Empire Partners with @Radical.media to Produce The Conservation International 2010 Seattle Gala

Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, Conservation International empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity.On November 11, 2010, Empire Entertainment, in partnership with @Radical.Media, produced Conservation International’s annual Gala in Seattle, Washington. The first of five major fundraising events Empire will produce for Conservation International, this event took place at Fremont Studios, and gave all the attendees a unique and immersive experience, unlike any other gala Seattle has seen. This gala would focus on Conservation International's important work with the world's oceans and the visual design of the event would underscore the evening's purpose and messaging.

After arrival and cocktails, guests entered into a stunning, cavernous soundstage transformed into an undersea world with huge underwater images projected onto video screens surrounding 270 degrees of the room and powerful undersea sounds. Floating jellyfish, cascading schools of fish, whales and dolphins were featured in immersive imagery that immersed guests into the ocean theme.On the minimal white stage backed by giant ocean scenes, Pearl Jam’s Stone Goddard started the program and spoke passionately about the importance of saving the ocean and the animal life within. The Seattle supporters of CI were also able to hear world-renowned experts in the field of oceanography including CI’s Chief Ocean Scientist Greg Stone and featured speaker David de Rothschild, the eco-adventurer who built a boat called the Plastiki from recycled plastic bottles and sailed it on a global adventure. An exciting panel discussion followed including Mr. de Rothschild and Mr. Stone in addition CI’s own Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO Peter Seligmann. Dr. Sylvia Earle, one of the world’s foremost ocean explorers and one of only seven National Geographic Explorers–in-Residence, was also featured in the program.

After the dinner, guests adjourned to an afterparty for a live auction, drinks and desserts with a specially-compiled soundtrack of ocean sounds. This Conservation International gala was attended by over 400 guests and stood out as the first of a new campaign for CI to get its conservation, sustainable and global mission statements across while sparking active and open discussions about the Earth and its population’s problems and solutions.For this exciting event, Empire served as overall event producer and was responsible for technical production, event design, and stage management. Empire is a leading producer of innovative gala events and is a pioneer in the use of surround video environments for special events.To learn more about Conservation International, visit http://www.conservation.org/