Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Baggett.
Mark, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When thinking back on the origins of Markster Con Productions and the geeky community it has created, I first have to give credit to my parents for instilling in me a love of parties and costuming. When I was quite young, my Dad almost always had his camera with him. Birthday parties and photos were a big deal for my two siblings and I. Having ‘Smokey The Bear’ make an appearance at our parties happened a few times over the years because Dad worked for the US Forest Service and could pull strings to get a co-worker to put on the mascot-style outfit. This always added a fun, interactive element to the parties and photos. I can trace my love of costuming back to my Mom. She made me a Spider-Man costume when I was about seven years old, using hair nets to make the webbing on the red and dark blue bodysuit that she sewed by hand. Other years she helped make me a King Tut costume and even a Wolf-Man costume. From then on making our Halloween costumes was a must, as it was the mid-1970s and the only Halloween costumes you could find were the ones in boxes with hard plastic masks with tie-on outfits. Mom wanted to make sure we stood out during our elementary school’s Halloween costume contests and that we did.
My first attempt at producing events can be traced back to the late 1980s when I was a senior in high school. A friend and I DJ’d “sock hops” after home football games in the school gym. I’d hand draw the promotional posters we’d put up in the hallways and rent a basic PA system so we could connect our two cassette players. Although we only produced a few dance parties before graduating, it was just enough for me to get a taste of showing others a good time.
As a kid I excelled in most anything art related, so I majored in Graphic Design at James Madison University in Virginia. There I learned the basics of computer design programs like Adobe Illustration, Photoshop and QuarkXPress. These would be the foundation I’d continue to build on for decades to come. After graduating from college I moved to Boston where I worked as a Graphic Designer for The Boston Beer Company (brewer of Samuel Adams beers). Two years later I relocated to Alabama to be closer to my family and landed a full-time job as a Graphic Artist at ‘The Birmingham News’. There I stayed for almost 12 years. In that time, I became very proficient in being able to produce top-notch graphics in a short amount of time due to the constant looming deadlines that come with working at a daily newspaper.
I took up running as a hobby and got involved with the Birmingham Track Club. I was elected “Social Chair” and eventually “President.” In doing so, I made it my mission to help the group become more social by adding events like “pub runs,” where members would run from pub to pub, enjoying a brew at each stop. Granted this wasn’t for all runners, but for those that took part, it was a new and fun way to be both fit and social.
One night I stumbled upon a dive bar in Birmingham called THE NICK that had a “live metal karaoke” show. Already a fan of karaoke myself, this energetic experience would place people singing in front of a live band which played mostly hard rock & heavy metal hits. I went back whenever the band played, signing up and singing whenever I could. I quickly got to know the band members so when their host and lead singer quit they asked me to take over and also asked if I could help promote their shows since they knew I was a graphic designer. I jumped at the opportunity by re-branding the event and also took over the marketing and design aspects. This helped get my feet wet in the event production field even more and forced me to learn how to perform at the drop of a hat in order to keep a crowd entertained.
In 2004 I discovered Dragon Con in Atlanta. Needless to say going to that massive sci-fi convention was a life-changing experience for me. After attending for three years, I found four other people to share a large suite in one of the host hotels and decided to host a private party during the Con. Our first attempt turned out to be pretty lame but we kept in touch and decided to formally start a group called CON*tourage, which envisioned us hosting convention-based “geek” parties and gatherings to help bring like-minded people together for a good time. CON*tourage made it to Dragon Con the following the three years and quickly gained an avid fan following with party themes like the HEAVY METAL PARTY, the UNDEAD 80s PARTY, and also a Pancake Chowdown, all of which were great successes. Since we only took donations to help fund the decorations, entertainment, promotions and merchandise, little money was to be made. We didn’t view CON*tourage as a business. It was just a way to have a good time with friends, meet new people, throw epic themed parties, and help geeks of similar interest come together. Overall it was a massive success while it lasted.
