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The Lippin Group

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By Dave Ferrara, HRTS Executive Director
Just a couple more days until the industry disappears for the annual holiday break and of course, I have a few things on my mind as the year comes to a close.  Nothing earth shattering, mind you, but year end is always a good time to reflect on where one’s been and also, more importantly, where one is going.

I’ve always considered myself a “cup is half full” kind of person.  Yes I’ve been accused of owning eyewear that leans toward the romantic flower color but hey, why not?  In the grand scheme of things, it beats the hell out of spending my days stressing about the myriad challenges that we as an industry face on a seemingly daily basis.  Last year at this time, we had just entered a period of let’s say… labor challenges, and we all remember what a fun time that was!  (oops, dropped my glasses for a moment…)  Painful, yes, but one could also look at it as a much-needed kick in the industry’s butt as we all had to re-think our methods of doing business in a changed environment.  It certainly wasn’t an easy time and the evolution is ongoing, but I believe at the end of the process we will likely realize that the changes, while difficult, were also necessary.  Especially if we hope to be able to move forward successfully into the next chapter in our long and storied history.

Same can be said about HRTS.  Throughout the travails of the past year, HRTS individual and member companies showed me just how resilient our business truly is.  In fact, HRTS membership actually expanded over the course of the last twelve months.  Apparently, and this was confirmed by our first ever membership environmental scan (ie: survey), coming  together as a group to network and address business challenges (or forget about those challenges for a couple of hours) is still an incredibly important part of our business lives.   This fall, we still presented our three Newsmaker events: President Clinton, Wall Street’s View of the Future of Television, and The Hitmakers.  Clinton was inspirational.  Wall Street, while not exactly inspiring did confirm that as an industry, we still had a future.  And this year’s Hitmakers, moderated by the irreverent Peter Tolan allowed us to laugh at ourselves and our process (and okay, maybe a few execs who shall remain nameless) while through it all remembering that it is the collective creative genius that flows through our industry that will ultimately be the light at the end of the tunnel.

Optimism?  Absolutely!  At the end of the day, HRTS is a direct reflection of the individuals and companies of which it is comprised.  Just look around the audience at a newsmaker luncheon.  HRTS members are the leaders.  The smartest people in town.  (well, except for…..just kidding!) The decision makers who, through perseverance, talent and creativity will drive our industry forward, solving the challenges of today and establishing a foundation for future generations of HRTS members to build upon.  Our industry has been around a long time.  This isn’t the first time we’ve faced challenges due to the evolution of the business.  In fact, about the only consistent thing we can rely upon is the fact that it will all change, probably sooner than we hope!  That, and as long as our product is entertainment, the individuals and companies that comprise HRTS, both today and in the future will continue to do what we have done for over sixty years … create and prevail!

So yes, I am optimistic.  I am confident.  And most importantly, I’m proud that HRTS, our little organization that, since 1947, has been the one place where our entire industry leadership comes together multiple times a year, will remain an important and vital part of the industry landscape.   With that in mind, on behalf of all of us at HRTS, I wish you all a healthy and happy holiday season, with humble thanks for the support and commitment that all of our HRTS membership has shown through the years.   Here’s to an incredibly successful 2009!

See you at the next luncheon,