On a crystal clear evening, guests arrived at the Observatory at the top of the World Trade Center building to a stunning sunset over the New York City skyline. The tone was set for a beautiful and warm evening to celebrate and raise support for one of Empire’s most beloved long-time clients, Happy Hearts Fund.

The Happy Hearts Fund, founded by Petra Nemcovain 2006 after she survived the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, is dedicated to providing ongoing support by building schools and providing opportunities for education to children in countries effected by natural disaster, long after primary rescue efforts have left these struggling communities. Celebrating the success of these school programs, the theme of the the night was Graduation: Class of 2017!

The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception, passed canapes, and remarks by Petra, Tomas Alvarez-Bolon, also a survivor of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and Edna Candelaria, a student at one of the Happy Hearts Schools in the Philippines. Many major supporters were honored with an award and “diploma” for their tireless involvement in the cause, including motivational speaker and dedicated philanthropist Tony Robbins, long-time Happy Hearts Fund supporter, Ramzi Mussalam, and Founder of All Hands Volunteers, David Campbell.

After this, guests took part in a live auction hosted by the ebullient auctioneer, Simon de Pury, and they were off to the races! In no short order over a million dollars was raised and some very pleased guests would be going home with a variety of priceless trips and experiences, fantastic jewelry, and fine art by modern masters like Bosco Sodiand and Helidon Xhixha. Guests also won premium tickets and backstage passes to John Legend and U2, a once-in-a-lifetime South African excursion, and more, all of which was donated from supporters from around the world.

Following the extremely successful auction, guests enjoyed a whimsical buttermilk and berry panna cotta as they enjoyed a high energy performance by Just Kool from Kool and the Gang with hits like“Fresh,” “Get Down On It,” and “Celebration”.

As dinner and the performances came to an end, guests were then invited to the next room for an after party hosted by DJ Cassidy, who had them on their feet dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

Empire is proud to continue our partnership with many purposeful and impactful non-profits like Happy Hearts Fund, and to help them successfully host these thrilling fundraising events.

To learn more about Happy Hearts Fund, please visit www.happyheartsfund.org

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Global advertising and powerhouse marketing agency, Grey, launched its year-long centennial celebration with a kick-off week featuring a mix of business meetings as well as celebratory social events. Grey called upon Empire to produce three of their biggest events for the week.

Grey welcomed agency leaders from around the world with a reception and seated dinner in the Whitney Museum of American Art. After remarks by Debby Reiner, CEO of Grey New York, Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer of P&G, and Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, guests had the chance to explore the Whitney. During dinner, Jim Heekin, Chairman and CEO of Grey Global, unveiled the gorgeous, warm red coffee table book profiling Grey’s first 100 years. These books were also showcased on bookshelves spanning the Whitney lobby. Michael Houston, Grey Global President, revealed the commemorative Grey centennial logo – one that celebrates the colorful, diverse minds of Grey's 5,000 global employees by turning scans of their brainwaves into art. A video also introduced Grey's Rising Stars, recognizing young talent and their worldwide contributions to the agency.

The 68th floor of 4 World Trade Center was the perfect setting for the Global Meetings. Floor-to-ceiling windows provided an expansive 360° backdrop of skyline views while executives attended keynotes and breakout sessions. To balance the sun-filled venue, window tints were customized with elements of the Grey centennial logo to add another layer of branding and dimension to the space. Similar vinyls also subtly called out iconic New York City landmarks for newcomers.

The Centennial Gala dinner at Madison Square Park concluded the week of events. Guests enjoyed cocktails inside elegant tents surrounding the main bar set up in the central fountain, while DJ Lina provided music throughout the evening. The clear expansive dinner tent featured a stunning ceiling installation of sheer fabric panels printed with Centennial graphics. The dinner program featured comedic throwbacks to some of Grey's most famous ads, and presented awards to teams behind iconic campaigns featuring Volvo, Gillette, the E*TRADE baby, the Swedish Number, and more. As part of the future-facing announcements, Houston introduced the UNICEF + Grey Global Kids Council, vowing to drive social change by working together with the next generation to solve cultural challenges with creative solutions.

