Variety Announces 100th Anniversary Gala to Be Held Friday, December 2, 2005 in Beverly Hills

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11  /PRNewswire/ -- Today Charlie Koones (President and Publisher, Variety) announced Variety's 100th Anniversary Gala, presented in partnership with Target, a VIP-only event to celebrate the publication's 100 years of "boffo-ness" and innovative coverage of the entertainment industry.

Variety's 100th Anniversary Gala will be held on Friday, December 2, 2005 at the Historic Beverly Hills Post Office, future home of the Wallis Annenberg Cultural Center, a new, soon-to-be-built world class performing arts center. For the gala, the entry hallway will feature oversize blowups of Variety covers through the decades, creating a runway of Hollywood history.  The event will be catered by Patina.

Variety's partnership with Target, an innovative merging of the entertainment and consumer worlds, will be a centerpiece of the centennial gala.  Other sponsors include Microsoft and Moviefone.

"Variety is a franchise that major consumer brands want to align themselves with in order to attract the entertainment community," said Charlie Koones. "Our relationship with the sponsors has been terrific for all parties involved because the core values of the organizations match up so well with ours.  I'm delighted to have them on board for this celebration."

"Target recognizes Variety's leadership, innovation and accomplishments in the entertainment industry over the past century," said John Remington, vice president, communications, Target.  "Target toasts the 100th anniversary of this vital and venerable entertainment institution."

First published in December of 1905, Variety was the first publication of its kind in the United States, and has been the premier source of entertainment news for a century.

For more information, log onto the magazine's web site at http://www.variety100.com/.

About Variety:

The Variety Group, Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Weekly Variety, Variety China and Variety.com are all owned by Reed Business Information (RBI), the largest publisher in the U.S. and a member of the Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE:RUKNYSE:ENL) -- a world-leading publisher and information provider operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business industry sectors.

About Target:

Minneapolis-based Target Stores serves guests at 1,330 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target, gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

About Microsoft:

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Moviefone(R):

Moviefone, a service of America Online, provides movie information and tickets to millions of moviegoers each month through its nationwide telephone service (e.g. 777-FILM) and on the Web (Moviefone.com or AOL Keyword: Moviefone).  One of the top-visited movie destinations online, Moviefone.com offers showtimes, advance tickets, exclusive scenes from upcoming films, original editorial features, critic and moviegoer reviews, trailers, DVD information and much more. 

DATASOURCE: Variety



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