By Dave Ferrara, HRTS Executive Director
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of HRTS I am pleased to report that the 2007-2008 fiscal year, just ended on June 30th, was by all accounts an outstanding year for our organziation. 

I find it a bit difficult to make the above statement given the fact that as an industry, we have just suffered through one of the most difficult years in memory but the statistics do not lie.  Membership was up across the board with Individual membership up 8% and Corporate membership up 19% over the previous year.  The organization also recorded our highest-ever revenue for a year due to the aforementioned membership growth as well as an increase in the volume of sponsorships and corporate partnerships.

From an activities standpoint, the HRTS defied the industry doom and gloom by successfully producing a good percentage of our signature Newsmaker Luncheon Season events including the annual Network Chiefs panel, The Cable Chiefs panel, our post-strike Where Do We Go From Here panel and a special luncheon event (in partnership with AARP, EIF and MPTF) that addressed our industry's place in the the looming health and financial security crisis debate. 

Additionally, HRTS successfully launched our new quarterly Members-Only mixers held at XBAR and House of Blues.  These free, informal after-work gatherings are designed to provide HRTS members the opportunity to forge new connections and/or strengthen already existing connections with their HRTS colleagues. 

Internally, HRTS has been investing in staff and systems to make the process of being an HRTS member easier and more efficient (as well as more eco-friendly)!  We are in the final stages of a year-long implementation of our new association management software system that will make dealing with HRTS as simple as buying tickets for the Arclight!  Along with the new software will be the roll-out of our new website that will provide HRTS members a direct line of communication with HRTS on everything from calendars for upcoming events to member profiles, an on-line roster, automated renewals and updates, and much more. 

We've also greatly enhanced our online communications with members.  The monthly electronic newsletter, Society Views is now regularly read by a majority of our membership and features, such as our exclusive Member Profiles, are now a much sought after tool for expanding one's visibility and profile within the industry.  The JHRTS (Junior HRTS) section of the newsletter regularly reports on the ongoing social, educational and philanthropic activities of our junior membership. Our bi-monthly feature from partner PricewaterhouseCoopers drills down and focuses on specific aspects of their research and analysis of the business drawn from their comprehensive Global Entertainment and Media Outlook publication.

I am also pleased to report that HRTS' corporate partnership and sponsorship programs are also experiencing growth and expansion.  In addition to longtime partners Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, PricewaterhouseCoopers and The Lippin Group, HRTS has forged new relationships with AARP, Entertainment Industry Foundation and the Motion Picture and Television Fund, and is looking forward to expanding that list even further in the year ahead.

The HRTS is an organization that since 1947 has provided something that the industry, with all its ups and downs truly needs.  HRTS is a safe harbor.  An HRTS luncheon is that place where, when the going gets tough, industry professionals can count on a room full of their colleagues all gathered together to try to make sense out of the madness.  (Okay...a bit dramatic...but you get the point!)  There's comfort in knowing that we are all in this boat together and HRTS has been and always will be the only place in town that the entire industry gathers together to renew and strengthen personal connections and discuss and debate the issues of the day.  For over 60 years, HRTS has been providing that safe harbor and I, my staff, the Board of Directors and leadership of the organization are committed to making sure we never forget the organization's fundamental reason for existence.  Information and networking.  It's as important today as it was in 1947 and will be in 2047. 

As I stated above, we are developing our internal systems to facilitate expanding and evolving our external benefits that we can provide to our membership.  Exclusive informational video content; exclusive data and analysis of industry trends; more activities and products that forward our goal to help our members be better informed and better connected than ever before are all on the target list as deliverables in the coming year.

I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to outgoing President Chris Silbermann, Treasurer Peter Jankowski and Secretary Sarah Timberman for their generous commitment of time and energy dedicated to our organization.  I also want to acknowledge outgoing board members Sue Naegle, Paul Haas, Brian Graden and Gary Loder for their longtime service to the HRTS.  Their efforts on the board have been key to getting HRTS where we are today.  Thank you.

Looking forward, I am excited about what comes next for our organization.  I'm excited about the new board leadership, led by incoming President Kevin Beggs that will be charged with developing the strategic vision neccessary to keep HRTS moving forward.  I'm excited about the new industry relationships that HRTS has and will be developing as these relationships will help us achieve the goals set by our board.  I'm also excited about the expansion of our membership to reflect the ever-evolving face of our business as HRTS has always acknowledged the need for our membership to represent all facets of our industry.

Getting and being connected to all of the players in our game is critical to being able to successfully navigate the uncharted waters we have before us and that's where HRTS shines.  The anxiety and stress of the past year will eventually fade away, new business models will emerge and old business models will either evolve or die.  How do we, as an industry, flourish and prosper in this new space?  I don't have an easy answer, but I do know that if we at HRTS keep coming together to talk about it, the answer will likely make itself known.  And that is exactly why HRTS is where we are today.  See you at the next luncheon.

Respectfully,

Dave Ferrara