Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

Organization in charge of the Hollywood Sign and Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hollywood Chamber of CommerceEstablished| 1921

|

Region served

| Hollywood, California

President and CEO

| Steve Nissen
Website| hollywoodchamber.net

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is a chamber of commerce located in Hollywood, Los Angeles. As a local chamber, the organization promotes business interests in its area, but it is best known for holding the trademarks and licensing rights for two of Los Angeles's most famous landmarks: the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign.[1]

## History

[edit]

Hollywoodland Sign prior to the Chamber's modifications

Hollywood Sign after the Chamber's modifications

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1921, when Hollywood's 2,000 residents and businesspeople organized with the goal of becoming a more metropolitan city. A five-day membership drive resulted in 2,517 members, with their first order of business involving the fledgling Hollywood Bowl, in which they financed a ticket-selling campaign and also raised funds to grade and install 20,000 seats in the venue.[1][2]

In 1932, the Chamber sponsored the Santa Claus Lane Parade, and in 1978, the parade was renamed the Hollywood Christmas Parade.[2]

In 1949, the organization paid $4000 ($52,862 in 2024) to repair, rebuild, and take down the “LAND” in the Hollywoodland Sign, creating the Hollywood Sign. The Chamber did a second restoration in 1973.[2]

In 1953, the organization's president proposed what would become the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which the chamber worked with the City of Los Angeles to create. The walk was dedicated in 1960, and in 1962, Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance that specified the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce be the agent to advise the City in all matters pertaining to the addition of other names.[3] The organization also hosts Walk of Fame induction ceremonies[4] and places memorial wreaths beside stars upon their honoree's death.[5]

Elton John receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1975

Since 1978, the organization has owned the trademarks and licensing rights to the Hollywood Sign the Hollywood Walk of Fame,[4][6] the former through the Hollywood Sign Trust.[7] Since then, the Chamber has upheld their trademarks through cease and desist orders and lawsuits.[8][9][10]

In 1992, the Hollywood Sign Trust became independent of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; however, the Chamber appointed seven of the nine trustees and retained ownership of the Hollywood Sign trademark.[11] And as of 2015, the Chamber continued to have a majority of the Trust's board seats.[7]

As of March 2023, the President and CEO of the organization is Steve Nissen, the former senior vice president of legal and government affairs at NBCUniversal.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "100 Years ...Hollywood Bowl and Hollywood Chamber of Commerce". discoverhollywood.com. Summer 2022.
2. ^ a b c "Early Los Angeles Historical Buildings (1925 +)". Water and Power Associates. p. 2.
3. ^ "History of the Walk of Fame". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
4. ^ a b c Katie Reul (March 16, 2023). "Steve Nissen Tapped as President, CEO for Hollywood Chamber of Commerce". Variety.
5. ^ Paige Austin (March 30, 2016). "Vandals Trash Patty Duke's Walk of Fame Memorial Wreath". Patch Media.
6. ^ "Licensing for the Walk of Fame". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
7. ^ a b Gary Baul (January 7, 2015). "War Over Hollywood Sign Pits Wealthy Residents Against Urinating Tourists: "One of These Days Someone Will Get Shot"". Hollywood Reporter.
8. ^ Mike Masnick (September 19, 2018). "Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce Trademark Bullies Kevin Smith's Podcast Over Hollywood Sign". Techdirt.
9. ^ Jonathan Handel (October 26, 2012). "Hollywood Sign Owner Cries Foul Over Ad Agency 'Infringement'". Hollywood Reporter.
10. ^ "Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Wins International Trademark Infringement Lawsuit". Business Wire. July 16, 2013.
11. ^ Adrian Glick Kudler (May 18, 2017). "Seize the Hollywood Sign". Curbed Los Angeles.

* v
* t
* e

Greater Hollywood

Districts and
neighborhoods|

* Colegrove
* East Hollywood
* Hollywood
* Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
* Hollywood Theatre Row
* Yucca Corridor
* Hollywood Hills
* Beachwood Canyon
* Cahuenga Pass
* Hollywood Dell
* Hollywood Heights
* Laurel Canyon
* Nichols Canyon
* Outpost Estates
* Whitley Heights
* Yamashiro Historic District
* Little Armenia
* Melrose District
* Melrose Hill
* Spaulding Square
* Thai Town
* Virgil Village

Businesses|

| Bars and
restaurants|

* Avalon
* Boardner's
* Cat & Fiddle
* Catalina Bar & Grill
* Frolic Room
* Gwen
* House of Pies
* Kali
* Mel's Drive-In
* Miceli's
* Musso & Frank
* Osteria Mozza
* Phenakite
* Providence
* Roscoe's Chicken 'N Waffles
* Sunset Grill

|

Cemeteries|

* Forest Lawn
* Hollywood Forever
* Mount Sinai

Hotels|

* Chateau Marmont
* Hollywood Melrose
* Hollywood Roosevelt

Museums|

* Fire Department
* Guinness World Records
* Hollywood
* Hollywood Bowl
* Hollywood Heritage
* Japan House
* Madame Tussauds
* Museum of Death
* Ripley's Believe It or Not!
* Sculpture Garden
* Vogue Multicultural
* Wax