In 2012 I decided to throw a themed house party for my close friends. I jokingly called it “Markster Con”, combining my first name and “Con” due to the sci-fi con life being so important to us. After deciding on the name, I sat down at my laptop and quickly designed the logo that I still use today, with the planet representing my own creative world I invite people to come experience. A short while afterwards I took a buy-out from ‘The Birmingham News’ as the newsprint industry was starting to tank. It was then that I decided to branch out on my own, be my own boss and see if I could make Markster Con a successful legit business.
When I was younger it wasn’t my life’s goal to become an event producer but only to do something that I loved. Looking back, many of my experiences fit a purpose and aligned me to where I am now. My parents instilling in me a love for parties and costuming at a young age, my short stint as a DJ and event promoter in High School, studying Graphic Design in college then polishing and quickening those skills at the newspaper, organizing pub runs and social events with the track club, becoming a host and promoter for live metal karaoke, discovering a new world with Dragon Con which helped birth CON*tourage, leading to that first themed house party — all playing key roles in creating Markster Con.
Has it been a smooth road?
I always find it interesting when someone finds out I “throw parties for a living” and they typically think it’s just a big party and must be a blast to have that as a career. Granted, there are many elements about producing events for a living that are rewarding, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, it can be very stressful, as well as physically and mentally demanding at times. Whether the events are successful and attendees are pleased tends to fall solely on my shoulders as the producer. With anything there are regrets and hard lessons learned, but I try to look at all of those as learning experiences to make both myself and Markster Con stronger moving forward.
I pride myself on often creating first-of-it’s-kind themed events. With that being said, many will tell you that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. However, when it comes to producing the unique themed events Markster Con does, I don’t consider it flattery when other companies capitalize on my own creations. Several times over the past several years other national pub crawl companies have used my own event themes and marketing materials as their own. One example being when Markster Con produced the first-ever Harry Potter themed pub crawl in the United States in 2014 with the Potter Pub Crawl (now known as the WIZARD PUB CRAWL). The event was quickly mimicked by other companies, some using the same event name. Those companies had the ways and means to then produce events all across the United States, hosting crawls in multiple cities each weekend over several month’s time.Those companies also stripped out many of the unique elements that a Markster Con event offers to maximize their own profits which then waters down the experience and gives their attendees an inferior product. In doing so their events are often not seen as worth the time or money to attend by a majority of attendees afterwards which can make people believe all pub crawls are just money grabs. It has been a struggle for me when I see those other companies enjoying the fruits of my creations.
With all the headaches and stresses that come with what I do, there are many more positives that help balance things out. I’ve been blessed to know that I’ve helped introduce several couples via Markster Con events who’ve gone on to get engaged and then married. Markster Con events have also had the honor of being chosen for several wedding proposals as well as being the destination for bachelorette & bachelor parties. Many of the talent I’ve worked with over the years have gone on to blossom into wonderful professional photographers and entertainers. Along the way I have also helped build an amazing “geek” community within Atlanta. I’ve seen shy people come to events where they meet others who share their own fandoms and then go on to be a great support system for one another. Knowing that what I’ve created has helped bring people together and changed people’s lives is probably the most rewarding aspect of Markster Con. Offering up a viable, safe atmosphere for people to embrace their inner cosplayer and geek with year-round events truly gives me great pride and a feeling of accomplishment.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Markster Con Productions – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Markster Con is a year-round event production company that specializes in adult-aged “geek & alternative” themed events. I produce events that often offer an immersive environment with attendance ranging from as few as 100 people to over 1,000 people, depending on the type of production and theme. Markster Con covers a wide spectrum of events such as pub crawls, trivia nights, dance parties, photo studio parties, and online contests all incorporating a strong cosplay element. The events that Markster Con produces center around fandoms that are close to my own heart, as I follow the principle of “if you build it, they will come”. The events I put forth are a direct extension of myself because I put so much time and effort into making sure I produce worthwhile experiences for those who attend.
