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Founded in 1956, entertainment marketing’s premier organization, Promax, saw its biggest transformation ever earlier this year. In February, President and CEO Stacy La Cotera announced that Promax was embracing a new moniker – the Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.) – as well as a new, broader mission designed to finally bring together entertainment’s key touchpoints.

Six months later, G.E.M.A. unveiled the announcement of an expanded board of directors that comprises executives from the organization’s new verticals, with music, video games, sports and film joining TV and streaming as part of G.E.M.A.’s purview. At the end of September, the organization will hold its first national event, Converge, in Los Angeles, with the intention of bringing the entertainment marketing community together for the first time since the pandemic hit.

In the inaugural edition of Spotlight by G.E.M.A., the organization’s weekly industry newsletter, La Cotera talks about community reaction to the change, the value of membership, the upcoming event and more.

Q: You announced in February that Promax was transitioning to the Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences, to be known as G.E.M.A. What has been the reaction from the global community?

A: The response has been overwhelmingly positive, which has been very exciting for me and the team. We’ve had so many people reach out to say that they think this move is bold and forward thinking and that they absolutely believe it's what the industry needs.

Our intention behind the name change is really hitting in all the ways that we'd hoped, people are now immediately identifying with the organization, and saying they're truly feeling this sense of community. I think overall people in the industry are just genuinely excited about the opportunities that the organization is going to bring as it heads in this new direction. They're eager to see the organization grow and thrive, especially those who have known Promax for so many years. I would say 99.9% of everybody who's reached out or to whom we've spoken, or even what we've read about ourselves, has been super supportive.

Q: What have people said about bringing in the different verticals – adding film, music, video games and sports to Promax’s previous all-TV/streaming purview – and being able to interact across these different disciplines in different subject matters?

I think ultimately, what people love about it is the opportunity. It's the opportunity that it's going to bring not only for themselves within their careers, but to really be inspired by the way other marketers are approaching storytelling or innovating within their respective fields. Gone are the days where music marketing is doing it one way and TV marketing is doing it another – it's really just an opportunity for everybody to learn from each other. I think everybody sees the value in that, which is exciting.

Q: When the board was announced last month, I thought that it included some pretty impressive, interesting names from the verticals, as promised. Can you talk a little bit about how you consider constructing the board and how it's come together? And what do you think having this level of diversity on the board means for the organization?

A: First and foremost, I wanted to make sure we were being authentic, that we weren't saying we were going to do something or be something that we genuinely weren't going to be. I'm really excited about our board of directors. I think their diversity brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and perspective that is essential for driving innovation and growth within the organization. I think that [including] executives from TV, streaming, films, sports, music, and video games is really going to help ensure we have this comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within each sector, which is, in turn, going to help inform and enable us to develop more targeted and effective strategies that will benefit the entire entertainment marketing industry.

Q: Let's talk about Converge. G.E.M.A. is hosting a two-day event in Los Angeles at the end of September. What should people expect for this event? What should they be excited about?

A: The plan has always been to launch our marquee events in 2025, really creating those big annual moments for everybody to be in the same space so that they can do what this organization has always intended: create a space to share knowledge, inspire others and be inspired, and celebrate together. But there's been an overwhelming enthusiasm about getting back together sooner and providing a chance to have insightful dialogue, share ideas, celebrate, but most importantly, connect with one another. Based on the level of speakers that are coming in, I think our members will be excited about what we are getting ready to offer!

Q: G.E.M.A. offers tiered memberships for people at different stages of their careers. As you've seen memberships roll in, what are you seeing in terms of advantages of the new tiered system? And is there anything about membership that you want to preview for people?

A: I think the advantage of the new tiered membership is that it allows us to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach. What we recognized was that at every stage of someone's career, there are different needs and goals and the tiered membership was really designed to cater to those diverse requirements. Previously, the value in membership was that it allowed you to go to the annual conference. But you didn't hold on to that membership for the rest of the year. Our goal now is to foster a sense of pride in ownership and build a year-round community. By offering tailored benefits and continuous engagement, we aim to enhance the overall value of G.E.M.A. membership.

Q: What are the opportunities for brands through G.E.M.A.?

A: I’m finding brands understand the value and the significance of the entertainment marketing ecosystem. And so by engaging and collaborating with this organization, they can really tap into our community, which is a community that's driving cultural influence through consumer engagement. That’s a total win for brands. We're engaging in several conversation with brands, and we're looking forward to collaboratively finding mutually beneficial ways to incorporate them into our initiatives. We’ll probably have a brand or two onstage [at Converge] because there's no way that they are not leveraging entertainment marketing across any one of these verticals to reach their consumers.

Q: You've had about six months already of operating as G.E.M.A. and it's still pretty new as an organization. But as you look ahead three to five years, where do you see G.E.M.A. in terms of its service to the entertainment marketing community?

A: I want the Academy to be a catalyst for positive change, supporting its members and their journeys professionally, and really advocating for the value of marketing within the broader entertainment industry.  

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