For Immediate Release

DiME PRESS CONTACT:
Reggie Cameron
pr@dime2008.com

DIME 2008 FOCUSING ON WHERE WE’VE COME FROM,
WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING

Diversity in Media & Entertainment (DiME) Connects Creators, Students and Youth
While Benefiting Local Charities
OAKLAND, CA Feb. 4 - On February 23 March 29, 2008, the historic Uptown Arts & Entertainment District will play host to game, media and entertainment creators and executives as they gather for Diversity in Media & Entertainment (DiME). This first-of-its kind summit aims to create a dialogue between all involved parties and connect media developers with the next generation. The latest information on DiME can be found on the web at: www.dime2008.com

DiME 2008 takes place in the overlap between two great Bay Area events - the Game Developers Conference (GDC), with 20 years of history bringing over 15,000 international game creators together, and WonderCon, the San Francisco version of Comic-Con. The fusion of international talent and local students is a powerful combination, one which will confront the complex realities for minorities and diverse populations to both break into and “break out” in the media and entertainment industries.

Organized by
DiME 2008 is a non-profit production, with Support Oakland Artists (SOA) functioning as the fiscal agent and 501(c)3 charity collecting and distributing all funds. Seven local family, social service and educational charities will benefit from the event including: Youth Radio, Family Builders by Adoption and SOA’s Special Fund for Sheet Music and Art Supplies for Oakland Public Schools. The summit is being convened by Incubate Group Corp., an employee-owned funding and production company based in Oakland that develops and produces original cross-media entertainment properties for children, families and adults in a variety of formats.

Quotes
“Convening DiME 2008 provides a unique opportunity to highlight several amazing creative professionals working in the gaming, media and entertainment industries and give them a forum to speak openly with each other, and the attendees, about their very real personal experiences in trying to break into, work in and then ‘break out,’” said Peter Leahy, CEO of Incubate Group Corp. “DiME will endeavor to be an event where we avoid the politically correct and address the root issues that the speakers and panelists really see that they feel are preventing creating a more open and diverse industry.”

“I am personally excited that DiME is providing a safe space to delve into the not always comfortable topics of the continuing racism, sexism, homophobia, among others, that affect our rich and diverse creative community - topics that impact our attracting and keeping a more diverse workforce to influencing the commercial products we are allowed to create,” said Sheri Graner Ray, author of “Gender Inclusive Game Design” and recipient of the 2006 Game Developers’ Community Contribution Award. “If we were all able to bring our full selves to work and then allowed to utilize our unique talents and potential - just think what new creative properties and whole new markets that would develop.”

“With the mix of industry veterans, youth and media that are planned, this event will definitely benefit every attendee and, we hope, move this much-needed discussion forward,” said Joseph Saulter, CEO of Entertainment Arts Research of Atlanta. “The ethos of this event reminds me of the hard work Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did to bring all the disparate groups together to demand justice and equality for everyone.”

“Diversity enhances the quality of creativity. It opens a whole new world of motivation, inspiration and possibilities. Imagine our planet without the cultural sounds of jazz, rock, classical and hip-hop. The silence would be unbearable. Like music the video game industry is a medium yet there are voices that have not been heard and stories that have not been told,” said Jospeh Saulter, CEO of Entertainment Arts Research. “I look forward to the day when African-American, Latin American and Caribbean developers tell rich stories that lifts our industry to new frontiers of originality. I look forward to the style that is sorely missing. DiME 2008 is a launching pad where the idea of diversity can be turned into reality.”

Location, agenda and times
The DiME 2008 summit will take place at the Historic Sweet’s Ballroom from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and features multiple keynotes and panels throughout the day. Following the summit there will be an Alternative Reality Game (ARG) - a community based game experience to carry on and reinforce the topics raised from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. After completion of the game, players will then know the location of the receptions, to be held from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

There will be both portfolio review on-site and multiple educational and training programs to encourage youth to get the skills and consider pursuing professional “creative careers.”

How to attend
DiME 2008 online registration opens today with early bird rates that end on February 7, 2008. Prices will increase 50% on February 8, 2008. Capacity is limited. Professional, Student and Youth early bird pricing is set at for $50 Professional, $15 Young Adult and $7.50 current College or Trade student with ID. Register online today at www.dime2008.com.

Up to 100 local youth, aged 14-18, will be selected to attend for free if their essay is selected by a panel of industry veterans.

How you can support DiME and its goals:
1. Register and attend the event to be a part of the discussion and help create a new community dedicated to looking at this issue.
2. Corporate sponsorships and media partner opportunities available. For more information, see dime2008.com web site under Partners.
3. Individuals can donate directly to DiME 2008 charities via Support Oakland Artists from the dime2008.com web site in the Registration section.
4. Merchandise will be available for purchase soon on the dime2008.com site.

About DiME
Diversity in Media & Entertainment - DiME 2008 seeks to raise awareness regarding diversity in gaming, media and entertainment. The summit features both keynotes and panels covering the topic of where we’ve been and then realistic appraisals of where we are and how far we still have yet to go on the issue of diversity in media. The summit is being convened by Incubate Group Corp. and a committee of like-minded individuals. The fiscal agent of the event is Support Oakland Artists.

You can find more out and register to attend DiME 2008 at: www.dime2008.com

About Oakland and Uptown Arts & Entertainment District
Oakland and Uptown have a rich tradition of hosting top international, national and regional artists and musicians for over 100 years. Oakland’s Uptown Arts & Entertainment District includes the revitalized Paramount Theater, Fox Oakland Theater and the Historic Sweet’s Ballroom. Uptown has a dedicated BART stop at 19th Street and Broadway - and is 10 minutes away from Oakland International Airport and 10 minutes away from the Bay Bridge.

You can find more out about the history of Uptown at: www.dime2008.com/location/uptown

About Incubate Group Corp.
Incubate Group funds, develops and produces original cross-media entertainment properties for children, families and adults in a variety of formats. Our goal is to reward each customer by encouraging their imagination, creativity and desire for community.

Incubate Group is a new media company that acquires and invests in companies and products generated by both top creators and emerging talent. Incubate helps the creators grow these ideas, maintain their creative control and build unique paths to bring their ideas to market. Once an Incubate-backed property has launched and proven its commercial viability, Incubate assists in expanding the property’s reach and revenues with strategic partnerships, licensing and securing additional capital or financing.

You can find more out about Incubate Group Corp. at: www.incubategroup.com

About Support Oakland Artists (SOA)
SOA Village Housing Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity that serves as the fiscal agent for a number of events in Oakland and the East Bay that encourage and support local the local arts community.

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