Additional visual aesthetics and brand messaging were creatively integrated into the event. Floral arrangements in the warm red tones found in theGrey logo were displayed in modern vessels to offset and match the monochromatic, minimal, and geometric designs of furniture and table settings. Red colors were also featured in the custom-designed "brainwave" barback drop and sculptural dinner centerpieces cut from acrylic panels.

Empire is proud to collaborate with Grey to celebrate their monumental achievement and reveal a commemorative visual identity for the 2017 Centennial year – highlighting Grey’s global range of creative perspectives and solutions in creating Famously Effective work.

Screenvision Media is a premier cinema, video, and media organization that curates powerful and uncluttered storytelling for brands, exhibitors, and audiences at movie theatres nationwide. For this year’s Screenvision Media Upfront, the company chose the theme “The Most Memorable Impression” to represent their ability to deliver impact before, during, and after the in-theatre experience. The Upfront demonstrated how Screenvision Media connects brands to every part of the moviegoer’s journey, driven by data and technology, interactivity and integration.

To bring the “Most Memorable Impression" theme to life, Empire developed a design and concept, working closely with Screenvision Media, to transform New York City’s PlayStation Theater into a fully immersive theater and afterparty experience for its high-level attendees.

As guests checked in to the event, they were encouraged to download an app that functioned as both a digital passport and tool to unlock special AR content throughout the evening. Guests then moved into the theater space where top Screenvision Media executives, including CEO John Partilla, unveiled its “10 Pack” offering, a package giving advertisers access to blockbuster films along with an advanced targeting tool, Cintel. Through Cintel, brands will have the ability to target advertising based on behavioral and psychographic data, in addition to movie genre and demographics. Highlights from the industry were also showcased, including the upcoming 2017/18 movie slate and record-breaking box office figures.

After a reveal to the afterparty, guests were welcomed to a large, inviting space featuring a 24’ bar, innovative atering stations by Creative Edge, and interactive movie sets inspired by some of the most anticipated feature films. The main attraction was on the existing concert stage, where guests stepped into the jungle of Sony’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”, Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok”, Sony’s “The Emoji Movie”, and Fox Studio’s “Deadpool 2”. Within each set were a series of custom guest activities including actual movie props and an interactive photo booth in “Jumanji”, a Whiskey tasting bar and pool table in “Deadpool”, and arm wrestling table in “Thor: Ragnarok” meant to depict the film’s gladiatorial contest between Thor and the Hulk.

Christie Digital, Vision Media, and Selfie With Me provided interactive video walls and photo booths throughout the event.

Empire is proud to have once again worked closely with Screenvision Media’s team to reach their advertisers with a creative concept and provide a memorable experience for the influencers in attendance. Empire was responsible for all event details including concept, venue acquisition, layout and set design, catering, staging, sound, lighting, graphics, furnishings, carpet, catering, technical production, staffing and partner/studio coordination.

Empire is a leading producer of innovative Upfronts, Newfronts, and other mission critical business-to-business events.

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The Architizer A+ Awards are the definitive global architectural award program, with over 100 categories, and are judged by a panel of more than 400 luminaries and thought leaders from fields as diverse as fashion, publishing, product design, real estate development, and tech. Winners, jurors, and VIPs gathered at a red-carpet gala that is part of the three-week-long NYCxDesign program New York City. Comprising diverse and innovative global projects from starchitects to emerging firms, this year’s winners represent the best new architecture, interiors, and products from across the globe. For the third year in a row, Empire was at the helm to ensure this event was a success.

The ceremony kicked off with a phenomenal and impassioned speech about the Architecture industry by Architizer CEO, Marc Kushner, who served as the evenings host.

"The A+ gala is more than just a party. It represents a moment for us to stand up and champion our art, recognizing the transformational role that architecture plays in our lives," said Kushner.

