By Julie Gordon | BusinessWeek
Breaking into the back-end of showbiz can be almost as hard as getting your face in front of the camera. That’s why two recent Indiana University graduates are looking to expand an entertainment-focused business organization to campuses around the country and possibly convert it into a nonprofit organization.
The Business Careers in Entertainment Club, part of IU’s Kelley School, provides undergraduates with contacts in the field and trips to entertainment-related firms. Networking events over the past few years have allowed students to meet with executives from the New York Yankees, Sirius Radio (SIRI), and the NFL, among other companies. If other schools join in on the concept, they will have access to the BCEC’s large network of alumni and other industry contacts.
“Because of the nature of what the companies do, it’s hard to get a hold of people because they like to keep things very private. A lot of students—whether they’re in New York, L.A., or the Midwest, find it hard to work in the industry because it’s hard to contact anyone,” says Robb Rosenthal, a 2006 Kelley School of Business grad and former club president.
Schools that already have entertainment business or sports business clubs are being targeted most heavily, says Jonathan Levey, also a former BCEC president and IU alumnus. They include NYU’s Stern School, Penn’s (Wharton School), the University of Michigan’s Ross School, and UCLA and USC in California, says Levey.
Membership is $20 per year at Indiana, and dues would be similar if expanded. And with the job-hunting opportunities the BCEC can provide for undergrads, that fee is certainly worth it.
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