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 By Dave Ferrara, HRTS Executive Director
Last day of HRTS’ 2008-2009 fiscal year and what a year it has been. (ok, technically what a last two years it has been but who’s counting?) As we close the books on another HRTS year, it’s always my pleasure to look back and ponder some of the things we’ve either accomplished, experienced, avoided, or fallen into. Here are my thoughts.
So let’s see… October season launch with former president Bill Clinton. That was a pretty cool way to kick off the HRTS year. Up close and personal with a President (and at the time spouse to a Presidential candidate Hillary). But he didn’t speak to politics. He spoke about how important our industry is to him, the nation and the world. He spoke about the financial challenges facing our country and he spoke about hope. The hope that we as a people would be able to harness the energy and creativity inherent in all of us to move beyond the challenges to create a new, vibrant economic reality in which we will prosper.
 And with prosperity comes responsibility. The responsibility to help others less fortunate. The responsibility to set a positive example. The responsibility to pass on our lessons and wisdom to the generations following. Pretty inspiring words if you ask me. And incredibly relevant when it comes to our industry and HRTS in particular.
So how would the former president grade us at the end of the term? I think we, as an industry and as an organization should get at least a passing grade. Not an A mind you, but we certainly accomplished, or are accomplishing what we need to do to progress and move on.
After what could arguably be called the most challenging time in our industry’s history we are finally able to look forward to at least two years of back to business. The business of creating and distributing entertainment content to a world hungry for entertainment. It took a tremendous amount of perseverance and work from all involved parties but we did it. We now have labor deals that at least begin to address the new economic realities and give us two more years of peace. And HRTS, although not involved with the deals, did manage to maintain fiscal and membership stability through this very trying time, growing in both individual and corporate membership!
We’ve also started down the road of understanding the new industry economy in all its new and challenging twists. HRTS has begun a concerted effort to help our membership with the inevitable transition into the digital space by doing what we do best. We are reaching out and bringing into the room leading companies from the new media world to foster dialogue and debate about what the business will need going forward to prosper. It is our hope that industry leaders will continue to look at HRTS as a valuable resource as we march onward into the brave new world.
In the effort to help develop the next generation of industry leaders we have launched our new HRTS/JHRTS Mentoring Program which is pairing up industry leaders with young, eager JHRTS members. The program’s goal is to share the wisdom and experience of our current industry leaders with those who will ultimately be running this business in the future. If you have not yet volunteered to mentor then I encourage you to contact us to find out how you can help.
 In our effort to give back we have launched our new philanthropic charitable giving program, whose first beneficiary, My Friend’s Place will be receiving not only financial support, but also marketing and promotion to the entire industry as to the work they are doing with Hollywood’s at risk teen population. Additionally we are encouraging all HRTS members and member companies to help this deserving organization any way they can. You can find out more about My Friend’s Place in the feature article in this issue.
And in what we can take the most pride in, and what we are probably most capable of, HRTS has successfully maintained its position as the industry’s “safe harbor”. The one place, that no matter what is going on in our business, through all of the trials and tribulations of the past year, industry leaders still came together under one roof to develop and maintain the personal relationships that make this business work. Our staff worked diligently to keep HRTS humming along though all this and I hope that should you call in to the office at any time you take a moment to thank them for their hard work and commitment to the organization. They deserve an ‘attaboy for a job well done.
So ok. I’ll accept that maybe we didn’t deserve an A. We can always do better. (Actually I’m one of those guys that doesn’t believe you can actually get 100%... there is always room for improvement… but that’s my problem!) But we have done well. And we’re not taking the summer off either. We are already working on our fall season of events that will be spectacular. We are pushing forward with our efforts in the new media space. We are hosting the kick-off party for the LATVFest next Tuesday (July 7) that will also double as our last HRTS event of the season and a celebration of the end of labor anxiety and the industry’s finally getting back to what we do… creating content.
I hope that everyone has a tremendous summer and is about ready to get back to work. I know I am… my staff might say we’ve never actually stopped and frankly they’re right. But that’s what we do. So here’s to a return to doing business… creating content… and trying to live up to the challenge that President Clinton threw down before us that day in October. Thank you again for your support of HRTS.
See you at the next luncheon.
Dave Ferrara
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