Robert B. Clasen Named Honorary Chair for the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference

Robert B. Clasen Named Honorary Chair for the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference

NEW YORK May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications), today announced Robert B. Clasen, chairman and chief executive officer of Starz, LLC as honorary chair for the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference. Scheduled for October 26-28, 2009, the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Denver Colorado as part of Cable Connection-Fall. Cable Connection-Fall is a week of events uniting major industry associations, conferences and meetings in a single location.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060705/NYW092LOGO)

"We are delighted to have the support of Starz as we transition the conference from its traditional setting in New York City to Denver for the inaugural presentation of Cable Connection-Fall," said Kathy Johnson, president, NAMIC. "This is an exciting time for NAMIC as we unite with our fellow industry associations and we are thrilled to have Bob Clasen on-board as honorary chair."

With more than three decades in the media industry, Clasen is responsible for all business, strategic, organizational, legal and financial matters, and for generating growth and new business opportunities for Starz Entertainment, Starz Media and Overture Films. Clasen has been nationally recognized for his outstanding leadership from a variety of organizations and publications including Industry Week, Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT), Channels and Irish America. He was selected by Cable Television Business as Executive of the Year in 1988 and as Convergence Pioneer by Cable World in 2000. He was inducted into the Cable Pioneers in 2001. Clasen has served as a member of the National Academy of Cable Programming Board of Governors, director of the Cable Television Advertising Bureau (CAB) and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).

"Denver is an ideal setting for the NAMIC Conference because its residents and elected leaders exemplify diversity and because it has long been an important center for the cable industry," said Clasen. "We at Starz look forward to welcoming NAMIC attendees to our home town and to a vigorous exchange of ideas about the importance of diversity as a key business strategy both on and off the screen. And we hope everybody can spend a few extra days enjoying the magnificent Rocky Mountains."

Since its inception, the Annual NAMIC Conference has emerged as the industry's premier forum for acquiring effective strategies and practices that create business growth and bottom-line impact in an ever-changing, globally diverse marketplace. Last year's NAMIC conference was a record-setter with more than 850 of the industry's thought leaders, influencers and experts in attendance. In keeping with the event's standard of excellence, the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference will showcase a diverse line-up of business leaders sharing their perspectives on timely topics such as corporate diversity and inclusion, digital media, leadership development and multi-ethnic content/programming. Produced to address diversity and inclusion's impact on innovation and profitability in this increasingly multi-ethnic and global economy, the theme for this year's conference is "Diversity Rules".

"Businesses are becoming more global as American demographics continuously shift and technology breaks down cultural barriers," said Johnson. "This year's conference theme is a reflection on diversity as an irrefutable, winning strategy."

For more information on the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference or for inquiries pertaining to sponsorship, contact Sandra Girado, manager of Meetings and Events at the NAMIC national headquarters, 212-594-5985. Online registration for the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference can be accessed by visiting www.namic.com.

About NAMIC

NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises 2,000 professionals belonging to a network of 18 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. For more information, please visit www.namic.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060705/NYW092LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: NAMIC

CONTACT: Daphne Leroy, Vice President, Marketing & Communications of
NAMIC, +1-212-594-5985, daphne.leroy@namic.com; or Charmaine Chapman of BTB
Communications, +1-310-882-5498, char@btbcommunications.com

Web Site: http://www.namic.com/

-------
Profile: intent