By giving groups of people in one huge venue a great time through the foreign and local acts they bring in or send out abroad, Glenn Llamas, COO and one-third of the all-brother group Wilbros Live, has found purpose and meaning in what he does as one of the country’s leading concert promoters.
By MAAN D’ ASIS PAMARAN
When a young Glenn Llamas, then barely seven years old, watched Disney on Ice at the Araneta Coliseum with his family, the experience left a lasting impression on him that eventually ignited a dream.
“I remember that there were a lot of people in one huge venue, and everybody was having a great time watching the show. From then on, it somehow inspired me to one day be in a business where we would bring happiness to people as we gather them in one place.”
That dream was realized a decade later, when, at 17, Glenn and his older brothers William and Winston established Wilbros Live, which, in due time, became known for producing big concert extravaganzas in and outside the country. Mind you, he was only a graduating high school student at Xavier School then, while his brothers were already in college. Glenn muses, “My parents were very skeptical at first. They wanted my brothers and I to join the family business, which was in pharmaceuticals. We were also in the trading business. But they saw how I really like music, organizing events and parties, so eventually, they became very appreciative and supportive.
“In fact, they would always find time to watch and be present during our concerts and events.” He also shares that he and his brothers would be tasked to organize variety shows at Xavier School. Soon enough, they realized that they could turn their passion and experience into a viable business. “In the beginning, it was more of a sideline, and one that we really enjoyed.”
He eventually pursued a Management degree in college, and it helped that he had a strong background on what it takes to be a businessman. “At a very young age, I was already trying to help my dad in the family business. While others my age would take soccer or basketball classes during summer, I would work for my dad. That, in effect, was my first experience dealing with business. My real first job was selling tickets to events during my college days.”
It started out with the three brothers switching through different management roles. These days, Glenn oversees the company’s day-to-day operations as its chief operating officer.
Music, magic and memories
Wilbros Live’s first concert featured the local band Freestyle. After organizing several concerts for local artists, they decided to expand and bring in international acts. They began with then biggest-selling R&B group Boyz II Men, which Glenn says was one of their favorites. “We really love their music, but aside from that, to stand out from other concert promoters, we endeavored to bring in acts like them to provide the public with good international shows.”
It also pays to study your market. “We’ve observed that Filipinos really enjoy entertainment, and they really like going to concerts and spending time after work or during the weekends. We decided to go to the next level by bringing in international artists to the Philippines so that we could have more world-class shows in the country.”
They have since brought in major acts such as Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue, Bryan Adams and Janet Jackson, among others. By watching the market closely, they also saw the rise of K-pop and the growing opportunity to bring in Korean superstars such as Lee Min Ho, Park Seo-joon, Cha Eun-woo, Jung Hae- in, Park Shin-hye and most recently, Kim Soo -hyun.
“Like with the other artists, we would introduce ourselves to their management team. We’ve shown the Korean companies who we are and what we can do in the Philippines. I think one of the Korean artists that first trusted us and with whom we have built a long relationship with is the company behind Lee Min Ho. He was our first Korean artist and that somehow opened our doors for more Korean acts. So aside from Korean actors, we now also do a lot of K-pop groups.”
Another highlight for the company was bringing in former US President Bill Clinton to do a speaking tour in Manila in 2010. It was a first for them!
“We’ve been doing a lot of concerts at that time, but we just wanted to take on a new challenge. We asked ourselves then, if we venture into speaking engagements, who do we think should be our top choice? And at that time President Clinton was very popular. He released best-selling books, so we just thought of him. Of course, he’s a US president. The honor and privilege of working with one is something that has elevated our profile.”
Conversely, they’ve also brought local artists to the international stage, especially to the Middle East. “To date, we’ve brought with us abroad Sarah Geronimo, Gary Valenciano, Bamboo, Darren Espanto, Yeng Constantino, Morissette, James Reid and Nadine Lustre. Majority of the audience are Filipinos, around 70 percent.”
Orchestrating success
Their success did not come without challenges. “The entertainment business seems to be simple, but it’s actually very complex. Just like any new business, of course, we had financial challenges in the beginning. We also faced marketing and promotion challenges to introduce our company to the public, and many uncertainties dealing with artists, managers, venues and suppliers and all that.”
Glenn adds that to this day, even after 20 years of being in the business, each event still presents its own set of challenges. “I guess our experience and a lot of planning leads to success. Every artist has his or her own requirements, from production, to technical, to their hospitality needs. It’s challenging because it’s like there is no neutral ground, because everybody has different requirements.
With the Koreans, for example, there is also a language barrier.” The COVID-19 lockdowns also brought its own set of problems. “Unfortunately, all concerts and events had to stop. Luckily, our company was also active in doing commercials. So, aside from doing concerts and events, we also did a lot of advertising campaigns then. During the pandemic, we diverted our business into doing campaigns for several companies. We also did a lot of online streaming, like the Korean music festivals in Korea and we basically did a livestream to the Philippines.”
When pressed for artists that he dreams of bringing over, Glenn is bold enough to reveal his choices. “Maybe Taylor Swift or Adele. If we do another speaking engagement, maybe we’d look at someone like Michelle Obama. For Koreans, maybe someone like Gong Yoo or Song Joong-ki.”
Giving back
While busy with their business activities, Glenn shares that he and his brothers also give back through a foundation that aims to develop and progress the underprivileged children through medical and health programs and educational assistance with scholarships.
“When we started the business, we already earmarked this mission. We wanted to also help our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Our parents are very religious, so they influenced us to always give back to society,” says Glenn.
He adds that for every event that they do, they earmark a percentage of the proceeds for the foundation. “I feel that it gives us more purpose on why we do our concerts and live events. It just gives us more life and meaning to what we’re doing,” Glenn says with a wide grin.
They are in the business of bringing people happiness, after all. “I think, that’s also the reason why we love working in this industry. In every show and every event, the happiness, excitement and the smiles that we bring to each paying patron is a different experience. I think it has always been our mantra to give our audience a world-class and spectacular concert experience in every show that we do,” he concludes.
Photography by MARK CHESTER ANG
Art direction by DEXTER FRANCIS DE VERA
shot on location at MARCO POLO HOTEL, Ortigas, Pasig City
