Impact NextGen: Chris Maguire

One thing Chris Maguire has learned in his role as an artist manager is that anything can happen. For instance, that working for Maroon 5 could mean gaining an advanced education in delicate international relations.

He came to Maroon 5 as an assistant, and ultimately to Fullstop Management, after the late Jordan Feldstein offered him a job as he was about to give up on a music biz career in 2010. Maguire accepted and, in 2022, the band performed in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza, near Cairo, Egypt.

“Monumental in its own right, it was a lot of work to pull off – from getting the government’s permission to build on the protected land, to using imagery of the pyramids in our marketing, to understanding the … proper ticketing and promotions to sell the event,” Maguire explains. “The toughest part was getting all of the approvals for the addition of two shows in Tel Aviv that we wanted to add on after Egypt … but we did it all.

“Up until last year, artists were not routing shows with Cairo and Tel Aviv, Israel, in the same run due to cultural relations in the regions. However, we were determined to make both of these first-time shows work; we added an arena in the United Arab Emirates in between, and then performed two nights at Hayarkon Park to 100,000 fans. We proved the market in the Middle East is strong for international acts and, more importantly, that you can create new touring routes in the region despite certain differences or relations, for the betterment of live music.”

For Maguire, keeping a positive attitude is key.

“Music brings joy to people, so we should enjoy working in music,” Maguire says. “We work with the artists to put out music, put on live shows, create viral content, build activations, etc., for the fans, and I think any fan would love to be a part of that experience for one day. To be as close and involved with an artist as we are would be a dream job for some. So, it should be enjoyable for us. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but I try to stay positive and driven through the process to get it live and then enjoy!”