GBR, the Graziadio School’s online peer-reviewed business practitioner quarterly continues to expand the number of leaders in academia and industry it enlists to evaluate submissions, reported Dr. Owen Hall, Jr., editor-in-chief and Professor of Decision Sciences. Ten new members have been appointed to the editorial review board. continue

The Entertainment and Tourism Advisory Committee for the California Commission for Economic Development (CED) has engaged Dr. Samuel Seaman, Professor of Decision Science, (pictured right) and MBA students at Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management in a research study determining solutions to grow the state’s entertainment industry in the face of increased national and international competition.

“Dr. Seaman is directing a survey to identify geographical areas in California most appropriate for entertainment projects and incentive opportunities that might increase retention of film production. The committee is very satisfied with the results we have seen thus far from this ongoing research program,” said CED Commissioner Dr. Demos Vardiabasis, Chairman of the Entertainment and Tourism Advisory Committee and a professor of economics at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School.

Survey results and recommendations are expected to be presented to the committee later this year.

Established by Lt. Governor John Garamendi, the Entertainment and Tourism Advisory Committee is a twelve-member board of senior industry executives appointed to identify key challenges to the industries’ continued growth and offer recommendations for solutions to the CED, which advices Governor Schwarzenegger and the state legislature.

GRAZIADIO IN THE NEWS

Business professor Dennis Torres, executive director of real estate operations  at Pepperdine University said that he continues to see 2009 as a benchmark year, during which prices will continue to fall. He predicted that the market would plateau in 2010 and remain stagnant with only slight increases until around 2015.

“The good news is I think we have hit bottom, so you can afford to buy,” he said. “The bad news is it was not a good year.”

Torres said there will be more loan activity, more incentives to help people buy homes, and more programs to help those in financial trouble — but there still will be foreclosures. [Full Article]

EMBA students capture grand prize.

Pepperdine Executive MBA students Pratish Shah and Froi Lomotan won the $15,000 grand prize at the Fifth Annual Pepperdine University 2009 Business Plan Competition, held Saturday, March 14, and sponsored by Santa Barbara Bank & Trust. The team’s proposal for their recently launched venture Locaxion, specializing in GPS-enabled smart phone applications for golfers, triumphed among the event’s four finalists. continue

GRAZIADIO IN THE NEWS

As studios slowly push films back into production, no longer seeing the threat of a strike on the immediate horizon, the Hollywood economy is bound to continue lagging until the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) fracas is settled, the Hollywood Reporter wrote today.

“Anytime that you live in a time of uncertainty, it does cause more unnecessary noise in the economics of the media industry,” Pepperdine economist David Smith said. “So there are probably going to be fewer productions, fewer blockbusters. They are moving forward, but at the same time, both parties get hurt.” [Full Article]