Mark Sonder Productions, Inc. celebrates their 20th anniversary, which is a noteworthy milestone for any business.

A look back on how Mark Sonder spent his first 20 years is quite remarkable…especially when you consider that he has been the innovator (first) in so many areas of the entertainment business.

Not to mention being the first (and still only) person to write a book (published by Wiley in 2004) dedicated to music, entertainment and production for the meeting and event industries.

Sonder may not have been the first to work with such greats as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. Cher and Tony Bennett, but he was the first to put 13 headliners together at a single corporate event (October 22, 2005).

This record breaker took place at the legendary Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The talent ranged from Larry Carlton to John Mayer, and Lisa Loeb to Les Paul. Mark is also the first corporate entertainment producer to receive a testimonial from Eddie Money, who said, “I always feel like I’m in good hands when working with Sonder…Mark really knows his stuff.”

Others on the list of “Mark’s firsts” include being in the first small group awarded the Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) industry certification, as well as being a founding member of International Special Events Society (ISES) and International Association of Corporate Entertainment Producers (IACEP).

Mark Sonder was also the first in his industry to simultaneously join the faculty of a quintet of higher education institutions, including The George Washington University, Northern Virginia Community College, Stratford University; and will be the first non full-time faculty member to instruct “Entertainment on the Road” in January 2006 as an online course at The University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Mark was also the first entertainment agent to teach at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad this past summer, rounding out the quintet.

Mark Sonder’s first 20 years saw many industry firsts, “I hope my second 20 years will have just as many as my first,” mused Sonder.