Luminaries from the world of architecture and design entered the industrial-style space to a red carpet and step & repeat welcome, where event sponsor Sunbrella’s custom architectural installation welcomed guests under an array of colored fabric. Guests enjoyed cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres by Cloud Catering along with ambient music played by DJ Javier Peral, while enjoying the décor and enhanced atmosphere with a custom Corian bar created by sponsor DuPont.

Attendees also enjoyed interacting with the Behr/Home Depot photo booth and extraordinary visual demonstrations of winning projects by the virtual reality team at Graphisoft.

This year's biggest winner was Adjaye Associates, which was named Firm of the Year, and other special achievement awards were presented to Koray Duman, Tatiana Bilbao, Carlo Ratti, and and DJI drones, among others. The Lifetime Achievement honoree was handed to the brilliant architect, Odile Decq, which was highlight of the night where all were inspired by her legacy.

"[Receiving this award] is an incredible honor and, of course, very humbling...To be recognized for work that you deeply believe in is incredibly rewarding." - Sir David Adjaye

Empire is a premier producer of some of the world's most prestigious award ceremonies, including The Webby Awards, The Fragrance Foundation Awards, and was honored to be chosen as Architizer's production partner for the Architizer A+ Awards.

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​We’re often call upon to fight for a good cause, but rarely is this statement so literal.

Sixteen incredible men and women took to the ring in a semi-annual, Vegas-style boxing event designed for titans of industries to let off some steam and raise money for charity. Empire Japan was once again proud to produce such an incredible event.

Held at the opulent and prestigious Grand Hyatt Tokyo, over 450 spectators wined and dined as their loved ones, friends, and coworkers boxed it out to see who would come out on top.

Of course, EFN is not just about these 16 epic showdowns. It is an event that gives new hope to children with cancer. With over 10 million yen raised, all proceeds from the event will benefit Shine On! Kids, a certified nonprofit dedicated to supporting children with cancer and other serious illness in Japan and their families. Funds raised from EFN are going to support SOK’s innovative Facility Dog Program, which aims to improve treatment outcome and children’s approach to medical treatment/therapy.

Empire once again proves to be the leading producer of fundraising events and was thrilled to help produce yet another successful Executive Fight Night.​

SmartCities NYC is a newly-minted conference and exposition that explores the intersection of technology and urban life. Presented recently in the revitalized Brooklyn Navy Yard, the inaugural event was sponsored by Microsoft and featured world-renowned speakers, a cutting edge exposition, workshops, panels, parties, and a multitude of public events drawing attendees from around the world.

For the past several years, Smart Cities events have been held globally, bringing together hundreds of local, national, and international organizations from government, academic, public, and private sectors in Barcelona, Istanbul, Kyoto, Casablanca, and Puebla to focus attention on urban innovation and to bring together businesses and institutions interested in finding the best solutions.

Inspired to meet the growing interest in pioneering urban solutions that are defining and transforming cities around the world, Smart Cities was organized around three major concepts – innovation, infrastructure, and inclusion. Smart Cities NYC’ 17 focused specifically on the importance of citizen participation in making cities ‘smart’. With over 250 speakers, Smart Cities covered a broad range of important topics from cybersecurity and cloud computing, to technology for the disabled, mental health, big data, drones, rooftop urban agriculture, shared housing, transportation, and infrastructure.

Some of the noteworthy speakers and participants included: Toni Townes-Whitley, Corporate VP Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft (tech and education); Miguel Gamiño Jr., Chief Technology Officer, City of New York (civic tech & innovation); Daniel Doctoroff, Founder and CEO of Google’s Sidewalk Labs; Rachel Haot, Managing Director, 1776 (global incubator & seed funding); Robert Wolf, Chairman and Co-Founder, Measure, Drone as a Service (drone solutions); Abby Joseph Cohen, Senior Investment Strategist, Goldman Sachs; Richard Park, CEO, CityMD (tech solutions for healthcare); David Rothkopf, CEO and Editor, FP Group (global foreign policy insight& analysis); Gregory Treverton, Former Chairman, National Intelligence Council (U.S. Intelligence Community); Andrew Right, Former Counselor, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (transportation & infrastructure); Stacey Gillett, Senior Program Officer, Bloomberg Philanthropies; James Ramsey, Co-Founder and Creator, Lowline, and developer Lela Goren of the Goren Group.

