The global market for popular music concerts is growing in size every year.

In 2023, live music ticket sales amounted to 30 trillion won (Source: 2023 Music Industry White Paper, Plesta), Japan, the world's second largest music market, recorded 6 trillion won, while the Korean market is on track to exceed 1 trillion won.

However, most domestic concert planning companies and operation teams are still operating as production companies that receive and perform projects for large management companies or corporations (outsourcing).

In other words, in addition to production agency or outsourcing, young CPs (Overall Producers) who can comprehensively plan their own business design, investment, production, distribution/marketing, and on-site operations are needed in Korea.

Union Picturesis one of the domestic K-Contents ventures with the most K-POP concert and fan meeting references. It conducts over 100 projects annually, most of which are self-planned/invested projects. Currently, the project area is not limited to Korea but also extends to the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, and other countries.

Currently, at a cultural venture company that is expanding its infrastructure centered on Union in the United States, Korea, Taiwan, and other countries, Park Hye-ju PD is leading collaborations with numerous artists, despite being among the youngest in the company.

Q. Please introduce yourself.

A. Hello, I am Park Hye-ju PD from Union Pictures , who produces K-POP concerts and entertainment projects. I am currently in charge of major contracts with entertainment companies, planning overseas tours, and recently, planning Hallyu tourism products in collaboration with various artists. I have about 5 years of experience and currently work at the Union Pictures Korea branch in the Samsung ASEM Tower.

The performances that our company has produced so far include Jung Yong-hwa from CNBLUE, Park Bom from 2NE1, Bada, K-POP NO.1 dance team One Million, and other members of popular groups such as B1A4, VICTON, UP10TION, Lovelyz, Wanna One, and IZ*ONE.

We also work with promising rookies. A few days ago, the global tour of the rookie idol NTX began.

Q. What kind of work do concert/cultural overall planners usually do?

A. Unlike general operation PDs or production PDs, CPs (Overall Producers) need to be able to connect many parts.

For a single day project, they must be able to handle concert recruitment and contracts (including copyright management), establishment of overseas local consortiums, brand sponsorships, preparation of the day's program, communication with various marketing partners, and communication with the technical team.

Of course, it may be different if you are interested in only producing a specific part in concerts, festivals, and events. However, if you aspire to be a 'conductor' who designs the entire cultural content, you will need to put in effort from basic skills to networking.

Q. You are still in your 20s and have already made a lot of projects and generated significant sales. Have you ever faced any difficulties?

A. Not long ago, our Union Pictures global CEO (Taeho Kwon) asked me the same question. I don't know if you will relate to this, but I don't think I've ever considered giving up or quitting my job. Of course, this is also due to our company's HR direction, which supports people based on their 'real skills' without considering their age, background, or gender. Our CEO often says to me:

"Don't work for the company or the CEO, work for yourself, work for your own dreams, and I hope you can become free from the world's framework."

I truly love my goals and dreams about entertainment, culture, and performances. The cultural content field, more than any other, allows for fast personal growth if you have real skills, and you can communicate with people anywhere in the world, so it allows you to broaden your horizons.

These aspects give me the feeling of traveling every year. While traveling can be physically demanding, I don't think I can miss the joy of it.

Q. A word to those in their 20s and 30s who dream of becoming cultural/performance planners? And what direction do you think future performance events will take?

A. I am still in the learning stage and feel growth every year. First of all, I think finding a dream that you can love is important.

After that, it is also very important to find passionate people or leaders who can share that dream.

That was the case for me. The performance and travel industry was very difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our company also had no choice but to operate a number of small and medium-sized projects because we couldn't plan large-scale performances during that time.

At times, I think I managed 10 projects a month by myself. Even during that time, the company and the CEO actively invested in long-term global vision, networks, and overseas infrastructure investment. That was really nice and I felt good about making dreams together.

I think it's important for you to find such colleagues or teams. Our company continues to invest in this area, and I believe the two main keywords are global and AI integration.

Can we provide an exclusive experience that resonates with people around the world? Also, can we provide various digital content and AI integration to people around the world? These are the kinds of things that matter.

Q. It's a sensitive question, but I'll ask it because I'm curious. I heard that culture/entertainment has unstable or low pay. Is that true?

A. First of all, it's true that the lifestyle is different from that of general civil servants or companies. Since performances and tours usually don't take place on weekdays, it's true that the lives and time of the responsible PDs are different from those of their acquaintances.

However, it seems that time management is different depending on the atmosphere of each entertainment or production company. At our company, we work similarly to a regular company during weeks when there are no projects, and early departure systems are also being expanded.

Of course, it's busy during busy times. In terms of salary, it is true that it is not high during the initial 1-2 years, as there is a lot to learn about the nature of the entertainment and production industry. However, once you gain recognition after that time, the growth rate seems to be very high (of course, this also varies by company).

I can't tell you exactly, but it's also better than the salaries of my peers at large companies, and I'm satisfied because the company provides me with a car, a welfare card, etc.

I think benefits vary greatly in our industry depending on experience and performance.

Q. What are your future goals?

A. I don't know how my life will flow in the future, but in the realm of cultural/entertainment planning, I want to become not the best in my age group, but one of the best globally.

Of course, I know that I still have a lot to learn and experience. However, I believe I've had a great start. I want to achieve it once. I hope that I will meet the readers of this article through the performances planned by me and my colleagues. If you wish to collaborate with Union Pictures, please send a message to ent@unionpic.net. Be happy!