Gen Art and Rock Media Announce Merger

Gen Art and Rock Media Announce Merger

Combined Entity to Provide Wide Range of Services for Arts & Entertainment Talent & Corporate Partners

NEW YORK, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen Art, known as the industry leader in producing showcases for emerging talent in film, fashion, music and the visual arts, announced today that it is will merge with Rock Media & Entertainment. Rock Media has emerged as a well-financed player in branded entertainment, media, and fashion. Both companies will continue to produce a broad array of entertainment properties that will provide extensive and varied content for their brands, advertisers, related media, and corporate partners.

The merged entity Rock Media, will change the company name to: RMGA LLC. The combined entity will immediately position RMGA as a major force in branded entertainment specializing in film, fashion, art and music with strong financial resources and unique assets making RMGA extremely competitive in this marketplace. RMGA will continue to produce programming, content, and events under both the Gen Art and Rock Media brands. The four principals and founders will run the Company, from the two companies as partners; Scott Rosenblum of Rock Media will serve as RMGA's CEO, Gen Art CEO Ian Gerard and Rock Media's Nicole Purcell will act as the company's Co-Presidents, and Gen Art's President Stefan Gerard will be RMGA's COO.

The two companies will kick-off their inaugural joint event as RMGA when they will produce Gen Art's 15th Anniversary Fresh Faces in Fashion show on September 15th as the grand finale of the Style360 shows (September 12-15) presented by HFM Media. The companies have also confirmed that Gen Art will be moving its Los Angeles Fresh Faces in Fashion show to be the centerpiece of Rock Fashion Week L.A. to take place on Thursday, October 29 during the 4 day program at Paramount Studios in Hollywood (October 28-31, 2009) and they will be producing a celebration of Miami emerging designers during Rock Fashion Week Miami at the Eden Roc Hotel, slated for October 14-18.

Scott Rosenblum, CEO and co-founder of Rock Media, "We are thrilled about the combining of our two remarkable companies both bring wonderful management teams and skill sets. Gen Art's creativity, stable of events and consumer base combined with Rock media's multi-media branding platforms and financial resources will create a dynamic, recognized entertainment, production and media company with over 100 film, fashion, music, and art events, unprecedented media reach for our brands to extend their message to their consumers and utilize the most creative pipe line of properties under development in our industry."

Ian Gerard, CEO and co-founder of Gen Art stated, "This is an amazing opportunity to create a more powerful platform for the brands and talent we work with. This merger will advance our joint strategy to create branded Entertainment and Intellectual Property for clients that advance the careers of talent and bring branded content to millions of subscribers across multiple touch points." Gerard stated, "Rock Media's powerful fashion properties create a broader and more impactful context for Gen Art's existing fashion programs. And we hope to utilize our expertise and credibility in the film, music and art industries to extend their model to those areas. Rock Media's strong relationship with media companies like Hachette Filipacchi Media will extend the reach of our programs to millions of new consumers."

Gen Art, which is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this year, has produced more than 1,000 events, competitions, on-line content, and other programming supporting and showcasing emerging talent. Its alumni include designers like Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, Philip Lim, Vena Cava, Milly and Twinkle, filmmakers including Brad Anderson, Richard Shepard, Kevin Bacon, Fisher Stevens and Cary Fukunaga, artists ranging from Will Cotton to Ryan McGuiness, and musicians from Imogen Heap to MGMT.

Gen Art's programming is supported by and created in conjunction with dozens of high-profile corporate partners including Acura, Arizona Iced Beverages, American Express, Anheuser-Busch, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Blackberry, Citibank, Delta Air Lines, Diageo, Giorgio Armani, Kenneth Cole, Lipton, Nokia, Seven for All Mankind, Soyjoy, Sony, and Starbucks.

Rock Media, founded in 2007 by Scott Rosenblum and Nicole Purcell, has produced and participated in a variety of entertainment programming including Rock Fashion Week Miami this past April at the Fontainebleau Hotel Miami, Haven House at the Oscars, Style360 and has several major fashion programs scheduled for this Fall including; Rock Fashion Week @ Style360 taking place in New York from September 13-15 in partnership with Hachette Publications, Rock Fashion Week Miami at the Eden Roc Hotel, October 14-17 followed by Rock Fashion Week LA from October 28-31st at Paramount Studios, and several upcoming film projects with Premiere.com

Rock Media has partnerships with a variety of corporate partners including, Hachette Filipacchi (Elle, Elle Decor, Road and Track, Met Home, Woman's Day, Sound and Vision, Premiere.com), Renaissance Hotels, etc. which has placed Rock Media in the unique position of producing its entertainment property and owning the media therefore making it easy for brands and advertisers to leverage exposure. The company has produced special events for celebrities ranging from musical sensation Fergie to Russell Simmons to designer and personality Richie Rich.

The companies stated that the merger will be completed by September 15, 2009. Rock Media's New York staff will be moving into Gen Art's headquarters in New York and Rock Media's L.A. team be opening up a new office in West Hollywood.

   PR Contact: Alison Kennedy   323.933.6800 x 1   alison@kpr-inc.com  

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Source: Gen Art; Rock Media & Entertainment

CONTACT: Alison Kennedy , +1-323-933-6800, ext. 1, alison@kpr-inc.com,
for Rock Media & Entertainment and Gen Art

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Profile: International Entertainment