Julie Menin Presents First of its Kind NYC Music Study at Brooklyn Newsmakers

The landscape of NYC's music industry took center stage as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce hosted Julie Menin, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, at a special neighborhood edition of the Brooklyn Newsmakers speaker series on Monday, April 24, 2017. The event took place at concert venue/bowling alley/eatery, Brooklyn Bowl, in Williamsburg.

Menin presented a first of its kind economic impact study on the New York City music industry, noting that it generates nearly 60,000 jobs, $4.7 billion in wages and $21 billion in total economic output. Last year, 5.4 million tickets to musical performances were sold in New York City, more than Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles combined. She said that the city has the capacity to support an even larger music industry.

The Commissioner also discussed the economic impact of film, TV, music, digital media and the broader entertainment industries, and gave an overview of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion with Andrew Hoan, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Regina Myer, President of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and Paul Samulski, President of the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Brooklyn Newsmakers is sponsored exclusively by Investors Bank, in partnership with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

"It was a pleasure to share some of the exciting work our office has been doing, with members of the Brooklyn business community at a great musical venue. We are thrilled that music, which provides enormous economic benefit to the city, is now a core part of our agency's portfolio. New York is the musical capital of the world, and Brooklyn plays a key and critical role in this and other entertainment fields," said Commissioner Julie Menin of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

"It was so exciting, and fitting, to kick off our inaugural Neighborhood Edition of Newsmakers with Commissioner Julie Menin," said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Andrew Hoan. "Music and media are a big part of the Brooklyn landscape and it was very informative for our neighbors in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and beyond, to truly see the impact these industries. We thank the Mayor's office and Commissioner for their participation, and once again give our many thanks to Brooklyn Bowl, the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Investors Bank, NYU Tandon, and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, for their support of our Newsmakers series."

"Having the Commissioner from the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment speak at our first Neighborhood Edition of Newsmakers was such a special opportunity for our Brooklyn audience," said Brooklyn Chamber Board Chair Denise Arbesu. "The film and music industry is a major employer in the borough and an economic engine for all of New York City."

"We are enthusiastic about our sponsorship of the Chamber's Newsmakers forum at the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. The setting in this hip concert space created a special ambiance, which complemented NYC Commissioner of Media & Entertainment Julie Menin's message about the thriving media, TV production and arts sectors. Each breakfast session provides Chamber members, business owners and local residents an insider's perspective of a major government department. Everyone who attended today's breakfast meeting received an update about how media and entertainment companies are positively impacting the Borough's economy," said Investors Bank Senior Vice President and New York City Regional Manager Ana Oliveira.

"Brooklyn has become a global star, and Julie Menin has played an enormous role in getting our borough and our city this level of exposure," said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. "It was great to hear Julie's vision for how we can build on our status as a leader in the entertainment industry. Our economy benefits tremendously when the borough's strengths are on display for the whole world to see."

"The NYU Tandon School of Engineering is proud to partner with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to help bring awareness to the importance of the digital media and music industries as drivers of New York's economy," said Sayar Lonial, Director of Marketing and Communications at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. "At NYU Tandon, our highly regarded Integrated Digital Media and Computer Science programs are helping create the engineers who are both the front of house artists and performers; while also producing the behind the scenes technicians. We thank Commissioner Julie Menin for her leadership and embrace any initiative that will help keep our highly recruited graduates in this City and Borough, where they truly want to remain and grow their careers."

"The film and television business in North Brooklyn is incredibly important to our community, both directly and indirectly. There's lots of great employment and substantial tax revenue, and the finished products spread the gospel of Brooklyn all over the world," said Brooklyn Bowl Partner Charley Ryan.

"Many of the initiatives and programs recently introduced by Commissioner Menin of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment appear to be not only valuable, but also quite exciting," said North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Paul Samulski. "We are hopeful that all individuals in the local music ecosystem, not just performing musicians, find a way to take advantage of the opportunities that exist. The North Brooklyn Chamber will do whatever we can to help make this happen, as I'm sure our partners at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will do as well."

Previous editions of Brooklyn Newsmakers have featured members of the Brooklyn delegation to the House of Representatives, NYPD Commissioner James P. O'Neill, and NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, among others.

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