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 The Weekly Online Publication of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce                      May 21, 2013

Working for YOU ...

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is always actively looking out for the interests of our members and promoting Hollywood. Here are a few of our activities from last week:

The Hollywood Chamber honored Steve Harvey on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Watch the star ceremony on www.walkoffame.com!

• Entertainer Steve Harvey, known for his stand-up comedy, television, radio, motion picture and writing, was honored with the 2,497^th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  On hand to help him celebrate were past honorees Ellen Degeneres and Samuel L. Jackson as well as Dr. Phil McGraw.

• The Economic Development Committee heard a presentation by Rob Campbell of KBKG about the Hollywood Enterprise Zone, and made final plans for the 2013 Hollywood Economic Development Summit.

• Chamber staff held a meeting with Variety to discuss efforts to improve the Chamber’s live streaming and social media activities.

• Representatives from the Chamber and Hollywood Entertainment District met with officials from Pasadena to discuss their policies related to conditional use permits.

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Luca’s restaurant in Toluca Lake.

• Chamber VP Public Policy Nicole Shahenian attended the Budget Committee and L.A. City Council to voice the Chamber’s support for the creation of a new economic development department and a nonprofit organization to work in tandem with the City to attract new businesses.

Hollywood Chamber Delegation Discussed Advocacy Agenda with New Hollywood Legislators in Sacramento

Hollywood Chamber's Delegation met with Assembly member Mike Gatto in Sacramento.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce delegation has successfully completed its first day of a two-day trip to Sacramento to brief California State legislators on relevant Hollywood issues. Their advocacy agenda includes meetings with new Hollywood Assembly members Richard Bloom, Mike Gatto, and Adrin Nazarian, along with Senator Kevin de Leon. Among the issues the Chamber delegation is discussing are efforts to curb runaway production, support of State Enterprise Zone programs, CEQA reform and several job creation initiatives. View the Hollywood Chamber State advocacy agenda.

This year’s delegation includes Legislative Action Committee Co-chair Susan Cabral-Ebert of IATSE Local 706 Make-up & Hairstylists; Chamber Board member Donelle Dadigan of The Hollywood Museum/Max Factor Building; Chamber Board member Brian Folb of Paramount Contractors & Developers; Matt Fritch of Andrews International; Chamber President & CEO Leron Gubler; and Chamber Vice President of Public Policy Nicole Shahenian.

The Hollywood Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee plans annual advocacy visits to Washington D.C and Sacramento each Spring. If you are interested in becoming active in the Chamber’s advocacy initiatives and the Legislative Action Committee, please contact the Nicole Shahenian at Nicole@hollywoodchamber.net.

Hollywood Property Owners to be Honored

The Hollywood Property Owners Alliance (HPOA) will be honored by the Westside Urban Forum, on Friday, June 7^th, at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica. The HPOA has been selected as the recipient of the “Westside Prize” for its success and commitment to serving and revitalizing Hollywood.  Tickets to the luncheon are $100 each.  For further information about attending the luncheon, contact Sarah Besley at the HPOA 323-463-6767.

Join the Chamber Community Foundation in Honoring Heroes of Hollywood

The Hollywood Chamber Community Foundation is planning the upcoming Heroes of Hollywood Awards Luncheon on Thursday, June 6, at The Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood. The Heroes of Hollywood Planning Event Committee has announced the selection of the 2013 Heroes of Hollywood: George Abou-Daoud of Bowery Street Enterprises; Craig Darian of Tricor Entertainment; Bill Farrar of Andrews International; Milt Larsen of The Magic Castle; Stormy Sacks of Hollywood High School Performing Arts Center; and My Friend’s Place. Returning in his role as emcee again is Robert Kovacik, co-anchor of NBC4. In addition to recognizing Heroes of Hollywood, the Foundation will honor legendary singer and actress Debbie Reynolds with the distinguished Mary Pickford Award.

