| NEWS 06.23.09 1:00 PM |
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Facing Severe Sponsorship Drop, Gen Art Brings Back Benefit to Raise Funds
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 | Acura's display at the 2009 Gen Art Film Festival in New York
Photo: Alice and Chris for BizBash |
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FROM NEW YORK
Gen Art, the frequent event host that matches up emerging creative talent with corporate sponsors, has seen a 70 percent drop in sponsorship dollars from 2008 to 2009. So after relying on money from marketers to fund both its for-profit event production company and its nonprofit wing during most of its 15-year history, Gen Art has made drastic cutbacks and will put on its first benefit in nearly 10 years this week in New York.
"If the recession had hit three months later, it would have been a completely different story," said Gen Art C.E.O. and founder Ian Gerard, thinking back to last October, "but because it all happened before the 2009 fiscal year came, everyone drastically cut back their marketing budgets from the start."
Those cutbacks affected ongoing initiatives with Gen Art. Despite having yearlong deals in the works, official partners such as Acura, American Express, and Citibank all pulled back. "We're still working with all of those companies," Gerard said. "It's just been at such a reduced amount. It's more event-by-event versus an annual deal across all of our events or a large number of them."
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Gen Art, Citibank, Acura, American Express |
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| NEWS 02.05.09 5:30 PM |
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Despite a Few No-Shows, Robust Slate of Grammy Events to Blanket L.A.
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 | Will.i.am kicking off the "Worlds on Fire" exhibition
Photo: Kevin Parry |
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FROM LOS ANGELES
Despite some notable high-profile absences, there are still plenty of contenders for guests' time on the Grammy week calendar this year—including some newcomers to the scene.
On Monday, Will.i.am and Gen Art kicked off the week with the opening night of the "Worlds on Fire" artist exhibition downtown. Portraits honored 2009 nominees such as Al Green, Beck, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, Madonna, M.I.A, Nas, Nine Inch Nails, Paul McCartney, and Radiohead. Jacob’s Creek supplied beverages, and guests browsed a silent auction. Proceeds benefited the Black Eyed Peas’ Peapod Foundation and other local charities for L.A. youth. The exhibit runs through Sunday at the Pacific Electric Lofts.
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Grammys, Recording Academy, Award Season, Gift Suites, Gen Art, In Touch Weekly, Asics, Jacob's Creek, Rhino, Peapod Foundation, Nu-Soul Magazine, Lite Brite, Universal Motown Republic Group, Island Def Jam, Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. Works, MTV Games, Rock Band |
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| BEST OF 2008 11.24.08 8:00 AM |
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New Ideas for Step-and-Repeats, Activities, and Entertainment
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 | Cry-Baby's kitschy cake ladies
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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Cry-Baby, John Waters, Coachella, Anthem Magazine, Target, Converse, MTV Movie Awards, Inter-Pacific Bar Association, Gen Art, Nokia |
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| EVENT REPORT 05.09.08 3:00 PM |
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New Nokia Products Make Movies (and Take Drink Orders) at Gen Art Event
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FROM CHICAGO
On Wednesday, a face-painted man wearing a pink shirt and toting a green water gun wove his way through the stylish crowd assembled at the River East Art Center for Gen Art and Nokia's Art in Motion event. The colorful guest was part of one of three films that were shot on site, as emerging filmmakers commissioned by Gen Art made short movies using Nokia's N95 8GB device.
The moviemaking (a concept cooked up in a collaboration between Gen Art and Smartfusion, Nokia's experiential marketing agency) was only one of the ideas that Gen Art Chicago's regional event director, Laura Lachman, executed for the event, which was intended to showcase the cutting-edge capabilities of Nokia's N95 and N810 devices.
Guests had the option of ordering drinks the old-fashioned way (by bellying up to the bar) or by taking a more technological route: Nokia reps standing at three highboys held N810 Internet tablets that they used to type in guests' drink requests. The orders went electronically to a computer behind the bar, and a server brought the drink orders to the tables within a matter of minutes.
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Gen Art, Nokia |
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