Some of Markster Con’s more well-known events (some being annual) are: Wizard’s Ball and the Wizard Pub Crawl (formerly known as the Potter Pub Crawl), Bash Of The Empire (a Star Wars themed dance party), the Time Lord Party (Doctor Who themed), the Atlanta Zombie Pub Crawl (co-produced with Gorehound Productions), Hair Of The Dragon (a cosplay photo studio party) and the Savannah Vampire Ball (which has sold out the last two years) just to name a few. Overall Markster Con has over 30 different event themes in it’s arsenal. Because my events have been so well received in Atlanta, I have been able to expand to several other cities including Birmingham, Alabama; Athens, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia; Miami, Florida; Richmond, Virginia and even Denver, Colorado. My goal is to continue to bring “geeky” fun to other parts of the country as Markster Con’s fan base and reputation for producing highly entertaining experiences grows.
In 2016 Markster Con reached two personal milestones with the WIZARD PUB CRAWL becoming the first event to surpass 1,000 registered attendees and another being that the crawl had at least one registered attendee from every continent around the world, except Antarctica. Savannah, Georgia, known for it’s historic downtown pub scene with both locals and tourists, voted Markster Con’s WIZARD PUB CRAWL as ‘Best Pub Crawl in 2019’ by readers of “Connect Savannah” newspaper.
One thing that sets Markster Con apart from other events is that I pay great attention to detail. Rarely will you find mass produced props or store purchased decorations at a Markster Con event. I often work with freelance builders to help make my vision a reality. I pride myself in making sure that attendees get their money’s worth at Markster Con events. There are others in the event production field who make promises with flashy posters and well-worded marketing materials that often end up feeling more like a money grab, as the events end up being overhyped. As an Event Producer, I must make sure those who attend are happy and that Markster Con has delivered on what it’s promised, no matter whether behind the scenes the event is a financial success or failure.
Another thing that sets Markster Con apart is providing attendees the ability to work with wonderfully talented photographers on site. With social media being so important now, providing attendees magical images via Featured Photo Ops to share and enjoy afterwards is definitely a popular and unique aspect of Markster Con.
With all that being said, there’s no way I could’ve built Markster Con to its current status without a wonderful support team of liaisons, venue staff, volunteers, vendors and photographers. Although I am personally responsible for creating the concept, planning, design work, marketing, and promotions leading up to these events, there’s no way I could do it alone once the day of the event arrives. I’ll forever be grateful to those who have given of their time to mold Markster Con into what it is today. Not just because they’ve helped me, but also because of the friendships that have evolved between us.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Atlanta is an ideal city to host “geek & alternative” themed events like Markster Con does, considering how truly geeky and nerdy the city is. Dragon Con, a massive multi-media and pop culture event in Atlanta, can be seen as the main seed that was planted in 1987 and has now grown into an incredible draw for geeks and nerds from around the country and the world. For fellow geeks who live close enough to Atlanta, they are now able to seek out geek-themed events year-round, due to the many other sci-fi and geek related conventions and annual events that call Atlanta home. In my opinion, Atlanta is a very open-minded city in regards to people being able to raise their “geek flag” high year-round.
Geeks can go out to an event in cosplay year-round as the city has a vibe that allows people to accept that you don’t have to throw on a costume (cosplay) JUST during Halloween. Tim Burton, one of my favorite directors, once said, “Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us…” and I have to agree. The kid in me never truly went away, the one who loved a good party with costumes, photos, and games. That’s the type of lifestyle and mentality I embrace 365 days a year. It’s just now I’m the one behind the scenes helping make that possible for the geek community.
With all that being said, what I do not like about Atlanta is it continues to close many of the independent live music and event venues in order to make way for new upscale, mixed use developments. In doing so, that takes away some of what makes the Atlanta nightlife scene so unique. Fewer venues also make it more difficult for independent event producers like myself to find affordable spaces to work with. Keeping the cost reasonable for attendees is very important while also not letting the event production or promotional aspects suffer.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.MarksterCon.com
- Email: marksterconproductions@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/markstercon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markstercon
Image Credit:
Jeff James, Bryan Humphrey, Bernard Ayalas, Images-By-George, Tobias Roybal, Workman Reflections, DornBrothers Productions, Hero Dreams Imaging 01, JC Barger, Cultural Gorilla, Soulfuric Studios
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