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New York, New York
March 23, 2006

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Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to Address New York's Creative Community at Creative New York Conference

Barry Diller, Bill T. Jones, Terry Lundgren and Ann Moore Among the Panelists Who Will Present Their Views of Where New York Stands in the Global Competition for Creative Talent and Strategies for Growing the City's Creative Economy

On Tuesday, April 4, 2006, leaders of New York’s creative communities, along with government officials, will convene to discuss their ideas for keeping New York City at the forefront of the world’s creative economy. The City of New York, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Partnership for New York City and the Center for an Urban Future will host the Creative New York conference at The Museum of Modern Art. The purpose of the conference is to encourage the formation of new public-private partnerships to support the creative artists, businesses and nonprofit institutions that make New York a uniquely attractive city.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has led efforts to grow creative sectors in communities across the five boroughs, will open the conference. Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin and New York University President John E. Sexton will lead panel discussions of the global and local issues that impact the city’s creative sector, and ideas for maintaining New York’s competitive advantage in attracting and promoting talent.

Confirmed panelists include:

• Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp and Chairman of Expedia Inc.
• Daniel L. Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding, City of New York
• Fernando Espuelas, Chairman and CEO, VOY, LLC
• Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director, Carnegie Hall
• Bill T. Jones, Artistic Director, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company/Choreographer
• Kate D. Levin, Commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
• Virginia Louloudes, Executive Director, Alliance of Resident Theatres, New York
• Glenn D. Lowry, Director, The Museum of Modern Art
• Terry J. Lundgren, Chairman, President & CEO, Federated Department Stores, Inc.
• Ann S. Moore, Chairman and CEO, Time Inc.
• James Schamus, Co-President and Founder, Focus Features
• Mary Ann Tighe, CEO, New York Tri-State Region, CB Richard Ellis.

The conference was organized as a follow up to Creative New York, a study by the Center for an Urban Future and Mt. Auburn Associates, a consulting firm that focuses on economic development analysis and strategy. Released in December 2005, the study documents the size and scope of New York’s creative sector, which includes over 11,000 businesses and employs over 300,000 workers. This sector of New York’s economy has grown rapidly in recent years, and the study also suggests ways to accelerate this growth. The study was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Deutsche Bank, the New York Community Trust, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Independence Community Foundation and the British Consulate-General.

The Rockefeller Foundation was established in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, Sr. to “promote the well-being” of humanity by addressing the root causes of serious problems. With assets of more than $3 billion, it is one of the nation’s largest private foundations. The Foundation works internationally to expand opportunities for poor and vulnerable people and to help ensure that the benefits of globalization are shared more equitably. The Foundation has a decades-long commitment to arts and culture. For more information about the Rockefeller Foundation, please visit www.rockfound.org.

The Partnership for New York City (www.pfnyc.org) is a network of business leaders dedicated to enhancing the economy of the five boroughs of New York City and maintaining the city’s position as the center of world commerce, finance and innovation.

The Center for an Urban Future (www.nycfuture.org) is a New York City-based think tank dedicated to fact-based research about critical issues affecting New York's future, including economic development, workforce development, higher education and the arts.