AICP East members gathered on Thursday, September 24, for the 2026 East Board and Member Meeting. Cut + Run hosted, while Witts' End supplied the seating. The evening opened with thanks to the AICP Partners and Supporting Partners, followed by reflections of the last year from the East Board President, Shelby Ross, Group Thrpy and Vice President, Lauren Hertzberg, Cut+Run.
The chapter report covered a busy year. The Madison Ave Open, held July 30 at St. Andrews Golf Club in Westchester, teamed up with the Ad Club of NY and drew about 40 golfers. It raised more than $6,500 for the AICP Foundation, which supports education and diversity initiatives in production.
Other highlights included:
East Volunteer Initiative: Members have volunteered at three events so far this year, serving hot food, packing food kits, and handing out groceries.
Women's Forum: Over 30 attendees took a floral design class at Honor Society x Macguffin on March 12, with networking tables and a raffle.
Emerging Talent Mixer: Over 30 people gathered at Heard City on September 17 to connect emerging talent with members across the industry.
Coming Up
Camp K: 2026 Submissions closed September 25. The East/SE local event is November 10 at Crystal Lake Bar in Williamsburg.
AICP/PERG Oktoberfest: Our annual collaboration returns Wednesday, October 14, at Barbizon Lighting in Hell's Kitchen.
AICP Mentoring Program: The next six-month cycle begins October 4. It pairs experienced leaders from member companies with aspiring talent. More than 50 people have signed up, but we need more mentors, so please consider volunteering.
Elections: East Board and National Board seats are open, with several incumbents seeking re-election.
Industry Update
National leadership gave an overview of the year in review and several recent Town Halls. Topics included bidding practices, Illinois' expanded Film Production Tax Credit Program, Teamsters Local 399 agreements, Agency In-House Production, and ICE's new I-9 enforcement approach.
On labor, the IATSE Commercial Production Agreement and the Teamsters Local 399 agreements have been renewed. Members were also told to watch for the upcoming DGA negotiations and agreement expiration.
For post-production, the AI Committee has finished its AI Guidelines, which were to go out to the membership within a week of the meeting. A post roundtable was also hosted at Big Sky Edit earlier in the week. Members with post-related questions can contact Shannon Muñoz-Flores at shannonm@aicp.com.
If you have any questions about the AICP East board or events, please contact Tom Yacovone at tomy@aicp.com.