MAX MARKSON Max Markson, founder and director of marketing firm Markson Sparks and famous celebrity agent, recently visited Port Macquarie as a guest of HQ Port and the Hastings Business Enterprise Network Business Breakfast. We spoke to Max about some of the highlights of his career and how to succeed in business. ell us a bit about yourself. When did you create your company ‘Markson Sparks’, and did you ever expect it to grow on an international level? Next month it will be thirty years. Markson Sparks started out in March 1982, and we were just doing publicity and promotional work, which we still do today for major corporations. Then we moved into managing celebrities and personalities, which we also still do today. Almost twenty years ago, we started doing events, and we have done over 200 charity events and given over $40 million to different charities internationally. As part of the events side of the business, I have been privileged to host President Clinton, Nelson Mandela, President Bush, the former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, Al Gore, and just last year I brought Tony Blair to Australia and New Zealand, where we did seven events in five cities in four days throughout the two countries. What do you enjoy about the publicity and media profession? I just love having fun. I enjoy the challenge of everything in the industr, and achieving things, and I just really have fun with what I do. What have been some of the highlights of your career? I think some of the people I have had the pleasure working with; also, my charity work has been pretty cool. I really enjoyed doing Celebrity Apprentice last year; that was a lot of fun. I never expected to be on a TV show, but thank God I wasn’t chosen for Excess Baggage! (Laughing.) I think the whole journey of my career has been a highlight. I love doing the work overseas as well, and I had some great fun looking after Kim Kardashian in 2010, while she was on a worldwide promotion for Michael Hill Jewellers. You were in Port Macquarie recently. Have you been to the area before? The first time I came to Port Macquarie was in 1980, when I was driving from Sydney to Port Douglas, and I stayed in caravan parks for
$5 a night. Then in ‘84 I did all of the publicity and promotions for the opening of Pelican Shores. A guest at the February Hastings Business Enterprise Network Business Breakfast, what did you hope to inspire business owners with in our regional area? I guess I hoped to give them any tips or clues on increasing business, a bit of inspiration and the knowledge that if you want to be successful, you have to have persistence and be enthusiastic with everything you do. You mentioned your involvement with fundraising and charity events. What have been the standout events for you? The first time I brought President Clinton to Australia, we did a dinner for the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, clearing a profit of $1.2 million for the hospital, so that was a pretty impressive dinner. I also did a big dinner for the Red Cross in March 2005, where we had One Enchanted Evening with Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, raising $700,000 profit for the Red Cross. The big event nights that go fantastically well are what I love, and the support we always get from the community who want to go to these events and give and donate; it always impresses me. How do you handle being in the limelight? I just have fun with it, and hopefully at the end of day I make the right decisions for other people and for myself. I try not to upset people, which I sometimes do, but that’s just me being me. (Laughs.) I am quite focused when I am doing things; I just go for it and do it. I definitely like having fun, I enjoy karaoke, I like icecream and chocolate! And I think it’s good to smile. Do you have a piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners on the Mid North Coast? I think the main thing is to follow your dreams, believe in yourself, and if all else fails, just persist, and you will get to wherever you want to go to. Whatever you want to do, you have the power to do it. Work hard, and play hard! Thanks Max. greater port macquarie focus 99