Our Story

In 1972, the average cost of a new home was around $27,000, the digital watch made its debut and Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” topped the music charts.

It was also the year that Pearl Markarian and H.J. Mark Markarian founded Landmark.

Landmark took its first group to the lush Caribbean island of Jamaica with James Ferrera & Sons.

The copyrighted Landmark merchandising incentive program was developed and became a widely successful marketing tool used to drive customer sales and profits. This launched Landmark’s prominence in the distribution industry.

Landmark organized its first sales meeting in New Orleans for Durkee Spices. Heavyweight champion boxer Muhammad Ali kicked-off the meeting in his exhilarating address to 700 sales representatives.

Always leading the pack, Landmark brought the first American incentive group to Beijing, China for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The off-limits Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square made for a truly captivating location for the group’s Farewell Gala Evening.

Landmark’s launch of the new “Sweepstakes Program” was met with an incredible wave of success, answering the need for all customers to have an equal opportunity to win a trip.

Landmark planned an exclusive safari trip to Narobi, Kenya for a group of 150 attendees. This experience offered a rare look at the culture and life of the Maasai Mara tribe and the great Mount Kilimanjaro.

As Communism crumbled, Landmark planned an exciting program for a group of 160 participants to St. Petersburg, Russia — the “Window to the West” — for a first-hand look at the stunning Nevsky Prospect and the treasures housed within the Hermitage Museum.

Such Hollywood legends as Doug McClure, Burt Reynolds and Bob Hope headlined the launch of exciting promotions for Landmark clients. These promotional kick-offs gathered thousands of customers for the unveiling of Landmark’s points promotion, yielding huge growth for our clients.

Through our innovative technology, Landmark offered online participant registration to all clients. This meant we handled all registration data electronically, freeing the client from being the intermediary.

Landmark introduces the “Pay for Performance” program to eager customers. It is now referred to as the trademarked “Landmark Program” that grows businesses in multiple sectors.

With the Andes Mountains in the background and the Patagonian Glaciers in the distance, Santiago and Viña del Mar, Chile was an overwhelming success for a high-touch invitational trip for a corporate incentive to the capital and seaside of Chile.

Landmark moved its corporate offices to Chicago’s Loop and the architechtural icon 333 West Wacker Drive along the Chicago River.

Landmark unveiled its first web portal. This allowed for a central unique login for each client to find information about the travel program, as well as the progress reports and goals of each customer participating in the promotion.

Landmark President Pearl Markarian receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Executives) in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

A mobile app was launched for our clients, making all details of the trip itinerary, program inclusions, instant messaging, push notifications, points reporting, gamification, etc. available on mobile devices.

Landmark Incentive Marketing is rebranded for the ever-changing times and new generation with a new logo and website!

As the world shut down for the Covid-19 pandemic, Landmark continued working hard to serve our clients and secure all pre-planned travel arrangements through rebooking and rescheduling. Landmark remained committed to protecting our clients and safeguarding the future of the hospitality industry through these uncertain times.

Landmark President Pearl Markarian was recognized in the industry magazine, PreVue Meetings & Incentives. In her interview, Pearl shared wisdom about the incentive industry and stories of exciting moments in Landmark’s history. Her stories included groundbreaking programs in England and China as well as the time that her tenacity saved the day after a lost luggage debacle. Pearl’s dedication and creative thinking expressed in this article are some of Landmark’s founding principles.

Transition to the Next Generation: Delilah Mesrobian and Suzanne Markarian were announced as the new owners and managing partners of Landmark Incentive Marketing. Throughout more than 50 years of collective experience at Landmark, Delilah and Suzanne have grown in their responsibilities and achievements, continuing the vision that Pearl Markarian set forth and maintaining the highest standard in the creativity and quality of our programs. Suzanne and Delilah’s hard work has strengthened Landmark for many years, and we are excited for them to lead us in the years to come!