Inspirational Speaker: Carolyn Steel

I chose one speaker from TED.com that has inspired me and has similar views. Her name is Carolyn Steel and in this talk she covers How Food Shapes Our Cities. This topic is one side idea to my business proposal about Food Through Culture.

She starts by asking the audience where they think the food on their plate comes from. She also talks about how the food is transported, bought and sold, produced, cooked, eaten and disposed of and how this repetition of events happens everyday in every city. She discusses how ancient food routes shaped the modern world and how as the years go on the demand for meat and dairy will double. Carolyn claims that half of the food that is in the United States is thrown away and the planet is not even being fed properly. She educates the viewer on how 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, agricultural and urbanism combined. Rome shaped it’s inter-land through its appetite. You could also determine where food was located and provided within a city by looking at street and town names. Cities used to be constrained by geography, but once the train was created, cities could grow to any shape. People used to cook and now we add water. She explains how no one values food anymore and now we are dependable on huge corporations to provide food for us. She points out a very interesting word, sitopia, which means food place and she says that we do live in a place that is shaped by food. She proposes that we bring food back to the center of life. She also re-conceptualizes the way that food shapes our lives.

Carolyn Steel has inspired me to think of food and how important it is for socialization, nature and sustenance. I believe that if people become more aware of the food they eat and why they eat it, that they will start caring about the environment and what our bodies are consuming. She also points out that by creating a sitopia people will become more centered. People will start cooking their own food again, going to farmer’s markets and buying food from trustworthy and worthy sources. The family will also become more united through the effort it takes to prepare the food.

This speech is so close to my idea of Food Through Culture. The difference here was that Carolyn Steel was warning the people of how food can shape a city and the harmful effects that happen when we allow it get out of control.

She has inspired me to work harder on making all of my own meals, buying from farmers and spreading the word and the sitopia.

North American Travel Journalists Association

One professional association that relates to my industry is the NATJA or the North American Travel Journalists Association. My industry revolves around travel journalism and broadcasting.

“The North American Travel Journalists Association is the premier professional association of writers, photographers, editors, and tourism professionals dedicated to redefining professional development for the travel industry.”

“NATJA’s mission is to support the professional development of its members, provide exceptional benefits and valuable resources, support high quality professional journalism, promote travel and leisure activities to the public, and honor the excellence of journalism throughout the world.”

NATJA was founded in 1991 by New Jersey travel writers Bob Nesoff and Dan Schlossberg as a non-political organization. Nesoff was elected its first president, with Schlossberg as vice president. In 1994, when other responsibilities called him away, Nesoff resigned and was succeeded by Schlossberg.

To join NATJA, applicants must prove only that they are legitimate working travel journalists but do not need "sponsorship" from incumbent members. NATJA’s paid staff includes a full-time Executive Director, part-time Conference and Marketplace Director, and professional management agency. NATJA’s programming and services include the annual Conference & Marketplace focusing on professional development, the annual NATJA Awards travel journalism competition, Travelworld Magazine, which is affiliated with MSNBC Travel and features stories from NATJA members, and in-depth media intelligence found in the member extranet. NATJA’s inclusiveness and focus on meeting the demands of the changing travel industry have enabled the organization to grow to more than 500 members. Today, NATJA is the second largest association of writers, photographers, editors, and tourism professionals dedicated to redefining professional development for the travel industry.

The NATJA effects the travel industry by providing travel journalists with a List Serve, Resource Center, annual Professional Development programs, eWire services, Member and Associate Databases, access to Travelworld International Magazine and the Wayfarer newsletter, media trips information, industry news, activation of a personal website, a NATJA media ID and access to the NATJA annual conference and marketplace.

NATJA is a professionally managed association consisting of full-time paid staff and part-time Advisory Board. Our officers are appointed and we do not have non-profit status. Dues and fees paid to NATJA may be tax deductible for media who use NATJA for professional development.

