BESLA TOASTS 36 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MEXICO
The 2017 BESLA Board of Directors before the Gala Dinner & Awards at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos in
San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
(NEW YORK) - November 16, 2016 - On October 19-23, the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) held its 36th Annual Conference at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, where hundreds of legal professionals convened for five days of networking, sharing and reflection on its theme "The Doctrine of Success: Addressing Global Business Challenges through Excellence and Inclusion."
For the second year in a row, BESLA board members engaged in a day of community service. This year they visited Casa Hogar, an orphanage in Cabo San Lucas that cares for children and adolescents who have been the victims of physical or psychological abuse. The board provided monetary and in-kind donations to the facility and spent time with the children.
On Wednesday evening, the conference officially opened with a festive Welcome Reception hosted by Microsoft. Conference co-chairs Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard (Viacom/BET) and Tony Brackett (Disney) welcomed attendees, followed by greetings from BESLA Chairwoman Elke Suber (Microsoft) and Hyatt Ziva general manager Francisco J. Silva Meana. Guests were treated to a lively mariachi band performance and a gourmet buffet of traditional Mexican cuisine.
On Thursday, BET Networks and Viacom hosted the BESLA Sports Legend Breakfast which honored the life and legacy of NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown. Dr. Harry Edwards, Professor Emeritus at U.C. Berkeley and Staff Consultant to the San Francisco 49ers, moderated a one-on-one conversation with the football legend and activist who shared his perspective on today's social justice movement and the role athletes should play in it.
The conference panels began on Thursday and continued through Saturday with topics such as
"Indie vs. Major Label Distribution;" "Black Lives Matter, Now What?" "Twitter, Social Media, Digital Media and Sports;" "The Return of the Sneaker Wars;" "It Takes a Village: Protecting Your Clients from Themselves - Counseling Athletes and Entertainers on Protecting Their Finances;" "The Music Business: Inside and Outside the Beltway;" and "Athletes, Social Responsibility & Social Activism."
On Friday evening, the attendees enjoyed the annual Gala Dinner & Awards Program. Sponsored by Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment and hosted by TV personality Towanda Braxton, the glamorous affair honored Jim Brown with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Melvin Felton (Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP) received the BESLA Achiever Award; and Fox Audience Strategy received the Corporate Diversity Award and Nicole Bernard, Senior Vice President at FOX, was on hand to accept the award.
At the Gala, BESLA awarded a total of $30,000
in scholarships to several deserving law students including: Jordan Franklin (Southern University), Allanah Wynn (Howard University), Courtney Walker (Suffolk University Law Center), Dorwin Howard (N.C. Central University), Tim Chalumeau (Florida A&M) and Sidonie Becton (University of Maryland), and Mark Houston (Villanova Law).
The Gala attendees participated in an exciting silent and live auction which allowed BESLA to raise money to support its programming for 2017. The auction featured coveted items such as a General Manager's Suite experience at Yankee Stadium, tickets to the 2017 BET Awards, autographed cleats from NFL quarterback Cam Newton, signed Steph Curry sneakers, and VIP tickets to a live taping of CBS Sports' "The NFL Today". The gala concluded with an after-party featuring
DJ B-Hen
and sponsored by
ASCAP Urban
and Viacom/BET.
The conference provided plenty of relaxing and entertaining experiences throughout the week, including the BESLA Spa Takeover, karaoke night, a trip to the popular Pink Kitty Nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, and an all-white party aboard a Sunset Cruise also sponsored by Viacom/BET.
On Saturday evening, BESLA Chairwoman Elke Suber (Microsoft) and President Lawrence Hinkle II (Fox Rothschild, LLP) held an intimate reception and thanked the sponsors and attendees for their support of BESLA.
Special thanks to our BESLA 2016 sponsors BMW, Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment, BET Networks, Viacom, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Sound Exchange, Fox Audience Strategy, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, ASCAP, Cary Hall, Covington & Burling, Disney/ABC Television Networks, Fox Rothschild, Garvey Schubert Barer, Loeb & Loeb, Manatt, Phelps, Phillips, Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp, TV One, Bennett Thrasher, ColorofChange.org and Discovery Communications.
The BESLA 37th Annual Conference will be in Puerto Rico tentatively from October 18-22, 2017. Early bird registration is available now at www.BESLA.org.
More information on BESLA is also available at www.BESLA.org.
@beslainc (IG/TW)
A DAY OF SERVICE
BESLA board members were honored to give back to the community
Board members arrived ready to serve!
THE WELCOME RECEPTION
The glowing lights and pool was a perfect backdrop for the welcome reception
Adrienne Williams (Microsoft), BESLA Chairwoman Elke Suber (Microsoft) and Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard (Viacom/BET) (left); Conference attendees with NFL legend Jim Brown (right)
The mariachi band put everyone in a festive mood
Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos general manager Francisco Silva Meana (left); BESLA Conference Co-Chairs Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard (Viacom/BET) and Tony Brackett (Disney)
 
