Forums > General Industry > Who's the biggest agency?
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Photographer

Gabriel

Posts: 1654

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US

So who holds the title for biggest (most profitable and/or most models) modeling agency right now?

I received some doofy e-mail from an "online agency" that claims to have 157,000 registered members and is one of the biggest talent agencies... Blah blah blah. But it got me thinking, who IS the biggest? Wilhelmina? Elite? I've been out of touch with this part of the industry.

Feb 07 06 09:06 pm Link

Model

Angelus

Posts: 3642

Atlanta, Georgia, US

IMG World
www.imgworld.com

By far.
They are the BLUEPRINT of full service agency.
Marketing, sports, extreme sports, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, promotions, film, corporste branding and the list goes on.

300 offices world-wide and over 2,000 employees.

Their model roster is not the largest consisting 50% of celebrity talent.

As for the agency that is #1 for modeling...that would be Wilhemina...and IMG is second behind them.

Don't be concerned about the agency with the largest roster of models as that is the agency that isn't working each talent as consistently or has alot of talent that do not work very often..."In-House Competition".

Feb 07 06 09:46 pm Link

Photographer

Gabriel

Posts: 1654

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US

Thanks, Angelus. I figured Wilhelmina had to be in there, and had forgotten all about IMG.

I was just curious as to who topped the charts nowadays. Pure trivia for me, lol. It's true what you mentioned about the bigger agencies, a model can easily get lost in the larger places.

Feb 07 06 10:45 pm Link

Photographer

Steven Bigler

Posts: 1007

Schenectady, New York, US

As a "NETWORK"..... I guess IMG would be a common or safe bet to those that know the industry... but the more I think on it... if you divide the creature that is "IMG".... from all the sports and celebrity repping... I do not think that their FASHION MODEL BOOKINGS would really be the largest.

In the age of networks... I think the ball was passed from Elite to Ford to Willi etc....  But as an individual agency... I don't know if you would really know (as like Trump... they all lie.)

The question should be 'which non network agency'.

Karins? 
Louisa Models? (Germany) -big money bookings.
DNA? 
Marilyn?
1Management?
Storm London?
Fashion?
Women? (network)

I honestly do not even begin to have a clue....
-and I doubt any here would have the answer either.

Feb 07 06 10:52 pm Link

Photographer

Gabriel

Posts: 1654

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US

Didn't IMG merge with someone else several years ago to become the monster they are now? I vaguely remember something about that, but may be crossed up with another agency.

Feb 07 06 11:02 pm Link

Model

Chu

Posts: 151

I have always been under the impression that Ford Models (www.fordmodels.com) was the largest agency in the world.

Feb 08 06 09:18 am Link

Model

Chu

Posts: 151

Gabriel wrote:
Didn't IMG merge with someone else several years ago to become the monster they are now? I vaguely remember something about that, but may be crossed up with another agency.

I remember something simular, but I can't recall the name of the people they linked up with.

Feb 08 06 09:20 am Link

Photographer

C R Photography

Posts: 3594

Pleasanton, California, US

Chu wrote:
I have always been under the impression that Ford Models was the largest agency in the world.

Me too.

Feb 08 06 09:25 am Link

Model

Angelus

Posts: 3642

Atlanta, Georgia, US

Gabriel wrote:
Didn't IMG merge with someone else several years ago to become the monster they are now? I vaguely remember something about that, but may be crossed up with another agency.

Nope. They've always been this monster.
But, a few years ago they did buy an agency and all f it's branches, but allowed the company to run most offices under the same name while merging the smaller offices into IMG. Which company it was eludes me at the moment.

Yes, without he celebrity division, IMG won't have a very strong board of talent.

As for the known best...there isn't any. And, it takes too much to really find out specifically. Each company is tailored to fit the industry a specific way...which is why they are all in business.

No, Ford Models is not the biggest agency. Only one of many.

They have quite a few offices in US and major European markets but they have smaller offices in other locations worldwide like Japan and UK.
Their name is also franchised to other areas such as Australia and Brazil.

Ford actually still has a fairly large network, not including franchise players...

But, in the US the heavy hitters are Wilhemina...they have more work coming in but a larger roster of talent that all the work coming in leaves some models with a very lucrative career (HIGH payouts) and others left working another job or two.
But this happens when you have 150 girls in US and 175 men US) Huge competition as these numbers double the roster of other major agencies.

Worldwide, I don't know the exact roster but it's pretty stockedas well.

As for best paying gigs...
A few European Agencies such as Karin are consistent with very high-paying gigs. More consistently than US.



But there is no 'best' agency. The rankings only go for who booked/billed the most ithe previous fiscal year.
Which remains as a war between IMG and Wilhemina. Every couple of years some sneaks up.

Elite has been removed from the top spot for several years now. A;though they remain in the top 5 just a  Ford and newcomer VNY (Formerly V Models: NOT V Models Inc. the photomill  scammers.)

Feb 08 06 09:37 am Link

Photographer

Gabriel

Posts: 1654

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US

Seems like Angelus has really done his homework here. Thanks for all the info.

Now imagine if only a few hundred models have to compete with one another in the same agency, what's a place like the losers that e-mailed me - claiming 157K registrants - going to find work for all of them? I didn't even bother visiting the link, but these online "agencies" really crack me up. If only they knew how the real world works.

Feb 08 06 10:07 am Link

Photographer

fafsfsgsadfd

Posts: 14

Abbeville, Alabama, US

300 offices world-wide and over 2,000 employees.

that's 6.6 people per office

Feb 08 06 02:27 pm Link

Photographer

lll

Posts: 12295

Seattle, Washington, US

alecholst wrote:
that's 6.6 people per office

Yes, 0.6 manager and 6 bookers.  smile

Feb 08 06 05:16 pm Link

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