The North American Travel Journalists Association provides a support line for the dedicated travel journalists. It provides the journalists with networking in order to find buyers, sellers or employees. It also presents the members with sources, which aid in research in development of their journalism.

The NATJA is important to the industry because it helps the national members stay in touch no matter what country or continent they are currently traveling to.

http://natja.org/node/247 

Interview With A Travel Journalist

Roy Heale

This week I interviewed Roy Heale, a freelance travel journalist and photographer that frequently travels between Calgary, Argentina, Canada and Buenos Aires.  He was born and raised and educated in London, England but has spent the last forty years in Canada. He is an active member of the Travel Media Association of Canada, IGLTA and Travelwriters.com. He has stories published around the globe. He has 35 years of experience in marketing/public relations and was the founder and publisher of Outlooks Magazine in Canada for over 11 years. He owned a marketing agency called SuperMarketing for twenty-five years. He also spent four years as the Promotion Manager for an independent television station in Canada.

 He has done work for: Outlooks Magazine, Windy City Times, Resorts Magazine, Condo Living, conxity.com, IGLTA.org, gaytravel.org, ViaG Magazine Brazil, GMAPS360 Buenos Aires and LAN Airlines Diversity website

Here is the link to his blog:www.royheale.blogspot.com

I asked Roy about project managing and how it is used in travel journalism.

 1. How do you plan your trips and journalism? And where do you get your points of interest?

I now live in Buenos Aires so I focus mostly on South America and Central America. Most of my research is done at Travel Fairs and online.

2. How do you budget your trips? How do you know how much your material is worth?

Most of my expenses are covered by the Tourism Department of the city I am going to visit. Unfortunately the material is only worth what somebody else is willing to pay! It is very competitive and clients pay very little for the material these days.

3. How do you execute your trips and content?

I am semi-retired so I only travel when I want to and submit stories, which do not require deadlines.

4. How do you control your project?

I manage each project individually depending on where I am hoping to sell the story.

5. What are the managing stakeholders?

I am freelance so there are no stakeholders in my projects.

Roy is a text travel journalist, which is similar to what I aspire to do, except, I hope to have a series of shows dedicated to my dream of revealing the connection between food and culture.

*Source: Roy Heale

Team Work

My industry deals with television and mostly television journalism. The format is similar to that of The Travel Channel stars like Anthony Bourdain and Sam Brown.

A team is extremely important in television journalism because you travel all over with your team. There are the hosts, the cameramen, the producers, the assistants, the hair and make up artists, etc. Without the team the show will never come together. Each person has a certain role and they all come together to create the segment.

In order to put together an efficient team, I would need backup writers, assistants, cameramen, producers, hair, make up and wardrobe artists and travel experts. These people would have to be able to travel together and handle each other for long periods of time. They would also have to be able to adapt in certain surroundings and expect the unexpected.

In order to communicate with the team, I would have each member understand his or her role and how it helps to create the whole segment. They will know that the rest of the team depends on them and without them there is no show. The team will know each other very well, so when issues arise dilemmas will have to be worked out as soon as possible.

Travel journalists have their team on the road and they also have their road back at home. They have their clients, managers and they studios at home.

The travel journalists usually film half of the year and are on the road with their team. For this half of a year they are dedicated to developing the show efficiently. The team members do their best in order to get the show filmed so that they can go home to their families and friends after the season. Not only do they have motivation to return home, but also they have motivation to show the rest of the world their talent.

Travel journalists are always involved in team situations, without their team their shows will not be created.

Current Entertainment Business Issue

Movie Pirate from India

Movie Pirates

Ever since sharing files and documents on computers was possible, movie theft was too. The exception here is that movie theft has grow to horrible heights. It is quite easy for anyone to download movies off the Internet, whether they are coming from Youtube, BitTorrents, and media sharing programs or just sending them in general.

