25 Years of Experience and Intuition: Maxim Berin on Creating Harmony on Stage

“At the core, it’s not so much the market trends as it is the internal feeling, the intuition.” Maxim Berin on the Big Art Festival and the nuances of its creative realization.

The Big Art Festival is more than just music and art; it’s a celebration of sophistication and beauty. The chief architect of this world of inspiration is Maxim Berin, the festival’s founder, a person whose projects conquer the most prestigious stages in the world. Enrique Iglesias, Eros Ramazzotti, Julio Iglesias, Backstreet Boys, Maroon 5, Maluma, Robbie Williams – this is just a small part of the list of artists who perform at Big Art events.

Maxim Berin

The geography of the events created by Maxim Berin is vast, spanning the USA, Monaco, Dubai, and Italy. In our new interview, we discuss how to please even the most spoiled audience, the importance of the audience’s trust in the organizer, and the ability to listen to one’s intuition.

Maxim Berin

When organizing a concert for a particular star in a specific city, do you base your decisions on the requests of the target audience in that area? For example, why Will Smith in Forte dei Marmi and Andrea Bocelli in Sardinia?

Honestly, it’s hard to give a precise answer. At the core, it’s not so much the market trends but rather the internal feeling and intuition. I try to envision how a particular concert or Big Art Gala will look. How it will appear on the poster, in advertisements, and most importantly, how the audience will perceive it live.

Thus, my choices are formed from a combination of personal experience, understanding the audience, and the characteristics of the venue and timing. It’s always a complex set of factors, but the key role is played by that very feeling that allows one to immediately understand – yes, this artist and in this city will resonate harmoniously.

And perhaps here, the 25 years of experience come into play – it’s something you can’t just overlook.

Is the European audience different from the audience in the States? If so, how?

Here, as in any field – whether it’s business or any other area – it all comes down to trust. Is there trust from the audience towards the artist, the star? Is there trust in the format, the organizer, the event itself?

If that trust exists and if the atmosphere is created and prepared correctly, then the audience’s reaction will be equally predictable and understandable everywhere.

Gianni Infantino and Maxim Berin

Where is the audience, in a good sense, more spoiled, or rather, more experienced?

It’s hard to say that some audiences are spoiled while others are not. In major world capitals like New York, London, and Paris, audiences are indeed more experienced and accustomed to a high level of performance. Their expectations are higher, and the standards for both the artist and the organizer are elevated as well.

And how do you please such audiences?

If the event is made sincerely, with soul and attention to detail, the reaction from even the most spoiled audiences will be just as emotional as in any other city.

Antoine Arnault and Maxim Berin

What comes first? The desire to reach a specific audience or the desire to realize a creative idea for a concert?

It’s hard to say unequivocally what is more important. It’s always a balance. On one hand, we have the audience and their requests; without this, any event simply wouldn’t make sense. On the other hand, there’s the creative idea and concept that one wants to realize.

How does this work in practice?

In practice, it works like this: the idea should arise from the feeling of the place, time, and audience. When everything aligns – both the creative concept and the audience’s interest – then a truly unique event emerges.

Jorge Iglesias, Caroline Scheufele, Maxim Berin

Maxim Berin, Eros Ramazzotti, Jorge Iglesias