At age 13, St. Louis native Brian Feit read Billboard magazine for the first time and immediately fell in love with the music industry. Today, he works with chart-topping artists like Ke$ha and Mumford & Sons to create over-the-top VIP events at popular music festivals. “I’ve always been a fan of music and the behind-the-scenes managers who make it happen,” he says. “I wanted to be part of that star-making machinery.”
The Parkway Central grad (’96) worked at the old Musicland record store in Chesterfield Mall before landing an internship in Y98’s marketing department during college. His big break came around that time, when he wrote to the heads of several major record labels asking for advice. To his surprise, music legend Clive Davis responded with an internship offer at Arista Records. Feit jumped at the opportunity and transferred to New York University. After graduation, he landed a full-time job at E-magine Records working on digital record releases.
In 2003, Feit and friend Bruce Starr launched BMF Media Group, a full-service marketing agency that specializes in event design and production. In the beginning, the company helped big brands create experiential events at festivals like Austin City Limits, Coachella and Lollapalooza. “We started the agency because we noticed there weren’t any cool VIP after-party events at music festivals like there were at Sundance and the Golden Globes,” Feit says. “We were one of the first to do it in the music arena.”
Today, BMF has more than 30 employees, along with numerous contractors, and is growing steadily. It has expanded to include a talent department that manages a roster of DJs, and to create branded events outside the music industry. BMF works on about 100 events each year and has teamed up with hundreds of well-known brands, including H&M, Dell and Lipton Tea. “It’s really, really fun to see programs go from an idea and then come to life,” Feit says. “I love making brands look cool and building buzz around their products.”
Although his company is moving beyond its music roots, some of Feit’s favorite moments include working with big-name acts before they were famous. Lady Gaga gave her first U.S. performance at a music lounge he organized in 2008 for a music conference in Miami. “Lo and behold, now he’s a household name,” Feit says. “I love giving emerging artists a venue, and it’s fun to continue to work with some of them who we helped early in their careers.” For example, BMF went on to create popup shops for the launch of Lady Gaga’s Artpop album and design her Born Brave bus tour in support of her Born This Way Foundation.
New York is the most logical location for BMF, Feit says. “The energy and access to opportunity are great.” He lives on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and loves New York, “but growing up in St. Louis is a more well-balanced way to start out.” He returns home about four times a year. While here, he grabs a drink at Coffee Cartel in the Central West End, rides his bike through Forest Park, shops at Sole & Blues in the Loop, and eats dinner at Trattoria Marcella near The Hill. Above all, he enjoys spending time with his family in Chesterfield. “St. Louis is a great city to grow up in,” he says. “It’s a perfect mix of city and suburban life. I’m glad my roots are there.”