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    Hi, I'm Tanya Kersey

TANYA KERSEY
The Urban Entertainment Specialist

Tanya Kersey is one of Hollywood's most respected and well-regarded entertainment journalists and commentators. As the Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Black Film Festival, and Founder, Publisher & Editor-In-Chief of Black Talent News (BTN), she has an enviable reputation for having her finger on the pulse of what’s happening in 'Black Hollywood.'

With over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur, journalist, author and film festival producer in the entertainment field, Tanya brings both controversial and heart-warming stories to the attention of those who appreciate her candor and her ability to retrieve the truth amidst the information. She is exceptionally well informed on the state of Black Hollywood and the critical issues faced by blacks in entertainment. She offers audiences an insider's account of what the entertainment business is really all about and shares her breakthrough career strategies for success in Hollywood.

Tanya's extensive knowledge, positive insights and humorous comments about the entertainment industry will guarantee an informative and exciting presentation. She is an engaging and powerful speaker who leaves her audiences invigorated and motivated, with a renewed sense of purpose.

Key Topics:
- The State of Black Hollywood
- TV Lights, Cameras, Affirmative Action!
- Doin’ The Sho’Biz Shuffle
- Blacktrospective: The Power of the Black Box Office

Fee Range: $2,500 - $7,500

Plus Expenses:
First class airfare (UNRESTRICTED) + 1 Coach airfare. Hotel and ground travel accommodations for two.

Payment Terms:
50% of speakers fee due upon contract signing. Balance due 1 week prior to the event.
5% discount if entire bill paid upon signing contract and 30 days prior to event.

Client responsibilities:
Client makes and pays for travel and lodging accommodations. Client sends airline ticket to speaker two weeks before travel.

Travels From California

Keynotes: 30-60 minutes.

Lectures, Seminars & Workshops: Lecture 60 minutes, Seminar & Workshop 90 - 180 minutes.

Presentation Descriptions:

The State of Black Hollywood: This very popular speech covers old lessons and new perspectives that shape the state of today's Black Hollywood. Using hard facts and statistics, poignant anecdotes, insightful observations and cutting-edge ideas, Tanya shares her secrets to success in the highly competitive world of entertainment, and outlines her strategy for succeeding in an evolving environment characterized by the convergence of telecommunications, information, and entertainment. Today, the opportunity for success in Hollywood is unparalleled, for people of all colors. The forces that are altering how Hollywood is organized and conducted offer fresh, new opportunities for black talent, in-front-of and behind-the-camera.

TV Lights, Cameras, Affirmative Action!: When will we realize the long heralded 'New Day' in Black entertainment? Six years ago former NAACP topper Kweisi Mfume highlighted the lack of diversity in the 1999 primetime TV schedule. This subsequently led to the NAACP and its coalition partners signing agreements with the major television networks with the goal towards the hiring of more people of color in-front-of and behind-the-cameras, as well as increasing contracts with minority vendors and professional services. However, there is reason for concern as meaningful diversity remains gravely lacking in television programming as well as the executive, production and talent ranks of network television. In this enlightening presentation, Tanya shares her perspectives on how we can empower more people of color with the ability to green light programs and to make other significant decisions regarding what finally gets on the air. By outlining her five-step plan, Tanya looks at many of the options that might be used to force the facilitation of greater diversity and more equal opportunities for people of color in television.

Doin’ The Sho’Biz Shuffle: This nuts-and-bolts presentation offers breakthrough career strategies for success in the face of the growing challenges and opportunities in the entertainment industry. Learn step-by-step information on career strategies, creating a long-term vision for your career, cultivating business relationships, and developing a network of industry colleagues. Learn how to use your ingenuity in creating paths that lead to a lucrative career. The power game in Hollywood, who's got it, how it's being used, how to get it. Discover the essential building blocks that nurture successful careers in the entertainment industry. The audience will leave educated, inspired and empowered to take action to improve their careers.

Blacktrospective: The Power of the Black Box Office: Tanya separates truth from myth about the profitability of black films. Ms. Kersey presents comprehensive data on the performance of black films, and illustrates the economic impact of the black film genre on the entertainment industry. Domestic box office gross receipts for black films exceeded $800 million for the years 2000 and 2001 combined. Blacks comprise more than 25% of the total movie going audience despite the fact that blacks represent 12% of the U.S. population and there are fewer than a dozen black-owned movie theaters in the nation. Included in this presentation is a case study of specific black films and various revenue performance models, as well as a look at trends in black films, the biggest box office performers and biggest losers, and film pipeline revenue streams.

Book An Appearance:

To inquiry about booking Tanya Kersey for a speaking engagement send your inquiry to tanya@tanyakersey.com or fax to (310) 943-2326. All requests will be responded to within 72 hours.

Please include the following information in your inquiry: Your Name, Title, E-mail, Phone & Fax Numbers, Name of Organization, Date of Event, Event City & State, Event Theme or Title, Event Time, Requested Time for Participation, and Requested Activity for Ms. Kersey.

Speaking Engagements (representative list):

  • Twyman Creative LA Film Conference at UCLA (June 2005)
  • “Celebrity, Sex and Race Lessons of The Michael Jackson Trial” (June 2005)
  • "Publicizing to Communities of Color" - Entertainment Publicists Professional Society Conference (November 2004)
  • Business Wire’s "Best Practices For Targeting Ethnic Media" (October 2004)
  • Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference (September 2004)
  • National Action Network Urban Policy Roundtable (2003 - present)
  • Global Cinema & Urban Music Summit-LA (2003)
  • Entertainment Technology Alliance Expo (2003)
  • Faithful Central Entertainment Industry Summit (2003)
  • 16th Annual Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Conference -- “Breaking The Mold: Redefining The Scope Of Black Potential," Black Wharton Undergraduate Forum, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2001)
  • NAACP Hearing on TV Diversity (1999)
  • Los Angeles Black Business Expo Entertainment Summit (1999-2000)
  • Marketing Opportunities in Black Entertainment Conference (1998-2003)
  • Los Angeles Unified School District (1999)
  • Hollywood Black Film Festival (1999-present)
  • National Council of Black Studies 21st Annual National Conference, "The Hollywood Scene: A Roundtable" (1998)
  • Woodson Regional Library, Chicago Public Library (1998-1999)
  • Infotainment Conference (1997-present)

Publications:

  • Black Talent News (monthly trade publication)
  • Black State of the Arts: A Guide to Developing a Successful Career as a Black Performing Artist (book)
  • The Urban Film Report (report) – previously the Black Film Report
  • Urban Hollywood Resource Directory (directory) – previously the Black Talent News Resource Directory
  • The Performer's Plan (workbook)

"In an industry that's laden with gossip and trivia, Tanya Kersey is a source of genuine news and insight. Her depth of knowledge on developments concerning African-Americans in the film, television and entertainment industries is unique. She consistently delivers on what's going on behind the scenes and, more importantly, why it matters."
Ken Smikle, Publisher, Target Market News

"Tanya Kersey is an amazing person. Savvy and persistence has taken her to the top. When we first made a MOBE connection I knew she was an exceptional person, then we witnessed the passion, knowledge and professionalism she exuded from any forum and knew it would be only a matter of time before she would be in demand as a speaker. Personal or business, Tanya certainly has something important to say and says it like no other."
Yvette Moyo, President, Marketing Opportunities in Business & Entertainment

"Tanya, I would like to extend our thanks to you for your thought-provoking and inspiring presentation. Your topic sparked great interest among our members and helped create one of the best conferences yet." We certainly learned a lot from you."
Los Angeles Black Business Expo Entertainment Summit