University of California, Berkeley students will soon be even closer to the power and excitement of the entertainment industry with the organization of a local chapter of the Business Careers in Entertainment Association (BCEA).

The BCEA, www.bcea.org, is a national non-profit organization that provides educational opportunities to students exploring a career in the entertainment industry.

“Our collegiate chapters are a vital part of the BCEA,” Jonathan Levey, president & chairman of the BCEA, said. “They develop student leadership and provide networking opportunities with entertainment industry professionals.”

The Berkeley chapter will be advised by Amanda Carlton, Student Involvement Program Coordinator with the Center for Student Leadership at Berkeley.

“The establishment of the BCEC at Berkeley will provide students the extraordinary opportunity to explore professional opportunities in the entertainment field,” Carlton said. “The unique experience this organization offers for students interested in learning about and connecting with the entertainment industry is a fantastic complement to the co-curricular landscape at Cal.”

The Business Careers in Entertainment Club (BCEC) at Berkeley is a student organization which was formed to bring students together with entertainment industry professionals to successfully prepare students for careers in this field. The organization focuses on the areas of sports, television, film, gaming, publishing, performing arts, radio and music.

“Our mission is to provide internships, job opportunities, career information and hands-on experience to undergraduate students interested in the business end of the entertainment industry,” said BCEC President and freshman Johnny Chiou.

To become a member of the BCEC, you must be an undergraduate student enrolled at Berkeley and be enthusiastic about finding a career in the business end of the entertainment industry. The BCEC welcomes all undergraduates, regardless of their major.

Each year, BCEA members gather in New York City to meet with entertainment industry officials representing companies such as NBC Universal, Time Magazine/Entertainment Weekly, Columbia Records, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and the National Football League.

Founded in 2002, the BCEA has successful alumni working in the entertainment industry for companies like HBO, Oxygen Media and Atlantic Records. In 2006, readers of the Indiana Daily Student voted the BCEA chapter at Indiana University the Best Student Organization.

By Julie Gordon  |  BusinessWeek

Breaking into the back-end of showbiz can be almost as hard as getting your face in front of the camera. That’s why two recent Indiana University graduates are looking to expand an entertainment-focused business organization to campuses around the country and possibly convert it into a nonprofit organization.

The Business Careers in Entertainment Club, part of IU’s Kelley School, provides undergraduates with contacts in the field and trips to entertainment-related firms. Networking events over the past few years have allowed students to meet with executives from the New York Yankees, Sirius Radio (SIRI), and the NFL, among other companies. If other schools join in on the concept, they will have access to the BCEC’s large network of alumni and other industry contacts.

“Because of the nature of what the companies do, it’s hard to get a hold of people because they like to keep things very private. A lot of students—whether they’re in New York, L.A., or the Midwest, find it hard to work in the industry because it’s hard to contact anyone,” says Robb Rosenthal, a 2006 Kelley School of Business grad and former club president.

Schools that already have entertainment business or sports business clubs are being targeted most heavily, says Jonathan Levey, also a former BCEC president and IU alumnus. They include NYU’s Stern School, Penn’s (Wharton School), the University of Michigan’s Ross School, and UCLA and USC in California, says Levey.

Membership is $20 per year at Indiana, and dues would be similar if expanded. And with the job-hunting opportunities the BCEC can provide for undergrads, that fee is certainly worth it.