More Exciting News!

A key driver of choosing the Los Angeles Convention Center is the opportunity in 2012 to align our event with the prestigious Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF), which is produced by Film Independent (FIND). LAFF attracts over 90,000 visitors over their 10-day event, almost 40,000 of whom are film industry professionals. The Festival showcases independent, international, feature, documentary and short films as well as music videos, and screens more than 100 feature films. The event also includes world premieres, panels and seminars, and free outdoor screenings. In 2011, the Festival showed over 200 films, music videos and shorts from over 30 countries.
 
AFCI is planning for members to receive special rates and offers from the Festival, which will provide you with access to the many remarkable panels and films. Film Independent (FIND), the association for independent filmmakers, has been eager to join with AFCI and its members to create an unprecedented industry event.
 

LA Live and the Los Angeles Convention Center: At the Center of the Action!

If you haven’t been to downtown LA in a while, well, you haven’t been to downtown LA!  The LA Live complex has been the driver of the area’s revitalization. Bustling with activity and pulsating with excitement, LA Live is the home of the American Music Awards at The Nokia Theater, The Grammy Museum, Nokia Plaza, The Staples Center, and The Regal Entertainment Group movie complex utilized by the Los Angeles Film Festival.

New This Year!

Adjacent to LA Live, the Los Angeles Convention Center is one of the few top-rate venues in the central Los Angeles area that can accommodate the size of the ever-growing Locations Show. Furthermore, it is a venue that gives us the space for expansion and growth in future years. Selection of the Los Angeles Convention Center is part of a broader strategy to provide AFCI and its members with the levels of consistent and ongoing exposure.
 
Following a successful event in 2011, the AFCI has been at work to further improve and expand the Location Show’s value. The 2012 Show will not only feature the traditional Locations Show expo area, but also:

• Informal lounge areas for networking
• Conferences
• Workshops
• Seminars
• Screenings

The goal is to provide not only a promotional platform for the vast range of incentives, production locations and business and support services available for production, but also to create an environment conducive to building and nurturing networks and relationships with other film industry professionals.
 

Making Travel Dollars Work Hard

June is a bumper month for industry networking events in LA. By placing the AFCI Show in the third weekend, AFCI members now have a unique set of opportunities to engage with the Hollywood industry. The month begins with the Cine Gear Expo on June 1-3, followed by the Produced By Conference on June 9 & 10th – an event that we encourage our members to attend because of the opportunity to attend educational sessions and network with PGA members, building on the relationships established in 2011.
 
Until the AFCI Locations Show opens on June 15th, you’ll have several days to set appointments with clients, both existing and new. Then you’ll be at the center of the official launch of the LA Film Festival on Thursday June 14th, and the grand opening of our show on Friday 15th.
 

There’s More!

There’s much, much more in the planning stage - all of it aimed at making the AFCI event current, relevant and exciting for your core clients - producers, production designers, and location professionals. Look out early in the new year for Calls for Expressions of Interest and Calls for Content - it’s the collective offerings of AFCI members that will take the Locations Show to a new level, so we’ll be reaching out to work with you on designing a program that counts.
 
You’ll be pleased to hear that it will also be free for your clients to attend – although we will again have a registration process to ensure that attendees are credentialed professionals in their respective fields.
 
For exhibitors, we’re also incorporating all those things you asked for in last year’s post-show survey, in particular we’re looking at:

• New options for Exhibitors, from traditional stands to shared pavilions to desk displays, designed to maximize value and networking opportunities
• Online Booth application and registration processes – including an a la carte booth “menu” to allow exhibitors to customize for their needs
• A layout and venue plan that specifically traffic event attendees through the exhibit hall
• A staggered schedule of conferences and workshops offering more and longer periods for networking
• Improved on-site communication to attendees on-site to inform them about activities, special offers and exhibitor promotions

So there you have it – Friday-Saturday, June 15 & 16, at the Los Angeles Convention Center opposite LA Live, coinciding with the opening weekend of the fantastic Los Angeles Film Festival, and just a few days after the PGA’s Produced By Conference. We’re excited! We hope you are too!
 
For more information and to discuss your potential participation at the show, please contact Elyse Gammer at +1-323-461-2324 x 6 or email elyse@afci.org.