Bill Nemtin

Executive Director
History Makers

Returning to New York City for its second year, the History Makers International Summit takes place just after the historic U.S. presidential inauguration, and alongside the anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The setting is quite fitting for such an event, whose tagline is "Where History Meets Today."

In keeping with its mission statement, History Makers has lined up a number of speakers and sessions that explore what’s currently happening in the world. "This year we’ve really been living through some amazing history," says Bill Nemtin, the executive director of History Makers. "Even just in terms of political changes in America. Our keynote speaker is Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who’s the head of African-American studies at Harvard University and a PBS personality. His speech is on ‘Lincoln, Obama, Race and the Presidency.’ It’s trying to give people a perspective on the political changes, particularly in terms of race relations is in America."

Other present-day issues being tackled include the economic crisis. "Our event is just around the corner from Wall Street," he points out. "One of our sessions is on the fall of Wall St., with Michael Kirk, who is doing a critical look at financial journalism. He’s actually doing an expose for PBS’s Frontline [called Meltdown, which is currently in production] about the kind of journalism that may have contributed to the lack of preparedness of people for the collapse. Before that we have a pretty top-notch scholar from Columbia University, Jagdish Bhagwati, who has won prizes all over the world for his writings on globalization and economics."

History Makers will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a special event, done in partnership with ZDF Enterprises. Another program that day will examine issues of religion, in a presentation done in part with Odyssey Networks. "One of the programs is being produced and done by Rageh Omaar, who is a journalist who became an embedded BBC reporter in Baghdad. Now he’s doing a program for Channel 4 on Islam and Christianity. That’ll have history as well as quite a lot about the state of relations between those two communities."

A series of "smart sessions" designed to help producers get the most from their money in these trying times are also a highlight. "Where’s The Money? Alternative Funding" takes a look at additional sources of financing, from commercial sponsorships to educational grants. Another session focuses on how to turn a one-off idea into a successful format. "The Art of Archives" examines new ways of spinning back-catalogue material, while "Digital Makeover: How Not To Be A Dinosaur" looks at new media’s affect on the future of the industry.

"We also give out awards every year," explains Nemtin. "Presenting the best program, the most innovative program and we’re giving a Lifetime Achievement Award to Laurence Rees." Rees is the former head of BBC TV History programs and creative director of BBC Television History. Author of six history books, he is an expert in military programming, specializing in the Nazis and World War II.

With a strong lineup of sessions, speakers and current-affairs topics being discussed, this year’s History Makers is showcasing innovative ways to make history resonate with contemporary events.