Buffalo, N.Y.—The University at Buffalo announced its next UBC2C (UB Coast to Coast) symposium on arts, entertainment and media at the Friars Club in New York City.

Alan Zweibel

UB alumnus, Alan Zweibel, BA ’72, multi-Emmy Award-winning writer/producer/playwright, who began his very successful career as part of the original “Saturday Night Live” writing team, hosted the event. Zweibel also will be a workshop leader during the UBC2C NYC symposium, which will take place in New York’s Lincoln Center and in the Macaulay Honors College at City University July 23-25.

The launch event was held to build momentum for the symposium, which is being organized by the UB College of Arts and Sciences, UB alumni in the arts, entertainment and media industries, and the UB Alumni Association.

UBC2C NYC is a symposium for UB students and alumni, for students from New York City-area colleges and universities and for others who aspire to be the next generation of industry leaders. It will provide participants with real-world opportunities to network and explore potential careers in the arts, entertainment and media industries.

Workshops led by industry veterans will also be part of the July symposium offerings. In addition to Zweibel, scheduled speakers include Ted Kryczko, BA ’76, past vice president of product development for The Walt Disney Co.; Linda Gelman, BA ’72 , producer, Chicago City Limits; Ken Tabachnick, BA ’77, general manager, New York City Ballet; actor Peter Riegert, BA ’68; and Paul Zuckerman, BA ’72, director, writer, executive producer, Chicago City Limits. The speakers will lead sessions on arts management, directing, comedy writing for all genres, entertainment news media, acting, entertainment law, new media and independent film production and marketing. An evening of entertainment will round out the second day of the symposium.

“UBC2C NYC promises to be another spectacular opportunity for industry leaders, our students and our alumni,” said Bruce D. McCombe, dean of the UB College of Arts and Sciences. “At UB we’re committed to maximizing the academic experiences of our students; this is one way we can do that. Students benefit from working with industry insiders and our alumni benefit by sharing their expertise.”

Other highlights of the symposium will include “Day in the Life,” on-site visits with networks, studios, film/TV sets, media offices and art institutions in the area, such as Variety, Silvercup Studio and the Law and Order set, among others.

A “Sunday Morning Mentoring Madness” networking event will give UB students the opportunity to meet one-on-one with industry leaders.

The first UBC2C symposium on entertainment and media was held last year in Hollywood. By all accounts it was a resounding success, McCombe said. Participants included 235 UB alumni and 39 students who attended on scholarships provided by generous donors. Forty-five industry leaders led nine workshops and participated in the “Sunday Morning Mentoring Madness.”

I’ve been back from L.A. for a bit now, and finally feel as though I’ve processed the whirlwind of information that was UBC2C. The weekend flew by, but the program crammed an incredible amount of information into three short days.

I spent Friday morning at Variety, getting a taste for the in’s and out’s of the entertainment industry. I found this to be particularly valuable because it had me thinking about entertainment in a way I previously had not. To be honest, when I learned we would be touring Variety in Hollywood, I assumed it was your typical celebrity gossip mag. But I found it surprisingly interesting the way they cover the business, behind-the-scenes side of entertainment. Potentially millions and millions of dollars are on the line, and it was fascinating to see the way Variety keeps up on it.

On Saturday I attended the Entertainment News Media workshop presented by Rosalind Jarrett and Jody Kleinberg Biehl. They did a really amazing job lining up speakers to give us tips about the industry and share their experiences with us. So much of Hollywood seems untouchable. It was encouraging to meet real people using their tenacity and intelligence to become successful in the business. All the speakers provided us with valuable input about the changing face of media, not just within entertainment news, but all areas we report on.

During the Sunday mentoring sessions, I had the opportunity to talk to three very helpful people– Sean Nealon, Alan Steinberg and Seth Burton. They all gave me a lot to think about and new ways to try looking at the writing process. Some of the most important advice I received could really be applied to any industry– be creative and resourceful, and work hard.

That’s the most important thing I took away from the weekend– nothing can replace hard work. You have to be willing to go that extra mile or two to succeed. All of the presenters and guest speakers had vastly different stories to tell us about how they got to where they are today, but there was one common thread– they worked like crazy to get there.

–Keeley Sheehan, Entertainment News Media

From writing workshops to red carpet events, my first trip to Los Angeles for the UB Coast to Coast Symposium turned out to be one the most rewarding and exciting experiences I have ever been a part of. Meeting with industry professionals in an intimate setting was not only a fantastic opportunity, but a complete networking extravaganza which (fingers crossed) may help my career in the near future. Alan Steinberg taught me the tricks of

Continue reading Who says you can’t make it in LA?

Buffalo may be known as “The City of Good Neighbors”, but it was the L.A. presenters, mentors, and organizers who deserve the title. These hardworking people dedicated their time and resources to providing us with a weekend jam-packed with valuable opportunities.
We had the opportunity to meet and get to know the amazing industry insiders through presentations, meals, and meetings; we had the opportunity to learn about the fields in which we aspire to succeed;

Continue reading Thank You!

Oh, after all of the requests that we blog blog blog our little hearts out, the site was left with a measly two posts from us students!  And after a weekend of discussing the power of new media and twitter and blogging, too. What a shame. I wonder if many of us (myself included) haven’t yet gotten into the blogging world and are still in that mindset of, who cares what I have to say

Continue reading Don’t let the silence fool you.