Born Mary Frances Reynolds on April Fool’s Day in 1932 in El Paso, Texas, she moved with her parents and brother to Burbank when she was seven-years-old. An enthusiastic and energetic child, she excelled in sports, girl scouts, baton twirling and in music, where her specialty was the French horn. At age sixteen, she entered a local beauty contest sponsored by Lockheed Aircraft which she won on the strength of a lip-synching rendition of Betty Hutton singing “I’m Just a Square In A Social Circle”. Two of the judges were from Warner Brothers and MGM. On the flip of a coin, the Warner Brothers’ talent scout, Solly Baiano, got first dibs at a screen test for Mary Frances. The test led to a contract and her name was changed to “Debbie” by Jack Warner! Debbie made her screen debut with June Haver and James Barton in “The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady.” Her first big break came in an MGM musical starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton, “Three Little Words” in which she portrayed Helen Kane, the “boop-boop-a-doop” girl of the late 1930s. A subsequent performance in a bus by Berkley musical, “Two Weeks With Love”, convinced the legendary L. B. Mayer to choose her for the leading female role, in what became one of the greatest screen musicals of all time, “Singin’ In The Rain,” starring Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. Over a 10-year period, Debbie made more than 25 films including “How The West Was Won,” “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” for which she was nominated for an Oscar, “Susan Slept Here,” “The Tender Trap,” “Tammy And The Bachelor,” “The Pleasure Of His Company,” “Mary, Mary,” “Divorce American Style,” “Goodbye Charlie,” “The Rat Race,” “Mother” and “In And Out.” As star of more than thirty motion pictures, two Broadway shows, two Television series, as well as dozens of Television appearances, in 2010, Debbie Reynolds celebrated her 62nd year in show business.

Gold-level sponsors are Hollywood Museum, Millennium Hollywood and Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, Inc. Silver-level sponsors are Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Andrews International, Bank of America, CIM Group, First Republic Bank, and Taglyan Cultural Complex. Bronze-level sponsors are Allen Matkins, Avison Young, Briggs Law, Famous Hollywood Dental Care, Gensler, Gilmore Bank, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood Hotel, Hollywood Work Source Center, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Lloyd S. Berkett Insurance Agency, Inc., Mirman, Bubman & Nahmias LLP, NAI Capital Commercial Real Estate, Original Farmers Market, Paramount Contractors & Developers, The Private Bank of California, Sunset Gower/Sunset Bronson Studios.

The Hollywood Chamber Community Foundation is a 501c3 organization, and your support in sponsorship is tax deductible. Individual tickets are $100. Register online at http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/events

Register for the Chamber's Annual Hollywood Economic Development Summit, June 18th

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee presents the Annual Hollywood Economic Development Summit at the Motion Picture Academy’s Mary Pickford Center, 1313 N. Vine St., in Hollywood. The conference will take place on Tuesday, June 18, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Chamber’s Summit is your best place to get the latest information about what is happening in Hollywood. This year’s annual event will focus on Hollywood’s future as a tech community.  Keynote speaker is Kevin Winston, Founder/CEO of Digital L.A. Other presentations include a panel “Life on the Silicon Strip” with representatives of Hollywood technology firms, a briefing on Kilroy Realty’s Columbia Square Project, a report on Hollywood’s changing demographics and how it is attracting new retail, and remarks from public officials. Attendees of the Hollywood Economic Development Summit will receive a complimentary copy of the Chamber’s popular Annual Economic Development Update for 2013. Admission for advance registrants is $50 and includes a continental breakfast.

Presenting sponsor is Sheppard Mullin. Diamond-level sponsors are Kilroy Realty Corporation and Millennium Hollywood. Gold-level sponsors are Alliance Residential, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Avison Young, CIM Group, Clarett West/DLJ, Crescent Heights, Emerson College, Gensler, Paramount Contractors & Developers, Sunset Gower/Sunset Bronson Studios, Toyota of Hollywood, Vantage Property Investors, and WeWork. Silver-level sponsors include Gilmore Bank, Gonzales Law Group, Handelman Consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle, Lennar Homes, Marathon Communications, NAI Capital Commercial Real Estate, The Original Farmers Market, Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, The Robert Green Co., Robertson Properties Group, ROM Investments, Inc., Universal Waste Systems, and Van Wagner Communications, LLC

Register online at http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/events. Sponsorships are now being accepted for the popular annual event. For further information, contact Leron Gubler at Leron@hollywoodchamber.net.

Save the Date to Celebrate the Hollywood Sign 90th Birthday Up Close and Glamorous!

