When it comes to bringing beloved K-Pop artists to the stage, one group of talented people are maxing out every fan's experience through their endless efforts to share the joy of K-Pop overseas.
MAXPERIENCE, (MPE) is just one of the many organizations dedicated to helping K-Pop fans see their favorite artists live before their very eyes in cities all across Asia! From the first fan meetings with F.T ISLAND in Taiwan to Sold-out Hip Hop Festival with YG, AOMG and H1GHR Music in Indonesia, MAXPERIENCE never stopped expanding and bringing K-Pop to our front door.
"It's all about passion," Max Jang, founder of MAXPERIENCE, said. "I love exploring different cities, seeing the cultures and learning the languages. When I started, I worked as an agent for two years, networking with club DJs and some festivals. Because of this, I learned how to network with smaller groups, other foreigners and even underground artists."
This humble beginning is what geared Max to be currently working on such a large level with artists such as WINNER's Mino, iKON's Bobby, Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Gray, SF9, ASTRO, G-Friend, MAMAMOO and other actors and actresses too! Max and his partner Raymond Cho, alongside celebrity agent Will Kim, consider themselves "Culture Chameleons" who "Understand what different countries' fans want and how local people think."
The three agreed saying, "Most companies are pushing K-Pop overseas in English, but we are packaging K-Pop [and all the special things about their favorite artists] in their own language and style."
Based in Hong Kong and Malaysia, these globetrotters started their first project in 2017 with F.T Island of FNC Entertainment. They held an unforgettable fan meeting in Taiwan with members Minhwan and Seunghyun which started the rush for them to grow bigger and better while providing more for the fans they care so deeply about.
"Seeing the fans smile and crying over their favorite artists is one of my biggest perks," said celebrity agent Will.
"When I see the energy from fans, I get the thrill too!" It is a moment Will can realize his efforts were successful. When we think of celebrity agents, we often dwell over the idea of meeting all the artists, receiving so much merch and more! However, Will often expresses that enjoying the successful event he was able to organize or seeing his name alongside the production credits with these artists makes him more than happy! Such a modest agent, huh?
But what exactly made MPE the successful company it is today? While there is no simple answer, Max confidently revealed that they follow the foot-steps of successful agencies in America and replicate it for the needs of Asian demographics. With separate departments focusing on the appropriate tasks and obligations needed to successfully run a production, bigger companies such as YG, FNC Entertainment and AOMG work in unison alongside MPE to deliver catered content to their fans. Companies continue to produce content fans love and crave while MPE continues to be "Your K-Pop delivery men," and bring the most popular of artists to the stages of Asia.
However, not only is MPE business model desirable but also their attitude towards networking as well. "No one is an enemy or rival - we are always open to network and communicate with everyone." More often than not, agencies are simply shipping off artists to countries without much understanding of what is needed to be taken care of there.
Without agencies like MPE, companies cannot deal with unexpected situations that might arise in foreign countries due to lack of knowledge of the venue, city locations, language barriers, alongside cultural and religious beliefs.
Raymond, co-founder of MPE, agreed by stating, "Sometimes, some companies desire a resource or language ability from us and vice versa.Max agreed stating, "If we worked together, we can provide more enjoyable experiences for fans wanting to see K-Pop artists."
Going forward, MPE have big plans for their fan following! Alongside working with the incredible list of artists already under their wing, MPE will be pushing to connect fans with artists such as the newly debuted but immensely popular group Treasure.
"We believe Treasure will lead the way for the future of this K-Pop generation the way groups like Big Bang have in the past," said Will. When asked, of course they aim to work with big named groups like BTS and Blackpink but they continue to see the potential other groups have and how they can further maximize every K-Pop fans love for Korea's music and culture.
When questioned about issues regarding China's ban in the past on Korean content and the political issues between Japan and Korea, all three agreed that the entertainment industry is the key to paving connectivity and unity between countries in more ways than one. "The fans love what they love and will continue to support that," said Max.
Despite the issues arising from COVID-19, MPE maintains an effort to search for innovative ways to share Korea's pop-culture with the people of Asia. Many fans felt quite upset after a slew of K-Pop tours and concert events were cancelled due to the virus, however the sudden surge of online concerts such as from Big Hit Entertainment with BTS and KCON's K:CON-TACT featuring artists such as SF9 and ASTRO, the chance to offer virtual experiences has become of utmost importance.
MPE continues to use their social media and SNS channels, mainly their Facebook, to connect with fans the same way BTS is known for intimately learning about their fandom. From fun voting polls, photo engagements and news updates, many followers enjoy discussing their favorite idols, seeing their active schedules and signing up for fan-meetings, concerts and more.
Without hesitation, Max and his crew already jumped the gun and prepared numerous ways to shower fans with the content they love while observing the success of other online events. "Fans want more and the most important thing is personal engagement, we are working to enhance this," said Raymond. It seems fans can definitely expect to see their favorite artists on their screens in no time as this happy-go-lucky team thrives in being the largest agency that can maximize the most Asian pop-culture experiences for any and every person!
The conversations about K-Pop, fandoms and the passion of concerts could endlessly go on but Max had always remembered to show his respect to the fan and show his gratitude. "Thanks for loving the Korean culture. We will dedicate our time to help fans experience more about Asia's culture. We will help your experience with all of our future events. Please stay safe and please contact us if you want to see your favorite artists and for more news!"
Website: www.maxperience.asia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maxperience.asia
Instagram: @maxperience.asia