The issue now is that movie pirating is advancing while technology is. The pirates have become more efficient and lucrative with the movie pirating. Movie pirating is international and there are over 1,000 peer-to-peer websites just in the United States that allow illegal movie sharing and downloading. There has been a dilemma with determining which sites are legitimate and which ones aren’t.

The Paramount executive is trying to crack down on the piracy and influence other companies to build a better security system. The MPA trade group is also lobbying for tougher legislation on intellectual property theft and resale around the world.

Movies are uploaded everyday and are offered in every language. The pirates have even been able to improve the visual and sound quality of the movies themselves.

Paramount believes that if you release your product earlier, it is easier for pirates to hack and redistribute.

“Cyberlockers operate hand in glove with sites dedicated to linking consumers with such pirated content. Separating the linking sites from the content-storage sites helps thwart officials from cracking down on the immensely lucrative operations.”

Pirating is a million dollar industry that is on the rise. The money comes from advertising and membership fees. People will pay the small fee to pirate as many movies as they want.

I have friends that are experts and receiving the movies from pirates. I myself have learned how to do it. I don’t think it is right, but clearly companies need to make a big move in the security of films. Anyone can learn how to pirate.

Article: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/business/news/e3i05a30aa117cd49d6b2c4636622c9043a

Interview With A Broadcasting Leader

Steve Marks, Sinclair Chief Operating Officer

For my interview I chose a professional that works in the broadcasting business, Steve Marks. He currently works for Sinclair and is Chief Operating Officer.

What made you go into the entertainment business?

Marks: Initially thought I might want to be a comedian, or a sportscaster,

so I gravitated towards things that involved entertainment.

How did you get involved in the entertainment business?

Marks: Initially I did stand up comedy in clubs in New York, but I majored in

Communications in college and graduated with a BFA degree, I had hoped

to land a job with some thing that had to do with entertainment, or

advertising.

What aspect of the entertainment business are you involved in?

Marks:  I run a group of over the air broadcast stations for a company called Sinclair. My involvement is as Chief Operating Officer. I am responsible for the day-to-day activities of the company.

If you were to recommend anything to an aspiring entertainment business

student, what would you recommend?

Marks: There are a host of different categories when you are talking about

entertainment, my aspect is on the business side of it, my job is to

make our company more profitable and more attractive to prospective

share holders and advertisers, from the business side of it I would

recommend getting a job , or internship with a local media outlet, could

be radio, tv, cable etc.

What are the keys to staying successful in the entertainment business?

Marks: Key in any business is hard work, there are no short cuts, again

would depend on what aspect of the business your in, typically people in

the entertainment business have interesting personalities, they are

typically confident, have big egos, and are use to success, you have to

be able to converse at that level.

The entertainment business is an extremely competitive field, who are

your main competitors? What do you do to stay on top?

Marks: I like to run my business as my business I treat it like I own it, I

am concerned about my competitors but only to the extent that I can take

advantage of any weakness they may be displaying at any given time, so I

try to stay current from a business aspect. Short of that I worry about

my company and what I can do to try to make it better. I do not spend

a lot of time worrying about competitors. I am aware of them, but I tend

to concentrate on what I have control of my company. I do not have control of what my competitors do, I might influence it, but I

can’t control it.

What are your thoughts on leadership and the business environment?

Marks: Leaders hire good people, they realize that strength comes from who

they surround themselves with, and it is important to lead by example.

Have you used personal branding in order to get your name out?

Marks: No, I have not.

Do you use media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs

to promote your business? Do you think they help?

Marks: Yes we do, any media used properly ie the right message should have

some benefit.

What do you think the greatest downfall about the entertainment business?

Marks: Hollywood can’t control spending, much like baseball cant control how

the Yankees spend money on free agents. Hollywood spends too much on

their product, cost have to be controlled.....never happen....but here

again that is just one aspect of the entertainment business. The fact of

the matter is people will always look for an entertainment outlet, and as

long as people will have the need to be entertained regardless of how

they choose to get that entertainment speaks well for the industry,

there really is no downside. The consumer is always looking for some form

of entertainment.