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the world-famous Hollywood Sign! This outdoor celebration will take place on Wednesday, September 18th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the landmark Sign as the event backdrop. Diamond-level sponsor Variety will be featuring a special segment on the Sign and of the event in their Emmy issue. Platinum-level sponsor L'Oreal will be making sure everyone is glammed up for the event. Gold-level sponsor Madame Tussauds will have wax figures attending to pose with guests in front of the Sign. Guests will also enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from Divine Catering and learn about the history of the Sign through displays and historians. The media will be invited to cover the event and interview sponsors of the event. For more information, please contact Kaylee Kiecker, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at kaylee@hollywoodchamber.net. "Make sure to save the date for Wednesday, September 18," said Kiecker, "and help us celebrate our world renowned landmark which has made our community famous!"

Hollywood Chamber Celebrate the Grand Opening of Luca's in Toluca Lake!

Luca’s Restaurant and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of Luca's with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. Produced by TCS Premier Events, the party stretch for late night with live jazz music, stiltwalker, juggler, magician, table stroller, Dixieland band and more. Luca’s Restaurant, formerly Chez Nous, is located at 10550 Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake. Photo by Marlene Panoyan

High School Musical Productions Shined on Stage at Pantages with Best Musical Honor Awarded to Hollywood High School Production of In The Heights

Winners of Best Musical Honor: Hollywood High School performs "96,000" from 'In The Heights.' Photo by Chelsea Lauren

The Hollywood Chamber congratulates Hollywood High School for winning the Best Musical Honor for "In The Heights" school production at the 2nd Annual Jerry Herman Awards last week at the Pantages Theatre. The awards show included production numbers from four participating high school productions from Hollywood High School performing “96,000” from In The Heights, Arcadia High School performing “Toledo Surprise” from The Drowsy Chaperone; Calabasas High School performing “Cool” from West Side Story; Royal High School performing “Not for the Life of Me” from Thoroughly Modern Millie.

"It is wonderful that the Nederlander Organization and the Pantages Theatre are supportive of the Arts in LAUSD schools and of Hollywood High School,” said Stormy Sacks of Hollywood High School. “We are proud of the 'In The Heights' cast and this accomplishment! And we are thrilled to win the Jerry Herman Award for “In The Heights.””

“Stormy Sacks and the cast were incredible!” said Roger Neal, VP of Friends of Hollywood High School. “Under the direction of Stormy Sacks, Lisa Goldshein, and Paul Itkin, I had to keep reminding myself that the performers are only freshmen through senior high students. The level of this show was way beyond high school. Stormy Sacks successfully brought their performances to Broadway level.”

The Jerry Herman Awards is a local celebration dedicated to recognizing achievements and excellence in high school musical theatre. It is the local award ceremony for The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy’s, which take place annually at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Every year two students are sent to New York to represent Los Angeles at The Jimmy’s to participate in a week long workshop and compete for the coveted Jimmy Award, named after the owner of the Pantages Theatre, James M. Nederlander. This year’s winning students of a $1,000 cash prize and all-expense paid trip to New York City for a chance to compete in The National High School Musical Theatre Awards in July are Anthony Nappier from Arcadia High School and Natalia Vivino from Santa Susana High School. For more information on The Jerry Herman Awards or to register your high school for participation, please visit www.JerryHermanAwards.com.

Read the Chamber's Recent Issue of the Hollywood Business Advocate

The Hollywood Chamber published the new issue of the Hollywood Business Advocate. The cover story is about the hot topic of Los Angeles elections. This issue also includes a spread of the Chamber’s 2013 Annual Report with a record of the organization’s activities, events, business and advocacy efforts as well as its agenda for the year ahead. The slick color publication also promotes and introduces fourteen new members of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Look for your copy in the mail. For questions and advertising rates, please contact Marlene Panoyan, Director of Communications at 323-469-8311 x17 or email marlene@hollywoodchamber.net.

Hollywood's Police Activities League is Hiring

Do you have what it takes to work as the new Executive Director of  Hollywood PAL! The community-based crime prevention program has provided young people with positive alternatives to gangs and drugs through interaction with police officers in recreational, educational, athletic and fine arts activities since 1996. Now Hollywood PAL is looking for to hire an Executive Director. See the job description. "I would like to announce that I will be leaving my position as Executive Director of Hollywood PAL after a very rewarding eight years, as I am getting married and relocating to Oregon," wrote Staci Armao, Executive Director of Hollywood PAL. Congratulations Staci and thank you for your dedication and service!