Shopping|

* Artisan's Patio
* Amoeba Music
* Hollywood Toys & Costumes
* Janes Square
* Larry Edmunds
* Ovation

Studios|

| Motion
picture|

* CBS Columbia
* Jim Henson
* KCET
* Paramount
* Raleigh
* Red
* Sunset Bronson
* Sunset Gower
* Sunset Las Palmas

|

Music|

* Boulevard
* Capitol
* Cherokee
* Conway
* Delicious Vinyl
* EastWest
* Electro-Vox
* Henson
* The Mansion
* Record Plant
* Sound Factory
* Sunset Sound
* United Western

Theaters|

| Live|

* Dolby
* El Centro
* Fonda
* Ford
* Fountain
* Hollywood Bowl
* Hollywood Palladium
* Hotel Café
* Jumbo's
* Magic Castle
* Pack
* Pantages
* Ricardo Montalbán
* Upright Citizens Brigade

|

Motion
picture|

* Arclight
* Chinese
* Cinerama Dome
* Egyptian
* El Capitan
* Fox
* Hollywood Pacific
* Ritz
* Tiki Adult
* Vogue
* Vine
* Vista

Other points
of interest|

| Buildings|

| NRHP|

* List of contributing properties in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District

* Office
* Bricker
* Capitol Records
* Crossroads of the World
* Guaranty
* Heinsbergen Decorating Company
* Hollywood & Western
* Security Trust and Savings

* Residences
* Andalusia
* Bonita
* C.E. Toberman
* Carlotta
* El Cabrillo
* Halifax
* Highland-Camrose
* Hollyhock
* Hollywood Tower
* Jardinette
* John Sowden
* Montecito
* Samuel Freeman
* St. Andrews
* Stahl
* Storer
* Whitley

* Other
* Cahuenga Branch
* Hollywood Masonic Temple
* Hollywood Melrose Hotel
* John C. Fremont Branch
* Post Office

|

Other|

* Office
* Athletic Club
* DGA Headquarters
* Redwine
* Yucca Vine

* Religious
* Blessed Sacrament
* First Presbyterian
* Mosaic
* Self Realization
* St. Mary of the Angels
* Temple Israel
* United Methodist

* Residences
* Argyle
* Château Élysée
* Chemosphere
* Garber
* Lookout Mountain
* Ojai
* Ravenswood
* Shulman
* Wattles

* Retail
* Alexanders
* Fred C. Thomson
* Gitelson
* Woolworth

Hospitals|

* Children's Hospital
* Hollywood Presbyterian
* Kaiser Sunset

Parks|

* Barnsdall
* Griffith
* Bronson Caves
* Cahuenga Peak
* Hollywood Sign
* Mount Lee
* Lake Hollywood
* Runyon Canyon
* Wattles

Schools|

| Entertainment|

* Academy of Dramatic Arts
* AFI Conservatory
* Emerson Hollywood
* Gnomon
* Los Angeles Film School
* Los Angeles Recording School
* Musical and Dramatic Academy
* Musicians Institute
* Stella Adler

|

Other|

* Braille Institute
* Helen Bernstein
* Hollywood High
* Immaculate Heart
* Los Angeles City College
* Rose and Alex Pilibos
* West Coast University

Scientology|

* Celebrity Centre
* L. Ron Hubbard Exhibition
* Pacific Area Command Base
* Psychiatry: An Industry of Death

Walks
of fame|

* Adult Walk of Fame
* Chinese Theater hand and footprints
* Hollywood Walk of Fame
* Hollywood's RockWall

Other|

* American Legion Post 43
* Contemporary Exhibitions
* Hollywood Cross
* Pickford Center
* Public Art
* William Stromberg Clock

Transportation|

| Metro|

* B Line
* K Line Northern Extension
* Vermont Transit Corridor

|

Streets|

| East-west|

* Fountain
* Franklin
* Hollywood
* Melrose
* Mulholland
* Santa Monica
* Sunset

|

North-south|

* Cahuenga
* Gower
* Highland
* La Brea
* Normandie
* Vermont
* Vine
* Western
* Wilcox

Intersections|

* Gower Gulch
* Hollywood and Vine
* Squares
* Armenian Genocide Memorial

Other|

* California State Route 2
* Hollywood Bowl Shuttles
* Hollywood Freeway

Neighboring cities
and communities|

* Beverly Hills
* Fairfax
* Hancock Park
* Los Feliz
* North Hollywood
* Silver Lake
* Studio City
* Universal City
* West Hollywood

Regions
Crescenta Valley
Downtown
Eastside
Harbor Area
Greater Hollywood
Northeast LA
Northwest LA
San Fernando Valley
South LA
Westside
Central Los Angeles & Wilshire area
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