Guests enjoyed a buffet of tasty Mexican dishes (left); Elke Suber, Tony Mulrain, Eve Wright and
Emily M. Dickens
SPORTS LEGEND BREAKFAST
Dr. Harry Edwards and BESLA honoree Jim Brown offered wise words on social justice and accountability during the Sports Legend Breakfast
Attendees hung on the speakers' every word
Lawrence Hinkle II (Fox Rothschild, LLP), Elke Suber (Microsoft), Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard (Viacom/BET) and Tony Brackett (Disney) presented Jim Brown with the BESLA Lifetime Achievement Award
THE PANELS
The "It Takes a Village: Protecting Your Clients From Themselves - Counseling Entertainers and Athletes on Protecting Their Finances" panel (top l-r): Aaron Harding, Bart Scott, Tamara Tunie, Drew Hawkins, Antoine Walker and Vernon Brown; (bottom) Aaron Harding (left) and Drew Hawkins (right) offered real insight into financial management and protecting your wealth
Top left: Louise West listens intently during a panel; Top right: Robert Celestin (Entertainment Law Office of Robert A. Celestin), Kendall Minter (Minter & Associates, LLC) and Lisa Bonner, Esq on the "Indie vs. Major Label Distribution" panel; Bottom left: The "Privacy Matters" panelists Adrienne Williams (Microsoft), Sean Griffin (Dykema Gossett PLLC), Jessica Lee (Loeb and Loeb), and Tia Gilford (MasterCard); Bottom right: The audience was captivated.
The "Black Lives Matter, Now What?" panel (top): Brian Walker (ColorOfChange), Aqeela Sherrills (The Reverence Project) and Dr. Monique Morris (National Black Women's Justice Institute)
Dr. Morris' book
PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
was on display at the conference
Kendall Minter and Jay Rosenthal (Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP) addressed the political issues affecting the music industry during "The Music Business: Inside and Outside the Beltway" panel (left); Kendall Minter's book Understanding and Negotiating 360 Ancillary Rights Deals was presented during the conference (right)
THE GALA
An elegant room
 
Drew Hawkins greeted guests on behalf of gala sponsor Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment (left); the lovely Towanda Braxton (TV Personality/Singer) served as mistress of ceremonies
Chairwoman Elke Suber and
Conference
Co-Chair Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard were also seen presenting on stage
The BESLA Scholarship Committee and recipients (l-r): Darrick Hooker (Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP), Vanya Allen (IBM), Tanica Mann (Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University), Jordan B. Franklin (Southern University Law Center), Sidonie Becton (University of Maryland), Mark Houston (Villanova Law) and Adrienne Williams
Derek Jackson (Under Armour) co-hosted the live auction (left); Towanda Braxton assisted beautifully (right)
 
Honoree Melvin Felton (Mitchell Sillberberg & Knupp, LLP) videotaped his thank you speech (left);
Jim Brown was recognized as well (right)
Nicole Bernard accepted the Corporate Diversity Award on behalf of FOX Audience Strategy, presented by Lawrence Hinkle II
Tia Gilford and Tamara Tuni (Actress) (left); Tamela Cash-Curry, Towanda Braxton and Dr. Staci Johnson who performed a beautiful medley for the gala dinner (right)
The ladies of the BESLA board (left); Endi Piper (TV One), Adrienne Williams, Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard, Elke Suber, Bernie Lawrence-Watkins (B. Lawrence Watkins & Associates), Emily M. Dickens, Esq and Samantha Grant (Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP); The men of the BESLA board (right): Tony Brackett, Leron Rogers (Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP), Lawrence Hinkle II, Derek Jackson and Darrick Hooker
 
BESLA founders Joseph Porter, Louise West and Michael Ashburne (left); Leron Rogers, Elke Suber, Kevin Williams (BMW), Emily M. Dickens and Lawrence Hinkle II (right)
Bart Scott, Aaron Harding (Price Waterhouse Cooper), Antoine Walker, Tamara Tunie, Walter Stith (Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment), Drew Hawkins (Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment) and Ted Reid (Morgan Stanley)
The Viacom/BET team (from left to right): Rakiat Gbadamosi, Shauna Kamiel-Thomas, Shanell Parrish-Brown, Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard, Chiquita Banks, Chereece Lawson Martin, Bryant Smith;
Back Row: Jemar Daniel
Dr. Harry Edwards, Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard and Tony Brackett
 
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp sponsors Mark Hiraide, Samantha Grant and Greg Hessinger (left); Loeb & Loeb sponsors Jessica Lee and Brian Nixon (right)
DJ B-Hen kicked the after party off right!
 
The dance floor was lit!
THE ENTERTAINMENT
The All-White Party aboard the Sunset Cruise was an elegant affair
Guests mixed and mingled on the deck
Attendees enjoyed the chill atmosphere
Dinner was served!
The sunset was breathtaking!
At Karaoke Night, the BESLA crew belted out songs for hours
Many guests blew everyone away with their pipes! (left); Elke Suber, Chiquita Woolfolk Banks (Viacom) and Leron Rogers coordinated a routine (right)
Christopher Reid (Morgan Stanley) and other attendees didn't hesitate to jump on the mic
The Spa Takeover was a much-needed oasis
THE CHAIRWOMAN'S AND PRESIDENT'S
RECEPTION
BESLA Chairwoman Elke Suber and President Lawrence Hinkle II (left); Tamela Cash-Curry,
Kevin Williams, Lisa Bonner and Ted Reid (right)
Brian Nixon, Jessica Lee and guest
(left); Endi Piper, Sean Johnson and Brandi Piper
(right)
Louise West, Dorothy Gross, Angelia Bibbs-Sanders (ABS Collective) left; Ashley Woods and
Towanda Braxton (right)
The Chairwoman makes her farewell remarks (left); Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard presented the Chairwoman and President with awards (right)
Vanya Allen and Sheina Waddell (Waddell Entertainment Consultants, LLC) (left); Darrick Hooker and
Dr. Brian Bullitt (right)
ABOUT BESLA
BESLA (Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association) is a nationally recognized leader in legal education and professional development within the United States for lawyers and professionals in the entertainment, sports, and related industries. The mission of BESLA is to advance the excellence of professionals in the entertainment, sports and related industries.
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