MANILA, PHILIPPINES — There was an outpour of grief online as people found out about the passing of Stephen Ku on May 29. With the mark Stephen left on the entertainment scene of the country being so monumental, many are left remembering him as someone who brought joy and excitement to the Philippines.
Much of Stephen’s notable work was as the CEO of Eventscape Manila, a leading events agency that has serviced some of the country’s biggest brands and has become a trailblazer in boosting the marketing and digital media space in Asia since he started it back in 1996.
Stephen was also the founding president of The League of Event & Activation Agencies of The Philippines, a non-profit organization that was created in 2020 to support the event and entertainment industry, particularly during the pandemic.
He enhanced the Philippine entertainment scene by co-founding Worldwide Womb, which is responsible for bringing iconic musical acts — such as Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia, and Avicii to name a few — to the country and staging huge music festivals like ZoukOut Boracay, United Republiq, & Elektromundo. You can also thank Stephen for contributing to Manila nightlife as a partner to some of the biggest destinations in the scene like Xylo, Revel, and The Island PH.
Stephen wasn’t just a pioneer in the entertainment scene and an entrepreneurial icon either. In the past couple of years, he has released two of his own songs — each carrying a meaningful message that touched hearts. “Kapit Lang”, which he released in November 2020, is about finding hope amid all the anxiety and loss caused by the pandemic. Then, he released “Pasko Nga Ba?” in December 2021 to express how Christmas is still a season of giving and loving despite these unprecedented times.
adobo magazine itself has had the privilege to collaborate with Stephen through adobo Nights, which was a monthly gathering for advertising industry players, partners, affiliates, and friends.
“Stephen had foresight and a strong entrepreneurial bent. He was constantly creating and organizing industry events, concerts, and introducing exciting venues. Reinventing the on-ground experience. I had the privilege of partnering with Stephen in 2012 for several years and launched the adobo Nights, an advertising industry gathering which he co-hosted in Opus, Imperial Bar, and other venues. More recently, we chatted about his podcast and his music,” shared Angel Guerrero, founder and editor-in-chief of adobo magazine. “I, and my team at adobo magazine, are saddened to hear about his passing and send our condolences to his family and colleagues. May he rest in peace.”