Marks works with a broadcasting company, which supplies several channels. I hope to work with the Scripps Networks, which also supplies several channels.

Interview With An Entertainment Business Owner

David Hersh, Owner of The Real Score

I interviewed David Hersh, a television show owner and previous minor league baseball team owner. He owns the television show called The Real Score and owned minor league teams like the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the Portland Oregon Beavers, and the Memphis Chicks.

What made you go into the entertainment business?

Hersh: I fell into it by accident. I started broadcasting in college, especially with Radio. After college I got involved with baseball entertainment.

What aspect of the entertainment business are you involved in?

Hersh: Television, but have been involved in all forms of sports and concert entertainment.

If you were to recommend anything to an aspiring entertainment business student, what would you recommend?

Hersh: Imagination. Think outside the box. You can never expect the traditional to work.

What are the keys to staying successful in the entertainment business?

Hersh: Flexibility and creativity.

The entertainment business is an extremely competitive field, who are your main competitors? What do you do to stay on top?

Hersh: Always be willing to change. Never rest on your morals. Its not about ego. Everyone is your competitor. You never know where the next idea is going to come from.

What are your thoughts on leadership and the business environment?

Hersh: That’s what separates the men from the boys.

Have you used personal branding in order to get your name out?

Hersh: Owning a minor league baseball team, the only thing they know is your name. There are good and bad that go along with personal branding. It proves to be a test.

Do you use media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs to promote your business? Do you think they help?

Hersh: Yes, everyday. They help get your name out there and help my tv show get recognition and followers.

What do you think the greatest downfall about the entertainment business is?

Hersh: That people think its too easy. They don’t understand that entertaining people is hard and so is selling tickets.

By interviewing David Hersh it made me realize how much it really takes to get involved in the entertainment business. It proves to be a difficult field that only the lucky get to be a part of. 

Click Here To Check Out The Real Score 

Current Entertainment Business Issue

2012 Olympic Stadium in London, England

In 2012 the Olympics are set to take place in London, which means that an Olympic stadium will be built. There are two entertainment business companies that are trying to use the Olympic stadium for concerts after the 2012 Olympics. The two companies are: Live Nation and AEG.

Live Nation is the world's largest concert entertainment company and AEG owns the 02 (former Millennium Dome). Live Nation has performers like Lady Gaga, Madonna and U2 and AEG has performers like Usher, Justin Timberlake and Prince. The two companies partner up with the most famous singers in entertainment and have both proven their talent in order to get the stadium.

The two companies know that the stadium will prove to be an amazing concert venue. A lot of money will come from the venue itself. The competition has just now started to heat up and the negotiations include large numbers.

Article: http://bx.businessweek.com/entertainment-industry/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fc.moreover.com%2Fclick%2Fhere.pl%3Fr3254548690%26f%3D9791

This article is breaking news in the concert entertainment business. The two competitors have the most famous stars in the entertainment business performing for them. This stadium will create heavy tourism to London from fans all over the world. This venue will provide worldwide entertainment. It will be interesting to see who wins the bid and the numbers that surround the negotiation.

When to big companies like this compete over a landmark venue, attention gets drawn. This stadium will prove to be one of the biggest venues and having one companies name will prove who the bigger company is. This competition is not just about the stadium, but who rules the concert entertainment business.

By being the owner of the 2012 Olympic stadium in London the company that wins will gain bragging rights and credibility for concert entertainment. The concert entertainment business is one of the most competitive businesses in the world, but along side them are the television entertainment business and the movie entertainment business.

Dreams

If you didn't already know, I want to work with a lifestyle channel.

I am getting my Master's from Full Sail University in hopes that this will provide me with the educational support to become part of a lifestyle network.

Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel

The one dream job that I aspire to, is the one that Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel has. She is a video journalist who travels the world showing people lots of different countries and towns.

I have some ideas for what I want to do and hopefully one day Scripps will want to hear them.