GEMA’s 5th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, OCTOBER 5th, 2006

By David Appelbaum

On Thursday, October 5th, over 200 Georgetown University graduates gathered at the home of International Creative Management Executive Vice President and GEMA LA Advisory Board Member Eddie Yablans (C ’88) to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Georgetown Entertainment & Media Alliance, just a few months early.

The law firm of Hogan & Hartson and the executive recruitment firm of Korn/Ferry International sponsored the event.

Founded in 2002 by Rich Battista (B ’86), GEMA’s goal has been to organize programs and resources for alumni and current students and to elevate Georgetown’s profile in the entertainment industry.

If the Anniversary celebration was any kind of benchmark for achievement, it would seem GEMA is well on its way to accomplishing its aims.

The evening began with a cocktail reception and a lavish layout of hors d’oeurves served poolside at Yablans’ Holmby Hills home.  Many alumni could be seen heartily greeting old friends and classmates and making new friends from the Hilltop.

In brief remarks, Battista and GEMA President Catherine Hagney Brown (C ’84) highlighted GEMA’s many achievements over the past five years, including:

• The launch of GEMA-LA, GEMA-NY and coming soon, GEMA-DC
• The growth in membership, which stands today at almost 1,300 worldwide
• The creation of ongoing programs for alumni, including the GEMA Speakers Series, the GEMA Breakfast Series and the just launched WHAT ROCKS? GEMA LIVE AT THE ORPHEUM! - An all-alumni revival of Georgetown Cabaret
• The creation of ongoing programs for students, including the annual GEMA Externship Program, in which 68 students and hundreds of alumni have participate, and the annual GEMA Entertainment & Media Alumni Career Panel held on campus

Battista also called attention to efforts to fulfill a central tenet of GEMA’s mission—GEMA Philanthropy—with a commitment to raise $250,000 to build a 67-seat screening room on Georgetown’s main campus, to be named The GEMA Screening Room.  And Hagney Brown announced an exciting new plan to create a curriculum in communications, media, and entertainment for future generations of Hoyas.

Following the remarks, newly-introduced GEMA LA Co-Directors Colleen Aylward (G’97) and Stephen Dormer (L ’98) conducted a raffle of several door prizes, including a Sony PS2, a Sling Box, a one-year subscription to Variety.com, tickets to a Variety screening and an assortment of GU paraphernalia. And, if that weren’t enough, everyone who attended received a gift bag that included DVDs from Fox, CD’s from Sony BMG, magazines from Conde Nast and other goodies.

In his closing remarks, Battista echoed the sentiment at large among the many guests: “Most importantly, we have created something all of Georgetown can be proud of: a strong community of colleagues and friends. For that I say thank you, and I look forward to the next five years and beyond!”

Originally from Massachusetts, David Appelbaum is a 2003 graduate of Georgetown College, where he majored in Psychology and English. During his college years, David made a number of films, including Georgetown’s first student-made feature-length film. After graduating, he spent a year in Washington, DC working as a grip on film and television productions, and then moved to Los Angeles, where he currently works as the Writers’ Assistant on the television show SHARK. David recently made a short film, ADIOS, PAPITAS FRITAS, which screened at over twenty-five film festivals. He has also just completed a feature script, for which he is gathering financing.

Contact: dapp7@aol.com