| Hello Everyone out there in Incubator land,
Believe it or not, it’s been more than a decade since our first Unwired Network breakfast (December 9, 1997) at the Van Dyke on Lincoln Road. A lot has happened since that time for all of us and we have succeeded in achieving our initial goal that was set on that very first day: we’ve created community.
The Entertainment Industry Incubator was officially established as a Florida not-for-profit in 1998. Since we first hung out our shingle, we have offered a vast array of programming including networking opportunities, technical assistance and training. We have also become an information clearinghouse, industry advocate and offered a wide variety of resources to individuals, businesses and organizations. Most important of all, we’ve created a central space where creatives of all stripes can connect with each other and with folks on the business end of our industry as well (before we’d ever heard of Prof. Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class).
With One Community One Goal as our launch pad, the Incubator has made significant contributions towards local economic and artistic expansion thereby creating many jobs, partnerships and freelance opportunities throughout all Miami Dade communities and the state of Florida. Many of you reading this have benefited directly from our programs and we are thrilled each time we hear a success story.
The Incubator often partners with other trade, economic development and community-based organizations. We have now grown to umbrella three segments of the industry’s community; a) students b) young professionals and emerging businesses and c) professionals. As you know, it commonly takes all three elements to help each other create a successful and flourishing industry.
Networking and marketing resources offered include production of a variety of events in order to showcase talent to decision makers. The Incubator is the producer of two annual signature events; Collaboration…A Short Film Contest and Music Video Challenge. Both contests have been open to all Florida residents and are designed to showcase talent to industry execs. These competitions have become very popular and have helped spawn several careers.
Judging from your feedback to our programs and events, you have felt them worthwhile. As you know, we try to make each occasion a fun-filled and satisfying experience. We encourage your participation and suggestions as always.
Those of you who remember waaaay back know that we were able to offer most of our programs free of charge. Grants were more plentiful then due to the flourishing national economic climate. Of course, the same cannot be said today and we, like most other non-profits, have been forced to charge for our services and ask for donations when we wish we didn’t have to.
We do need your support more than ever and would request that when we have an event that asks for a donation, that you please attend (for your sake and ours). The more we gather and support each other, the more we grow. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or contributing financial or other kinds of support to the Entertainment Industry Incubator, please write to us at info@eincubator.org. Should you like to speak to someone, please call our office at (305)672-9297. Our address is 1521 Alton Road, Suite 79, Miami Beach, FL 33139. We always appreciate your participation.
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