The Devon siblings who created a leading global entertainment business
Starting out with five employees, a home-made website and a phone line, Scarlett Entertainment has grown to become the industry leader when it comes to providing high end event entertainment across the globe. Benjamin and Rebecca Marks have worked hard to ensure there are people on the ground who work directly with customers in New York, Dubai, London, Devon, Italy, and Singapore.
Customers looking for wedding, corporate and private party entertainment now have a local Entertainment Coordinator locally who they can count on to find unique entertainment from around the world and deliver it to their event. With over 11,000 acts worldwide from over 400 act categories including anything from champagne aerialists to digital magicians, LED stilt walkers to the latest tech robots and the latest entertainment trends.
The siblings from Torquay, Devon (UK) formed Scarlett Entertainment in 2009 with the aim of being the go-to international entertainment agency that produces unforgettable event experiences and provides expert advice and support. The Newton Abbot based agency works across the globe creating ‘WOW factor’ moments and represents hundreds of famous acts worldwide. The entertainment agency which started out without any financial backing now has over 8,000 square feet of office space in 4 locations and has created events in thousands of cities in over 80 different countries.
Since launching, the company has experienced rapid growth in all of the major countries it operates in. The annual turnover for the company has increased by more than 250% in the last four years to £6m, due to its international sales increase particularly in Europe, USA and the Middle East. This growth is made more impressive given that the siblings launched the company during the global economic downturn in 2008-2009 where almost all of their markets were affected.
Rebecca Marks, Managing Director said: “Since launching we have overcome many challenges, keeping up with the demands of the busy global event industry is one of them. At the beginning of the business I would work 18 hour days, replying to clients around the clock to provide excellent service. Fortunately, now our team is bigger and we have people on the ground in Singapore, Dubai, London, Devon, Italy, and Las Vegas, there is an Entertainment Coordinator on hand around seven days a week 24 hours a day.”
The key to the siblings success has resulted from an approach that focuses on their client needs by hiring and developing the best local and international Entertainment Experts who share their knowledge with the company’s clients.
The Newton Abbott Head Office hosts teams dedicated to each part of the world and provides its clients with a global team that speaks 11 plus languages. The team’s combined local knowledge enables Scarlett Entertainment to create global events that are culturally specific.
Benjamin Marks, Managing Director said: “In addition to hiring the best staff, our huge international database of 11,000+ outstanding entertainment options, makes us the ideal choice for global brands who have events across the world. Our clients know that with one account manager we can provide amazing entertainment from Dubai to Dublin, New York to New Delhi.”
Scarlett Entertainment has won multiple awards, including ‘Best Entertainment Production’ at the Middle East Event Awards and ‘Business of the Year’ at the 2015 South West Business Awards.
The company has worked with high profile clients such as Google, Amazon, Louis Vuitton, Virgin Media and Samsung. The company supply world-class entertainment for any occasion including international events, corporate events, weddings and private parties.
