NEW YORK, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Aspiring and veteran entertainment industry leaders from the U.S. and China met here on Monday to explore ways for closer cooperation between the two major global entertainment and media economies.

The First Annual 2018 Global Entertainment Industry Summit (GEIS), running from April 9-10 at Manhattan Center, will focus on the dynamic relationship between the two entertainment powerhouses and "how aspiring and veteran professionals can understand foreign audiences in order to successfully and tastefully break into new markets," said Kevin Parker, New York State Senator, in his invitation letter for the event.

The two-day round table discussion will feature industrial speakers that include Howard Rosenman, producer (Call Me By Your Name), Michael Lebensfeld, managing director from Ingenuity Studios, James Chen, actor (The Walking Dead), Justin Nemeth, Moderator, New York University Cinema Studies & William Esper Studio Alumnus.

GEIS is a nonprofit organization located in New York City, with a focus on education and cross-cultural communication in the entertainment industry.