For the fourth consecutive year Empire Entertainment returned to Alice Tully Hall to produce the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual Chaplin Award Tribute Gala. This year's star-studded Gala, the 39th annual, honored French film icon Catherine Deneuve.The Film Society's Chaplin Award Gala began in 1972 and honored Charles Chaplin – who returned to the US from exile to accept the commendation. Since then, the award has honored many of film's visionary talents, including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, and Sidney Poitier.This year's gala evening began with VIP cocktails in the Hauser Patron's Lounge in Alice Tully Hall before the 1000+ guests entered the Starr Theater for the all-star tribute program. The program began with a video retrospective of the Chaplin Awards through the years followed by remarks from the event committee chair Ann Tenenbaum and program director Richard Pena.The evening included a series of heartfelt tributes interspersed by film clips of Catherine Deneuve's work and past interviews. The presenters included Susan Sarandon, James Gray, Chiara Mastroianni, Francois Ozon, and Martin Scorsese.The clips included highlights from "Umbrellas of Cherbourg", "Repulsion", "Belle de Jour", "Hustle", "Donkey Skin", "The Last Metro", "The Hunger", "Indochine", "8 Women", and "A Christmas Tale” among others.One of the many highlights of the evening were remarks delivered by Deneuve's daughter Chiara Mastroianni in which she presented a slideshow of her mother's serious films with a comedic commentary.As the final presenter of the evening, Martin Scorsese at last presented Catherine Deneuve with the Chaplin Award. Deneuve then gave her heartfelt remarks and thanks while all of the evening's presenters stood by her side.The program was followed by a seated dinner at the David H. Koch theater's spectacular second-floor promenade overlooking the fountain in the Plaza of Lincoln Center.Empire served as the tribute producer for this high-stature event and was responsible for aspects ranging from creative and production design, to coordinating with presenters and talent, working with Lincoln center to provide production design and supervision, working with the Film Society to develop the run of show, script, and stage managing the event. Empire is a leading producer of high-profile award and tribute programs and is frequently engaged to present programs with international stature talent & celebrities.To learn more about the Film Society of Lincoln Center and to become a donor, visit www.filmlinc.com.

To promote Bravo’s new interior design show - Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis, Bravo let loose a fleet of eye-catching, branded taxi cabs with custom interior designs on the streets of Manhattan offering free rides. Bravo called upon their upfront production partner Empire Entertainment to design and fabricate the custom interiors of the taxi cabs for this highly publicized 4-day stunt. The interior of each taxi cab was fully decked out in one of five design themes: Bohemian, 60s Mod, Glam, Aspen Ski Lodge & Moroccan. New Yorkers and tourists lucky enough to hitch a ride in one of these cabs were treated to a fully immersive experience in which every inch of the taxi’s passenger cabin was transformed with stylish materials. The backseats were made over into chic loveseats with custom upholstery and throw pillows. In front, temporary decorative walls were fabricated to create an immersive experience and featured a tablet running a video clip from Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis. Between these walls sat a custom console table accented with fresh flowers or other theme-enhancing accessories such as a video fireplace in the Aspen ski lodge cab. The ceilings and doors in each cab were also tastefully dressed with wallpapers and fabrics, and a decorative rear wall was constructed behind each backseat featuring battery-powered lighting fixtures. To top off the experience, Empire also created a special musical play list for each cab theme transporting riders into the design theme and away from the city, if only for a short trip. The taxicab stunt was an instant success for Bravo, garnering a host of press coverage and driving viewer tune-in for the premiere of Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis. Empire collaborated closely with Bravo’s Creative and Consumer Marketing teams on design and production. Empire’s team was responsible for design, sourcing materials, fabrication and production.

For Japan’s No.1 beer, “Asahi Super Dry”, Asahi wanted their new campaign to reflect the grand scale and aspirations of the brand. In response to this, Empire Entertainment Japan proposed the dramatic solution of tasking one of Hollywood’s top directors with that challenge, and together we have delivered the “Grand Shout”. Empire approached Hollywood’s multi-award winning director Michael Bay, director of such movies as “Pearl Harbor”, “Armageddon” and “Transformers”, to shoot a campaign comprised of short film, trailer and commercials. The commercial films feature Japan’s biggest rock star, Masaharu Fukuyama, performing his own specially written song, “Around The World”.Moab and Santa Fe in the United States provide the magnificent backdrop for the short films which consist of a teaser trailer, 15, 30, 60 and 90 second ads together with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The unique spot featured buffalo-mounted cameras and helicopters to capture Michael Bay’s grand vision.For this major project - under the guidance of Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer Theodore Miller - Empire Entertainment was in charge of casting, negotiating with and contracting Michael Bay to direct and produce the “Grand Shout”. In collaboration with Hakuhodo and post production agency TYO, the short films have been leveraged into a full 360°campaign.Needless to say - as witnessed by the incredible visuals and music – combining the talents of one of Hollywood’s finest movie-makers and Japan’s top rock performers, together with Empire’s production expertise resulted in a set of movie-like ads that ensure Asahi Super Dry, Japan’s No.1 beer brand remains at the forefront of audiences’ imaginations.The 90 second spot can be viewed HEREEmpire Entertainment is a leading provider of notable directors, actors and creative resources for advertising, industrial video and brand marketing projects. In addition to Michael Bay, Empire has delivered directors including George Lucas, Judd Apatow, Spike Lee, and Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball) for past projects.

