked for Disney Design & Development. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he studied Business Administration and Journalism & Mass Communication.

Jon Miller is Chief Digital Officer, and Chairman and CEO, Digital Media Group for News Corporation, a role in which he drives the company’s overall digital strategy in conjunction with various operational heads, while also directly overseeing all of News Corp.’s standalone digital businesses. Prior to News Corporation, Miller was a founding partner of Velocity Interactive Group, an investment firm focusing on digital media and the consumer Internet space. Previously, Miller was Chairman and CEO of AOL, where he led the company to an annual profit growth of 21 percent and increased online advertising growth -- the centerpiece of its new business model -- by 46 percent in 2006. Earlier in his career, Miller was CEO and President of USA Information and Services -- now IACI and Expedia -- and also served as Managing Director of Nickelodeon International, a unit of Viacom's MTV Networks. From 1987-1993, Miller was Vice President, Programming and Co-General Manager of NBA Entertainment, where he was responsible for league-wide brand management and programming. Miller is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute and Ticketmaster, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Emerson College and WNYC Public Radio in New York. In 2006, Miller received the first International Emmy for Interactive Invention, as well as the Vanguard Award from the Producer's Guild of America. Miller resides in New York and holds a B.A. from Harvard College.

Robert A. Iger is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. Iger, the sixth CEO in The Walt Disney Company's 83-year history, was appointed to this post on October 1, 2005. Previously, Iger served as President and Chief Operating Officer of The Walt Disney Company, a position he had held since June 2000. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of the company's worldwide operations including its filmed entertainment, theme parks and resorts, media networks and consumer products businesses. Iger also became a member of Disney's board of directors at this time. Iger began his career at ABC in 1974. Over the last 32 years, Iger has held a series of increasingly responsible senior management positions at the company, including serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of Capital Cities/ABC, where he guided the complex merger of ABC with The Walt Disney Company. ABC saw tremendous growth during Iger's career there, becoming a market leader in broadcast television and expanding into numerous cable and related ventures. During his years with ABC, he oversaw its broadcast television network and stations, radio, publishing and cable television businesses, which includes the market leading brands of ABC, ESPN, Lifetime, A&E and The History Channel. He officially joined the Disney senior management team in 1996 as Chairman of the Disney owned ABC Group and in 1999, was given the additional responsibility of President, Walt Disney International. Iger is a member of the board of directors for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. He is a trustee of the American Film Institute Board and serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

“The Digital Chiefs: A Special Conversation on the Future of New Media in the Digital Age” Newsmaker Luncheon is co-chaired by Ted Harbert, President and CEO, Comcast Entertainment Group; Jordan Levin, Founding Partner & CEO, Generate; and Kevin Beggs, President of Television, Lionsgate Television. Sponsors for the event include Volt Workforce Solutions and Variety.

VIP Reception opens at 11:30am; Lunch and Panel at 12:30pm. Tickets: HRTS Individual Member: $105/member; Table of 10: $1,050. For reservations or information on non-member tickets, please call (818)789-1182 or visit www.hrts.org.

The 2009-2010 HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Season is sponsored in part by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and The Lippin Group.

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Press Contact: Lauren Kelcher/Michael Samonte
The Lippin Group
323.965.1990