Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to Speak May 18 at the 2007 British American Business Council’s Transatlantic Business Conference
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – May 1, 2007 – Los Angeles
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will speak on the critical connections between the
United Kingdom and Southern California in the areas of entertainment, new media,
climate control, renewable resources and homeland security at the annual conference
of the British American Business Council.
“The United Kingdom
is the largest investor in the Los Angeles area – as well as in the entire
United States,” Villaraigosa said. “Britain is our strongest ally
both politically and economically, and we share many of the same concerns over
the global issues this conference will address.”
The two-day conference
called FUTURE NOW will bring together prominent business
leaders from the United Kingdom and the United States to discuss how the digital
revolution is changing the entertainment industry, joint efforts to combat
climate change, the outlook for renewable resources and homeland security.
The conference will be held May 17-18 at the Marina Del Rey Marriott.
The mayor’s address
to this gathering of prominent business leaders who are shaping the future
of both nations will be at 1:15 p.m. on May 18.
“There is a tremendous
amount of synergy between the United Kingdom and Los Angeles that many people
are not aware of,” Villaraigosa said. “LA is the creative capital
of the United States, and the UK also is a world leader in entertainment, communications
and emerging media. We are both on the cutting edge of alternative energy research
and are engaged in numerous joint initiatives to combat climate change. This
conference will provide a platform for key business leaders and decision-makers
on these issues to examine the present and chart the future.”
One of the keynote speakers
at the BABC 2007 conference will be Timothy J. Leiweke, President and CEO of
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), one of the world's leading presenters of
sports and entertainment programming, as well as the developer and operator
of such prestigious venues as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Kodak
Theatre and the Millennum Dome in London.
Attendees also will
meet visionaries such as Sean Moriarty, President and CEO of Ticketmaster;
Matthew Kearney, President and CEO, Screenvision; David Hill, Chairman and
CEO, Fox Sports Television Group; David Thorpe, Global Director of Innovation,
Ogilvy & Mather; Chris Leubkeman, Director, Foresight and Innovation, Arup;
Colin Callender, President of HBO Films International; Simon Wright, CEO of
Virgin Entertainment Group; and Doug Perlman, President of IMG Media, a global
sports, entertainment and media company.
British Consul General
Bob Peirce will speak, as well as energy and environmental experts from Arup,
British Petroleum and several prestigious universities and research centers
in Southern California.
The selection of Los
Angeles as the site of the BABC 2007 conference comes after several high-level
visits between government officials from both sides.
Last August, Tony Blair
met with Villaraigosa and other prominent political, business and community
leaders from Los Angeles, the first trip ever to the city by a sitting British
Prime Minister. Just eight weeks later, Villaraigosa took his first overseas
trip as mayor to the United Kingdom, where he addressed the shared concern
of climate change. And in October, the First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell
came to Southern California – another first - to reinforce business
links, as well as joint scientific and educational programs.
“There is certainly
a strong trend of cooperation and working together that has developed between
Los Angeles and the United Kingdom,” said Paul J. Wright, president
of the BABC of Los Angeles, which is organizing the event. “The goal
of our organization, and certainly of this conference, is to strengthen those
ties by fostering personal and business relationships between the key people
involved.”
Open to the public. To register and for more information: visit www.babc2007.com
Working press registration for members of the media covering BABC 2007 is complimentary. To register, go to http://www.babc2007.com/pressregister.asp
Media Contacts Only:
Mary C. McGeachy
Rodheim Marketing Group
917-334-6813
mary@rodheim-marketing.com
Genevieve Anton
Rodheim Marketing Group
714-544-6503
genevieve@rodheim-marketing.com