The event featured an exhibit hall and B2B trade show that included interactive demonstrations from sponsors ranging from Microsoft, Verizon, Union Point, Boston Properties/Dock72, German Areospace, Victor+Stanley, BMW/Urban X, PBSC Urban Solutions, and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At the expo, lead sponsor Microsoft showcased HoloLens - the first self-contained, holographic computer, enabling participants to engage with digital content and interact with holograms in the world around them. Measure: Drone as a Service demonstrated its turnkey drone solutions via the DJI Inspire 2,the first filmmaking drone in the world to integrate HD video transmission.

On the final day Smart Cities NYC ’17 hosted STEAM AHEAD, a day of citizen engagement to help New Yorkers access the information they need to better prepare them for the demands of the modern workforce. From challenging high school students to think big with moonshot projects, to creating employment opportunities for our country’s veterans, to helping people seek meaningful careers in technology, STEAM AHEAD brought companies, nonprofits, and government departments together with members of the community to discuss the challenges and opportunities of work in the 21^st century.

The four-day event culminated in a by-invite-only “Humans of the Year” Closing Night Party, hosted by Smart Cities NYC ’17 media partner, VICE Motherboard, and Prius Prime. Vice Motherboard and Smart Cities NYC invited over 500 guests to enjoy closing night cocktails and custom projection installations in the cavernous Duggal Greenhouse space as well as on the picturesque East River waterfront.

Its placement in the Duggal Greenhouse showcased Brooklyn’s increased standing in the world of technology. And in the past year, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been host to two tech hubs opening: New Lab, a workspace for manufacturing and design firms, and 1776 NY, a startup incubator.

Empire served as overall producer of Smart Cities NYC and was responsible for project management, production design, technical production, staging, production of digital media content, liaison with all exhibiting sponsors, staffing, catering (through a partnership with the New York Food Truck Association) and café area. Additionally, Empire’s team worked closely with Global Futures, Microsoft, VICE, and other partners to facilitate each partner’s activation and to supervise the overall guest experience.

Empire is proud to have served as producer of the inaugural Smart Cities NYC and to have supported this important thought leadership platform.

To learn more about Smart Cities NYC visit http://smartcitiesnyc.com

​Action Carting treated their customers and investors to a night of"BAM!" at Emeril's flagship restaurant in New Orleans. Guests were treated to some of the celebrity chef's most famous Cajun & Creole dishes including his BBQ Shrimp, Crawfish Boudin, and Banana Cream Pie.

Local music legend, Kermit Ruffins, delivered an unforgettable headline performance, kicking off the night with his signature catch phrase “We partyin’ ya’ll!”

Voodoo priestesses roamed the party dabbing love and money potions on guests, and local fortune tellers held court in a candlelit wine cellar for anyone seeking a glimpse into their future.

Guests were also invited to sample a variety of Bourbons, curated by Emeril’s in-house expert, which paired nicely with the nearby gumbo and chowder station.

With a line around the block full of eager attendees, there was no better place to be in New Orleans!

Playworks celebrated their third annual New York Get in the Game Gala, recognizing Most Valuable Principal, Sandra D’Avilar of Brooklyn’s PS 9, and Most Inspiring Leader, Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, President Emerita of the Robert Wood Foundation.

This school year, the acclaimed nonprofit Playworks has provided safe, healthy and inclusive play for more than 65,000 girls and boys in 110 schools across New York and New Jersey. This is just the first stop on their road to reach 200,000 kids here in our region by 2020 with safe and healthy play to reduce bullying, increase physical activity, improve learning, and promote social and emotional skills.