East Hollywood BID to host Business Improvement Forum at Hollywood Hotel on June 4th

Trees matter for your business as one of the cheapest, easiest ways to boost your bottom line. Join the experts for an evening and leave ready to put trees to work for you. On Tuesday, June 4th, the East Hollywood BID, in conjunction with Million Trees LA and Invest from the Ground Up, will be holding a Business Improvement Forum at Hollywood Hotel to educate business leaders on the value of trees. This educational evening will present a great chance to network with other business owners who are involved in making Vermont Street one of the greenest business corridors around. Attendees will learn about how trees can improve profits while improving public health. Two leading academic experts will discuss the benefits of trees: Dr. Kathleen Wolf (University of Washington), a research social scientist and Dr. Dick Jackson (UCLA), pediatrician and Chair of Environmental Health Sciences at UCLA’s School of Public Health. Local tree care experts will be onsite to answer questions. RSVP early to save your seat! Register online at www.hollywoodchamber.net/events.

Hollywood Street Closures

Enjoy special offers from Chamber members with
Hollywood Hot Deals

Hollywood Chamber Honored Steve Harvey and  Announced Two Star Ceremonies on Hollywood Walk of Fame!

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce that Olympia Dukakis will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the iconic Pantages Theatre for her amazing work on stage. We are thrilled to add another great star to our famed Walk of Fame. Ms. Dukakis is in a class of her own and has long been loved by fans the world over,” stated Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies. “We also welcome more than 1,000 Greek America Foundation members who will be here in Hollywood for their Gabby Awards Weekend events.” Emcee Leron Gubler, President of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO and guest speakers Diane Ladd and Ed Asner will help Olympia unveil the 2,498th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Category of Live Theatre at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard in front of The Pantages Theatre on Friday, May 24, 2013 at 11:30 a.m.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that David Foster will be honored with the 2,499^th star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, May 31, 2013. “David Foster is a master at writing music and he has written songs for some of the most famous entertainers in the world!” stated Leron Gubler, President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. “We welcome this great artist to our Walk of Fame family.” Gubler and guest speakers will help Foster unveil his Star in the Category of Recording at 1750 N. Vine in front of the iconic Capitol Records Building. The event will be live-streamed on www.walkoffame.com

Want to know the latest scoop on who is getting the next star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Follow producer Ana Martinez aka Stargirl on Twitter  @Wofstargirl. Stargirl knows all the details about the Walk of Fame and will definitely entertain you!

The Hollywood Chamber is encouraging members and Hollywood businesses to add the above walkoffame.com button on their website to directly link to www.walkoffame.com the official Hollywood Walk of Fame online. Offer your site visitors direct access to Stargirl's anecdotes and daily experiences with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Follow stargirl on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hollywood-Walk-of-Fame/107930052586317

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#%21/wofstargirl  

On YouTube http://www.youtube.com/hwdwalkoffame

#Hollywoodwalkoffame, #wofstargirl

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign are registered trademarks of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

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Get Unlimited Access to Expert HR Compliance Resources through Hollywood Chamber

California employment laws and HR requirements may overwhelm businesses. The Hollywood Chamber is offering a specially-priced HRCalifornia subscription through a partnership with the CalChamber. CalChamber’s HRCalifornia is an affordable online resource for quick answers to your California and federal employment law questions. Use the website as a trusted starting point for up-to-date compliance facts and helpful tips. The comprehensive HR content and tools simplify tasks and help you avoid mistakes that could cost your company a lot of money in potential fines and lawsuits. Learn how you can benefit from this exclusive offer as a member of the Hollywood Chamber. Contact Marlene Carney at (909) 593-0449 or email marlene.carney@calchamber.com

Chamber's Official Hollywood Walk of Fame Reception Guide Offers Members the Opportunity to Place Their Business or Service on the Desk of VIP Event Planners

The Hollywood Chamber is pleased to present the Official Hollywood Walk of Fame Reception Guide. For the first time ever, Chamber members have an opportunity to advertise their venue and services directly to the Walk of Fame recipients. Learn more about what the Chamber is doing to help promote your company and how you can capture the attention of the Walk of Fame honorees! For more info, please contact Kaylee Kiecker, VP of Marketing and Business Development, at kaylee@hollywoodchamber.net.

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