Nesbitt was among about 75 mostly entertainment publicists at the PR Newswire, Bacardi-sponsored Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) Summer Mixer, July 24, 2003, at the Twin Palms Restaurant, Pasadena, CA.

"However, the hospitality industry, which includes restaurants, hotels and business travel, has suffered this year due to the economy and the impact of the Iraq War. My hotels are only down a fraction of a ercent in Houston, Texas Bellevue, Washington; Portland, Oregon; San Luis Obispo, California; in Michigan and North Carolina to name a few.

Regardless how the economy is doing, business people still need to travel. Instead of increasing their revenue in time like these, three things can happen: 1) they tend to freeze hiring; 2) they tend to stop travel; and 3) they tend to cut overtime payment," Nesbitt said.

What's on the Angels fans minds right now? "Turning things around. We a little bit behind, but we have a couple of months left and the Angeles are about to bring it back and try to get us back in the pennant race to win another title. It really doesn't matter who they play right now, but they need get into the playoffs and they need to get over the hump to take out the Oakland 'A's' and Seattle Mariners and find a way in the post season. Unlike last year the Angeles played the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees. They really don't care who they play, because they just want to play to win. The Angeles definitely have the fever to win again," said Roschke.

Downloading music was also a hot topic at the mixer. The popularity of downloading music is a new trend that is hurting the music industry, but it is exposing independent music writers and producers to a whole new audience.

"It's a mixed bag, we lose money every time some downloads a song and doesn't get permission for it," said Lori Lenz, Biscuit PR, Huntington Beach, CA, who represents independent music bands. "But at the same time, maybe someone who doesn't know the artist, but knows one song can download it for 99 cents and we still get the credit and the artist gets the exposure. It's a big catch 22, because we lose a lot of money on record sales. The potential for 'iTunes' to sell songs individually is huge." iTunes music store is stocked with hundreds of thousands of songs you can preview and down with just one click of your mouse.

Music fans are apparently going to the Internet more today than ever to find out about bands, and they're not reading the standard magazines that they used to. The conglomerate of radio stations has forced music lovers to seek songs elsewhere.

Ron Carter, Carter Agency, Los Angeles
There is no other way. Trying to subpoena the kids with lawsuits and all of that stuff is not going to work. It will probably backfire on the record companies, because you're going to make the kids very angry and they're gong to discover a way to download the music anyway. I think the business has really taken a serious beating, but I don't know how they're going to fix it. I really don't," said Carter.

"There used to be six major record companies and in about two or three weeks there are going to be three," said Carter. "Warner Bros, Music Group and BMG Margins. What does that say? It means it will be tougher for the smaller guys to really get inside and actually compete, because everything is being squashed together and the big companies are just going to run over everyone else."

"It is sort of a domino theory," said Carter. "The record companies lose money, so they don't help my clients promote their albums. It sort of like stealing on the Internet, but how are they going to stop it? I think they're going to have to engage the kids, and we'll have to get a national campaign going, where by they go out to the colleges and high schools and talk to the kids about what they're doing.

"All of the independent companies that are out there are sharing music are going to have to learn to work with the studios to do what's right," said Scott Pansky, president, EPPS, Los Angeles. "You just can't give away the music and the downloads. The whole point of this that there is licensing rights and artists' rights and they need to be rewarded and recognized for what their efforts are."

"I see the trend of fans downloading more and more as users become friendlier with the Internet and they learn how to use it," said Mary Thiessen, an artist manager, who manages several independent bands. "Although there have been successes with most recently the 'i-Tune Store,' 'Press Play' was not the success it would have like to have been, but the reintroduction of Napster could possibly turn things around again if it is done correctly, but the users for the most part are used to getting something they would like to pay for.

The question is how can you make it easier for them? And really, I think that the industry is loathe to embrace the fact that the 'hey day' of the CD is over, which in fact it is. I don't think everything is going to be on the Internet, but I think that it will be it will be very valuable and the most important tool in five years."

'The bands do feel that the users are stealing songs on the Internet, because people do not understand
the costs that go into funding a musical effort, and certainly the consumers are very naive about that,"
explained Thiessen. "At the same time there are pluses.

For example, it exposes independent bands to a lot of users who may have never heard them before,
except for the Internet. So it really depends upon what level of band you're talking about. My
independent bands love the Internet. We use it very well. And the bands, which are not well known,
are happy. The not
so known bands are not excited about the possibilities there and they're using the Internet in very
creative ways. That's how they organize their street teams and that's how they get their music out
to new people and it is a way to organize their fans sites and email blasts. It is how they do business."

For more information about Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) in Los Angeles or
New York visit http://www.eppsonline.org/ and for past articles www.MayoCommunications.com.