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The Entertainment Merchant Association |
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Summary of Proceedings EMA Board of Directors Meeting March 21, 2007 - Los Angeles, California
The EMA Board of Directors discussed the following agenda topics and took the indicated actions at its March 21, 2007 meeting, held in Los Angeles, California. [N.B.: The Video Board of Directors and the Video Game Board of Directors of EMA, which were established when the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association and the Video Software Dealers Association merged in April 2006, have been combined and the Association is now governed by a single Board of Directors representing all membership sectors.] I. New Board Members It was announced that Curt Marvis (CEO, CinemaNow) would now be representing CinemaNow, replacing Bruce Eisen, and that Steve Oliver (Category Manager, DVD) would replace Greg Hart as Amazon.com's representative on the Board. II. Financial Report The Board was informed that net income for 2006 is expected to be approximately $350,000 better than budget (exclusive of costs associated with the merger of the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association and the Video Software Dealers Association). The positive financial performance was attributed to better-than-expected joint venture and interest income and savings in payroll. Dues income was below budget as a result of consolidation in the industry. III. Home Entertainment Events Issues The Board was informed that attendance and exhibitor sales for the 2007 Adult Entertainment Expo were better than anticipated, but that show expenses were above budget. The Board reviewed the show elements of EMA's Home Media Expo 2007, which will include a panel discussion with heavy entertainment consumers, the annual Home Entertainment Awards show, and an indiExpo for independent video retailers. IV. Government Affairs The Board reviewed the Association's 2007 government affairs priorities, as proposed by the Government Affairs Committee. The Board was alerted that the Federal Trade Commission will soon issue another in its series of reports on the marketing of violent entertainment to children, which will include the results of mystery shops to determine if minors are able to purchase Mature-rated video games and R-rated DVDs. The report is also expected to address unrated DVD versions of previously rated motion pictures. It was also noted that video game legislation continues to be active in several states and video game bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress. Staff also updated the Board on its work to ensure that pending state secondhand goods bills do not adversely impact the market for used DVDs and video games. V. Retail Operations Issues The Board directed staff to invite the home video divisions of the motion picture studios to participate in the Online Distributor Database, which provides leading members with instant access to standardized title data from music and video suppliers. The Board also was briefed on the EPCglobal project to pilot radio frequency ID tagging in entertainment products in 2007, the activities and priorities of the Loss Prevention Committee and the joint EMA/NARM Operations Committee, and EMA's involvement in the multi-industry consortium that promotes interoperability of various digital rights management systems. VI. IRMA's Plastic Media Packaging Standard The Board endorsed the adoption of the Plastic Media Packaging 1.0 Standard developed by the International Recording Media Association. The standard proposes limits on hazardous substances in plastic media packaging in order to minimize potential exposure of workers and the public to these substances and to ensure that packaging is recyclable. VII. Membership The Board voted unanimously to accept the 20 membership applications received between October 4, 2006 and March 8, 2007. It was noted that, for the first time, game publishers have joined the Association as associate members. Staff reported on the results of a member "needs assessment" survey conducted in December. Respondents identified the following areas as priority activities for the Association: First Amendment and intellectual property litigation; state and federal legislative tracking and advocacy; monitoring technological threats and opportunities; and an annual trade show. They recommended that funding for programs be prioritized as follows: (1) lobbying and litigation; (2) industry affairs; (3) anti-piracy initiatives; (4) ratings education and enforcement; and (5) new technology tracking and reporting. VIII. Association Strategic Plan The Board received a report from the Strategic Planning Committee. The committee stated that the Association's strategic plan appears to be appropriately aligned with member needs and the current industry environment and, therefore, recommended that it not be revised at this time. The committee also recommended that funding be allocated to priorities to be identified by the Board and that more funding be dedicated to research that will support all or a majority of Association members IX. iDEA Report The Board was informed of the member recruitment and retention initiatives of the Independent Dealers of Entertainment Association (iDEA), which includes a $199 promotional dues rate through April 2007 and a program to revitalize the local networking opportunities for iDEA members. The Chairman announced that a committee would be formed to make recommendations on how to better align the resources allocated to iDEA by the Association with the revenues generated from iDEA members. X. Ratification of Minutes The Board unanimously ratified the minutes from its October 27, 2006 and November 1, 2006 meetings. XI. Other Issues The Board received written reports on 2006 government affairs and public relations activities and results, Association and industry marketing efforts, and the Grocers Council. XII. Next Meeting The next meeting of the Board will be on Monday, July 16 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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