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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
FOCUS 2009 Set to Land in Chicago This Summer
After much success in New York City for 2007, the highly anticipated
biennial AGBU FOCUS weekend is heading west to Chicago, Illinois for
2009.
Plans are already underway and FOCUS invites all young Armenian
professionals to join in the celebration, which will take place from
July 16-19, 2009 in one of the most dynamic American cities. Hundreds of
Armenians are expected to attend from all parts of the globe for a
weekend that includes networking & cultural events, a club night and a
formal gala celebration.
Looking Back
FOCUS premiered in New York City eight years with the goal of bringing
together all AGBU youth program participants and alumni to honor AGBU’s
95th anniversary. Former campers, counselors, interns, and athletes
joined current Young Professional groups to celebrate the variety of
international programs that have made, and continue to make, a
difference in the lives of young Armenians everywhere. Pre-event
fundraising efforts raised an astonishing $25,000 for various AGBU youth
programs, and the success of this event made FOCUS into a biennial
affair.
In 2003, FOCUS headed north to Montreal, Canada, to honor AGBU’s
Generation Next Mentorship Program of Southern California, which
partners students from the Glendale area with local Armenian-American
mentors. With hundreds in attendance, Montreal was the debut city for
the FOCUS on Art fundraising exhibit and auction, which included works
by young aspiring artists attending the AGBU Children’s Centers in
Yerevan, Armenia.
Two years later, FOCUS 2005 landed in South Beach, Florida for a weekend
of sold-out events, including an elegant gala at Miami’s Mandarin
Oriental Hotel. Participants from over 30 international cities paid
tribute to the AGBU Scholarship Program, which has provided financial
assistance to full-time college students of Armenian descent for over
five decades. The weekend raised over $30,000.
In 2007, FOCUS returned to New York City to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the AGBU New York Summer Internship Program (NYSIP). For
over two decades, NYSIP has provided college and graduate students the
opportunity to gain professional internship experience, participate in
cultural, networking and social events with like-minded peers, and live
in Manhattan’s energetic East Village neighborhood. The record-breaking
sum of $85,000 was raised through donations made in honor of Mrs. Rita
Balian and her husband, the late Vartkess Balian, who were the founders
of the internship initiative.
Moving Forward
FOCUS has become an internationally renowned event that unites Armenians
the world over for a professionally, culturally and socially enriching
weekend. The FOCUS 2009 weekend is slated to begin with the traditional
Thursday-night networking event known as Perspectives. On Friday, FOCUS
will welcome hundreds of guests to its always exciting Club Event at a
hot venue in the heart of Chicago. Saturday will begin with the
ever-popular FOCUS on Art event at noon and continue with the Gala
celebration set in one of the city’s most elegant venues. FOCUS will
conclude on Sunday with a special Brunch.
"We are extremely excited to bring young Armenian professionals from all
over the world to meet and reunite in Chicago," said FOCUS co-chair Arda
Berberian. "Each and every FOCUS is a landmark occasion, as friendships
grow and young Armenians come together and celebrate our sense of
community under the umbrella of AGBU."
"With such positive feedback after New York City in 2007, we hope that
FOCUS 2009 will only continue to surpass our guests’ expectations,"
co-chair Aline Markarian added.
Participants should mark their calendars for July 16-19. Rooms have been
reserved at the Westin Michigan Avenue Hotel and a special rate is
available for reservations made only through AGBU beginning April 2.
For up-to-date information, please visit or email
focus@agbu.org.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving some
400,000 Armenians on five continents.