Hello 2021 - You're already looking great!

By Leslie Hughes, DMLA PresidentFounder & CEO, iSpy VisualsWelcome to Newsbreak! The Digital Media Licensing Association is proud to share member / industry news, educational offerings, advocacy outreach and networking opportunities. This digest is one of several projects we at DMLA are launching or expanding in this most-welcomed new year - our 70th Anniversary year. Look for the digest twice a month going forward as we commit to increased connection with our members and extended community. If you are like me, laying last year to rest and focusing on the future feels pretty great, but as I did so, I realized that, actually, some good things happened last year. DMLA:

• Produced our first fully virtual conference, attracting 240 attendees from 16 countries, 18 US states, and 4 Canadian provinces. 
  • Its new pricing structure reduced registration costs to members by 30% and encouraged broad attendance.
  • All sessions rated 8.5 out of 10 or higher.
  • 77% rated the conference a 4 or 5 out of 5. 
• Hired a new executive director, Elaine Vitt, who comes to us with extensive entrepreneurial, communications and non-profit management experience. 
• Created and posted “Best Practices in Copyright Enforcement” guidelines (included in this Newsbreak).
• Expanded education and communications channels. 
  • Restarted our webinar series.
  • Created a Medium channel called DMLA Insights.
  • Created a new YouTube channel.
• Initiated the creation/adoption of new video metadata standards to increase discoverability. 
• Partnered with Google on the Licensable Badge.
• Partnered with Adobe on the Content Authenticity Initiative to help protect  provenance and limit dis-information. (If you are interested in joining the Content Authenticity Initiative, click here.)
• Attracted valuable sponsors - Google, PicRights, Capture, ImageRights, Smartframe, CDAS and StockTrek - and expanded the program to include year-round sponsorships. 
• Framed new networking opportunities for 2021, with new sponsorship opportunities to support them. 

As always, DMLA continues to look for ways to better serve our members. Our goals for 2021 include: 

• To increase the DMLA community - We will look within the traditional licensing space and beyond. We also will look to expand membership among companies working with footage, in technology, and supporting the industry.

• To continue to increase value for members - As the industry changes, so do the needs of our members. As such we will continue to look for ways to expand value for members in education, connectivity and advocacy. Look for improved news and communications as well. We will also look for ways to bring the entire licensing eco-system together - creators, buyers, editors, tech specialists and licensors. We also plan to increase networking opportunities. (Click here to learn more about or apply for membership.)

• To increase the value of sponsorship - Sponsors are increasingly important to the organization. We hope to forge strong, symbiotic relationships with sponsors for our communications and education channels, supporting the website, our programs and networks. (Email us to learn more about becoming a sponsor.)

DMLA looks forward to serving the international media licensing industry with renewed dedication and vigor in 2021. We certainly hope we will be able to meet in person later this year, but time has proven that we can survive and thrive together regardless. DMLA is honored to remain the united voice of this industry it has been since 1951.Share your comments and suggestions with me at president@digitalmedialicensing.org or with Elaine at elaine@digitalmedialicensing.org.