26th Annual NAMIC Conference To Feature First-Ever Slate Of "Big Four" General Sessions

NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) today announced plans to present its first-ever slate of four (4) General Sessions at the 26^th Annual NAMIC Conference.  Presented as part of Diversity Week, the conference is scheduled for September 11-12, 2012 at the Hilton New York in Manhattan. 

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The first program offering of its kind since the inception of the Annual NAMIC Conference in 1986, the "Big Four" General Sessions will feature an impressive roster of senior executives representing a wide cross-section of the media and communications industry, and the business and civic community at-large.  On Tuesday, September 11, the two-day event will kick-off with the CEO-centered General Session, "Evolving Markets, Customers & Employees: Why Diversity Matters in the Cable Industry," sponsored by Time Warner Cable.  General Sessions also scheduled for Tuesday, September 11, include "Women, Minorities and America's Obsession with the 2012 Election" and "Brand Speaks! Developing your Impression Inside & Out in the Multicultural Marketplace."  Rounding out the slate of General Sessions is "Creating Original Programming for Multicultural Audiences," which is scheduled for Wednesday, September 12. 

The planned General Sessions will be highlighted by an impressive roster of senior executives and other distinguished dignitaries such as Suresh Bala Iyer, president and chief executive officer, ASIA TV USA Ltd.; Lucia Ballas-Traynor, co-founder, Mamas Latinas; Matthew Barnhill, executive vice president, Corporate Market Research, BET Networks; Glenn Britt, chairman & CEO, Time Warner Cable; Len Burnett, chief revenue officer, group publisher, Vibe Media; Paul Butler, general manager, ASPiRE; David Cohen, executive vice president, Comcast; Pat Esser, president, Cox Communications; TJ Holmes, BET Networks; Loretha Jones, president, Original Programming, BET Networks; Ted Kim, acting president, and CEO, Mnet; Hernan Lopez, president and chief executive officer, Fox Networks International Channels; Ken Lowe, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, Scripps Networks Interactive; Wonya Lucas, chief executive officer and president, TV One, LLC; Roland Martin, TV One; Ana Navarro, CNN; Joshua Mintz, general manager, Telemundo Studios; Randall Pinkett, chairman, president and chief executive officer, BCT Partners; Laurel Richie, president, WNBA; Michael Smith, general manager, The Cooking Channel, Scripps Networks Interactive; R. Thomas Umstead, programming editor, Multichannel News, and more.  In addition to their General Session participation, Esser and Lucas are also serving as honorary conference chairs. 

"Over its 25 years, the NAMIC Conference emerged as a must-attend event for communications professionals at all levels of the industry," said NAMIC president and chief executive officer, Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee.  "By expanding the General Sessions, broadening the scope of expert perspectives with non-industry speakers, and adding new education and networking opportunities, our goal is to present an even richer experience for attendees that contributes to the exponential growth of the Conference as we move forward, year-over-year." 

Robust Learning Tracks programmed to coincide with the conference theme Diversity to the Fourth Power or Diversity4: Culture.Audience.Innovation.Leadership will also highlight the two-day agenda.  This year's Learning Tracks encompass compelling topics such as "Diversity is not just about Color or Gender! Embracing the LGBT Community" sponsored by Discovery Communications and co-developed in partnership with The Walter Kaitz Foundation and Women in Cable Telecommunications.  CNN anchor, Jane Velez-Mitchell will serve as moderator with featured panelists to include Keith Boykin, contributor, CNBC, BET columnist, author and former White House aide; Herndon Graddick, president and chief executive officer, GLAAD; Meg Lowe, senior vice president, Domestic Distribution, Discovery Communications; and Lisa Sherman, executive vice president and general manager, Logo.  The first-of-its-kind Leadership and Innovation Master Classes - "Five Big Lessons of Leadership: A Conversation with Debra Lee, chairman and chief executive officer, BET Networks" and "The Rules of the Road in the Digital Marketplace: A Conversation with Don T. Moore, president, Burrell Digital" are also being presented as part of the highly anticipated slate of Learning Tracks.

Additionally, traditional and first-time special events scheduled for the 26^th Annual NAMIC Conference include:

• L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Program Luncheon featuring Rosie Perez,Academy Award-nominated actress, Emmy-nominated choreographer and activist, and hosted by Celebrity Chef G. Garvin, host of the Cooking Channel's "Roadtrip with G. Garvin" presented in partnership with Women in Cable Telecommunications and sponsored by The Walter Kaitz Foundation.
   
• Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award Luncheon, sponsored by Showtime Networks and CBS Television Networks.
   
• Presentation of the winners of the Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA) and Local Chapter Recognition Awards.
   
• Breakfast Honoring the CableFAX Most Influential Minorities in Cable, sponsored by the National Cable Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and supporting sponsor Time Warner Cable and featuring keynote remarks by the NCTA's president and chief executive officer, Michael K. Powell.
    
• Reception for the Alumni of the Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and Leadership Seminars sponsored by Scripps Networks Interactive.
   
• NAMIC Technology Expo & Diversity Career Fair opened to the general public and free of charge for job seekers.
   
• New and unique professional and social mixers encompassing Interactive Leadership Development Workshops; NAMIC-New York Welcome Reception sponsored by SiriusXM; NAMIC Executive Salon Dinner sponsored by BET Networks; NAMIC Conference Reception sponsored by TV One; Multicultural Women's Breakfast; and the entertainment event "An Evening of Diversity In Style."

Sponsors of the 26^th Annual NAMIC Conference confirmed to date include The Africa Channel; A+E Networks; AMC Networks; BET Networks; Cablevision; CBS Television Networks; Comcast; ION Media Networks; Motorola; NBCUniversal; NCTA; News Corp; Scripps Networks Interactive; Showtime Networks; SiriusXM; Suddenlink Communications; The Walter Kaitz Foundation; Time Warner Cable; Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.; TV One; and Univision.  Media partners include Broadcasting & Cable; CableFAX; Communications Technology; HispanicMPR.com; Multichannel News; NV Magazine; Portada; The Network Journal; and Savoy.

For more information on the 26^th Annual NAMIC Conference, contact NAMIC at 212-594-5985.  To view the complete roster of confirmed speakers, visit http://www.namic-conference.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 over 2,700 professionals belonging to a network of 16 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 and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and DiversityLive: The Business > Social NAMIC Network.

SOURCE NAMIC