The 9th Annual Webby Awards

Called "the Academy Awards of the Internet", The Webby Awards recently chose Empire Entertainment to produce their most important program to date, The 9th Annual Webby Awards. This unique awards program recognizes excellence and innovation in the growing area of web design creativity and functionality. With a reputation of presenting state-of-the-art creativity to an audience representing some of the greatest living creative minds, Empire's challenge was a great one.Empire created an extraordinary evening program that featured a networking cocktail hour, a three-course gala dinner, an exceptionally complex and dynamic awards ceremony featuring over 80 award winners, and a buzzing after party.

The Webby Awards were held at Gotham Hall and featured a diverse and amusing program. Founders Tiffany Shlain and Maya Draisin opened the show with inspiring words of the spread of thought across the globe with each website that is developed. Rob Corddry, correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," matched the program's animated design with his wit and charm.In keeping with Webby tradition, winners kept their acceptance speeches to five words which highlighted and distilled the ingenuity and humor of the winners. Even The Honorable Al Gore, who received the Webby's Lifetime Achievement Award, initially honored the tradition, bringing down the house by saying "please don't recount this vote". The Former Vice President then added some more serious commentary, noting that the Webby Awards had "reached a critical mass" and stepped past a "tipping point" with the 9th Annual event.Other special honorees included Person of the Year, Craig Newmark of craigslist.com, Artist of the Year, The Kleptones at kleptones.com, Breakout of the Year, and Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield of flickr.com.

The after-party, held at The Cellar Bar of Bryant Park Hotel, was sponsoredby 2Advanced Studios, creators of the graphics for the program. Their president also supplied the sounds of the affair by spinning music as the afterparty's DJ while guests socialized and networked with other creative minds. Empire provided turnkey design and production of the Webby Awards including site selection and acquisition, catering and bar service, an elegant yet bold décor scheme in red & yellow, efficient registration of almost 600 guests and members of the media, signage, staff, set design, script writing, all video, sound, and lighting, as well as stage management.The hugely successful event was covered extensively in the media including extended features on CNN, Good Morning America, FOX News, the BBC, CNBC, Inside Edition, and the New York Times among dozens of others.Empire is a leading producer of innovative award programs and media events worldwide.

For more information about The Webby Awards, including how to register as a nominee for the 10th Annual event, visit http://www.webbyawards.com.