The group honored as the Advance Professionals wrote the book on live event promotion and management. Since the early days of P.T. Barnum it has been the work of those who executed the tour planning, marketing, advertising , sponsorship and public relations that made the circus a financial success. The circus is equal parts art and commerce. Nothing happens unless a ticket is sold. In the world of show business, without business there is no show.
Many alumni of this group have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs, agents, show producers, marketing and pr agency owners, sports and entertainment executives and venue managers. You will find them in leadership roles of media companies, major league sports (NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS), ticketing companies, concert and talent management, theme parks, fairs and expositions, cultural arts and non profit philanthropic organizations. The universal ties that bind the group is the collective shared learning experiences gained while working for the circus.
This is the biography of Alan Miller, a member of the Advance Professionals.
Alan Miller is proud to be included as part of the Advance Professionals group. His love of the circus began when his mother took him to see Ringling Bros. at Madison Square Garden as a child. Little did he know that years later, he would work with the show at that very arena!
After graduating from St. John’s University, Alan worked for fellow Advanced Professional, Barbara Pflughaupt, at her agency, P&F Communications. With Feld Entertainment as the agency’s client, Alan’s Ringling Bros. experience began with the 131st Edition. In 2001, he formed Alan Miller Public Relations and continued to work with Ringling and other Feld shows until 2012.
When Ringling Bros. came to the New York City Metro area each year, the whirlwind of activity made for an incredibly fast-paced and demanding environment in which Alan was able to hone his creativity, resourcefulness and undaunted determination. These traits define his highly successful career of more than three decades in public relations.
During his time with Ringling, Alan secured some of the most notable PR coverage and helped craft some of their most memorable media events. Several of his biggest PR events were a collaboration with circus superstar Bello Nock. In 2003, he coordinated Bello’s stunt of hanging from a helicopter as it flew in front of the Statue of Liberty. In 2007, he and Bello teamed up to have Bello rappel down the side of The Garden to change the hands on a giant clock for Daylight Savings Time inspired by Harold Lloyd. Bello’s missing mini-bicycle incident, which happened that same year, didn’t start as a stunt, but garnered international attention and a city-wide search resulting in the bike being returned… on April Fool’s Day! As busy as the job was, it also had its perks. Among them were learning to juggle, riding an elephant down 34th Street, and sitting in on guitar with the circus band at arenas around the country
During the course of his career, Alan has used his experience and expertise to shine a spotlight on practically every kind of ticketed event. He has handled PR for bull riding competitions, Off-Broadway productions, Olympic fencing and figure skating events, monster truck shows, fine arts events, concerts by a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, dinosaur attractions, theaters, a children’s museum, countless touring family shows, non-profits, and much more.
Throughout his career, the circus has remained a constant. In addition to Ringling Bros., Alan has provided PR services for Omnium Circus, Universoul Circus, Flip Circus, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Cirque Mechanics, Cirque Ziva, Mother Africa, Mr. Swindle’s Traveling Peculiarium, Bello Mania, and Circus Vazquez, whom he helped secure a featured spot in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Miller, his wife Ginger – who encouraged him to answer Barbara’s ad in The New York Times that started it all – and their son Alexander reside in New York City. Outside of his work in the entertainment industry, Miller, an accomplished guitarist/singer/songwriter, continues to release music with his lifelong high school friend as Brother Dynamite. Their songs have garnered listeners in more than 100 countries.
Miller’s many years working with circuses set him on a remarkable journey and significantly shaped an incredible professional career in public relations. But it’s the friendships and the wonderful memories of the extraordinarily talented people and the shows he worked with that he treasures the most.