IEG and its Magnificent Century
Headline sponsor and local host of the Touring Exhibitions Meeting 2015, IEG is one of the biggest entertainment companies in Turkey.
The Istanbul Entertainment Group (IEG) began life in 1988 as STATU, an advertising and creative agency, and has since grown into one of the biggest entertainment companies in Turkey, with a core management team of only 20 people, but much larger teams working on specific events, including performers, production and construction teams, marketing support and touring teams. Today, IEG is made up of IEG Live (Concerts & Performing Arts), IEG Exhibitions (Museum, Exhibitions and Art Shows), IEG Family (Family Entertainment Productions and Theatre) and IEG Productions (Event Production and Design). The company also has partnerships with some of the world’s largest entertainment companies.
Our goal is to provide high quality and unique events in all areas of entertainment
As Yalçın Balcı, IEG’s founder and chairman, says “our goal is to provide high quality and unique events in all areas of entertainment. Under the IEG Family, we not only partner with industry leaders such as Feld Entertainment, Disney and Dreamworks to bring global family shows to the stage in Turkey and abroad, we also design and produce our own theatre projects.” IEG Live organizes blockbuster concerts and events, with the most recent including Justin Timberlake, Andre Rieu, Placido Domingo, and the musical extravaganza Romeo e Giulietta, while the company’s museums wing, IEG Exhibitions, produces national and international cultural projects, including customized art projects for brands and museum quality exhibitions.
As well as producing exhibitions within Turkey, IEG also brings exhibitions and other cultural experiences into the country. “Whether producing our own projects or hosting an international exhibition, we always look to engage the viewer on multiple platforms, stimulating the senses with colour, movement and sound.” Yalçın says. “For example, our Magnificent Century exhibition begins with our guests boarding the hull of a ship as the simulation experience takes them to their destination, after which they walk the streets of the old Empire with holograms that lead them through the smells, sights and sounds of the era.” Yalçın adds that IEG’s aim is to combine learning and entertainment in well produced exhibits that can be enjoyed by the whole family. “It’s important for us to keep up with trends and popular culture, and we always look for exhibitions that are relevant in today’s world and that will add something to the viewer,” he says.
Click here for a brief video about The Magnificent Century exhibition.
In the coming year, IEG will be touring the region with their Magnificent Century exhibition, based on the hit Turkish television series of the same name, and will be developing a new purpose built exhibition venue in the centre of Istanbul that will serve as the company’s base for contemporary exhibitions and family edutainment projects. IEG’s production of Madagascar Live, made with Dreamworks, will also be touring abroad, while on the IEG Live side, under the brand “Good Music in Town,” the company will bring famous musical acts and bands to Turkey, such as Diana Krall in October.
IEG is a rapidly growing organization, and our goal is to feed that growth with the best content, the best people and the best partnerships
And what about the future of IEG? “IEG is a rapidly growing organization, and our goal is to feed that growth with the best content, the best people and the best partnerships,” Yalçın says. “The diverse scope of our projects and the volume of our ticket sales alone make us one of the most powerful organizations in Turkey, and we aim to use our know-how to fortify our position, at home and in other territories, as the number one provider of entertainment for all ages.”
IEG is Local host and Headline Sponsor of TEM2015!
Read our interview with Yalçın Balcı, Founder and Chairman of IEG, here.