The evening featured remarks from Executive Director of Playworks, Kim McCall, Founder and CEO Jill Vialet, a live auction led by Pat Tully, entertainment from international recording artist ELEW, recess games, a friendly ping pong and basketball tournament, plus food and drink. Funds raised support the expanding efforts of Playworks to bring the power of play to every girl and boy in New York and beyond.

To help make this event a success, Empire produced the fundraiser at the elegant Tribeca Rooftop venue where we transported guests from the ballroom to the playground on the transformed rooftop space. Attendees enjoyed stunning Manhattan views and experienced play through sophisticated and immersive activations of traditional recess games like Four Square and Switch, along with life-sized installations of Scrabble, Jenga, and Connect 4.

Working closely with Playworks, Empire served as the event producer, managing elements including venue, décor, technical production, and performing talent. Empire is a leading producer of fundraising events and we are honored that Playworks continues to work with us to produce successful events.

To support or learn more about Playworks, please visit www.playworks.org

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Empire has been producing The Webby Awards since 2005, and this year was one of the best yet.

Empire secured comedian and actor Joel McHale to host the 21st annual Webbys and his opening monologue set the tone for the evening: irreverent, hilarious, and at times, poignant. He also reminded winners of the show’s unique “five words or less” acceptance speech rule, warning them that if they were to speak more than five words, “we use the same security as United Airlines”.

As always, the Webbys honored a variety of the internet’s best. Winners included Artist of the Year, Solange, Best Actress, Gillian Anderson (presented her award by her X-Files co-star David Duchovny), and Best Actor, Steve Buscemi, who received his trophy from comedian and actor Louis C.K.

Other winners and presenters included political commentator, Van Jones, multi-Grammy Award-winning rap musician, Residenté, The Women’s March Co-Chairs Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Bob Bland, New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor, Will Shortz, and YouTube Creators for Change ambassadors, Franchesca Ramsey, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, and Humza Arshad.

The event was once again held at Cipriani Wall Street and featured a colorful and exciting set design created by David Korins, the Tony-nominated scenic designer of Broadway’s “Hamilton” and “War Paint”.  After a standing ovation for the Founders of the Women’s March ended the show on a high note, attendees enjoyed a fantastic afterparty at Highline Ballroom, where Empire presented Questlove to spin and keep the dance floor packed.

Empire is honored to have worked with The Webby Awards for 13 consecutive years. The 21^st Annual Webby Awards are now available to watch online here.

Now in its 9th year, the Shorty Awards continue to honor the best influencers, celebrities, brands, and agencies on social media across Snapchat, Periscope, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and other platforms. In order to keep up with the competition’s growth, the Shorty Awards upgraded to the PlayStation Theater in the heart of Times Square in New York City for the ceremony.

Nearly 800 influencers, brands, agencies, and guests packed the theater for the ceremony, which featured a cocktail reception, a seated dinner, and an afterparty at Refinery Rooftop. The staged event streamed live on YouTube to over 60,000 viewers internationally, as fans all over the globe tuned in to watch their favorite social media stars.

Tony Hale (Arrested Development and Veep) hosted the show and kept the audience entertained while presenters including Casey Neistat, Bill Nye (The Science Guy!), Skai Jackson, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Kelsey Darragh, and Shay Mitchell gave out the awards. Mitchell and Nye even won their own categories of Best Actress and Best in STEM, respectively.

This was the most competitive show to date, as over 5 million votes poured in from fans allover the world, a record for participation. Winners of the signature Whale-Tail Trophy included Gaten Matarrazo, Doug the Pug, Gigi Gorgeous, Chrissy Teigen, BTS, Mara Wilson, and many more! Karlie Kloss was the esteemed recipient of the inaugural Shorty Phenom Award for Kode with Klossy, a summer camp where she works to inspire young girls across America to pursue their interest in computer sciences.

Rising star and R&B/hip-hop artist Lizzo amazed the crowd with energetic performances of her songs “Scuse Me,” “Phone”, and “Good as Hell.”  

We’re proud to partner with The Shorty Awards for our third year and we wish a huge congratulations to all the winners this year!

Watch the Shorty Awards Here