Julianne Cho, Associate Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, moderates a panel featuring (from left to right) Moe Bardach, Location Manager for "Law and Order", George Delis, Community Board 1 District Manager, Jennifer Lenihan, Director of Client Relations and Community Outreach at the MOFTB, and Brenda Pesce, Director of Marketing, Flatotel.

October 1, 2007 - On Tuesday, September 18, the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting held a panel discussion highlighting production in metropolitan areas.  Audience members were composed of attendees of the 53rd Annual IDA Conference and World Congress. The IDA, or International Downtown Association, is a champion for vital and livable urban centers.

Through its network of committed invidiuals, its rich body of knowledge, and its unique capacity to nurture community-building partnerships, IDA is a guiding force in creating healthy and dynamic centers that anchor the well being of towns, cities and regions of the world. The panelists were composed of New York City production industry veterans and representation from teh NYC Mayor's Office of FIlm, Theatre and Broadcasting.  The discussion focused on a 360 degree look at production - how production is facilitated and managed in the City, how it affects local businesses, and how the City works with the community to balance the effects of productions in neighborhoods.

Panelists included Moe Bardach, Location Manager for “Law and Order”, Brenda Pesce, Director of Marketing at Flatotel, George Delis, Community Board 1 District Manager, and Jennifer Lenihan, Director of Client Relations and Community Outreach at the MOFTB. Associate Commissioner Julianne Cho moderated the panel.

“It isn’t very often that dedicated individuals from cities around the world come together in one area like this,” said Lenihan. “In my role at the MOFTB, I’ve met a number of people throughout the city’s production community and have a firm grasp on what happens in our office. But this panel presented an excellent opportunity for me to learn from the audience, and for the audience to see what I and, by extension, the MOFTB does to keep the city and the city’s entertainment production community vibrant.”