Thrillist's members-only, online shopping destination JackThreads opened its first-ever Pop-Up in Union Square following Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Showcasing its exclusively male wares in the flesh for the first time, the popular web-based retailer invited throngs of passersby into a custom-designed shipping container to experience a curated sampling of their street-ready gear.A selection of spring's hottest clothing and accessories were displayed in five conveniently pre-assembled outfits against an industrial backdrop of diamond plate steel. With a sartorially inclined staff, armed only with iPads and an eye for style, inquisitive shoppers were expertly outfitted with clothing combinations from JackThreads' signature "looks", which they could also purchase on-site using the iPads and JackThreads' iPhone App.Besides browsing merchandise, shoppers were encouraged to have fun and interact with the brethren of stylists by posing for Polaroids with, appropriately, fake mustaches and beards. One lucky Polaroid subject would later win a full outfit from the JackThreads warehouse, which includes such brands as Ben Sherman, WeSC, GoodWood, and No Excess. JackThread's partner in styling, Gillette, offered a brand new Fusion ProGlide Styler complimentary with purchase.Clever signage inside and outside of the shipping container encouraged passersby to stop in and shop around. Onlookers -- tourists and jaded locals alike -- also used the opportunity to spread the word, snapping photos and sending out tweets about the flash-retail event. Empire Entertainment partnered with the Thrillist team on nearly every aspect of the Thrillist/JackThreads Pop-Up, from permitting, container rental and interior design, provision of Brand Ambassadors, round-the-clock security, branding & signage, generators, lighting, and more.Pop-Up Shops are undoubtedly a growing trend in contemporary marketing initiatives, offering an exciting and exclusive opportunity for any audience in any place to interact with any brand.

The U. S. Department of State sponsors a program for foreign Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions to the United States to travel across the country several times a year. The program, entitled Experience America, seeks to build relationships, encourage business investment and trade, provide a forum for dialogue, and create opportunities for interchange between Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and American leaders in a wide array of fields.

The most recent program took place in Los Angeles just after the busy Oscar Weekend. For the arrival night event Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall, Chief of Protocol of the United States, and Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles, hosted a reception and dinner to welcome the Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and their spouses to Los Angeles in the spectacular setting of the Getty Center. Over 100 foreign Ambassadors and their spouses, representing countries around the globe attended this extraordinary evening. Guests arrived on top of the mountain on which the Getty sits just after sunset and were greeted by the Renaissance Arts Academy Orchestra playing classical music on the minimal travertine marble plaza.

Next they proceeded inside the Getty Center Rotunda for a cocktail reception where they were entertained by LA’s Promise wind ensemble while guests were led on brief tours of the highlights of the Getty Collection including Vincent van Gogh’s Irises.Following cocktails the 200 guests walked across the main plaza of the Getty Center to an extraordinary, clear V-shaped tent where dinner was served on a series of 80’ long banquet tables, elegantly set on white linens with white, linear place settings.

Once seated guests were greeted by a video message by secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton followed by The City of Dreams, a motion picture tribute to Los Angeles produced by Richard Kaufman of Goodspot. Next up Ambassador Marshall delivered welcome remarks in which she recognized the many dignitaries present including Ambassadors and Charge d’Affaires to the United States from countries including Albania, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Haiti, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Monaco, Nepal, Peru, Qatar, Tanzania and many more. Other speakers included Antonio R. Villaraigosa, the Mayor of Los Angeles, James Cuno, President & CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust and His Excellency Meret Bairamovich Orazov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the United States and Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. Others in attendance included Our America host Lisa Ling, Happy Hearts Fund Founder and supermodel Petra Nemcova and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. During the dinner the dignitaries were entertained by the Hamilton Jazz Group. The evening was smashing success and all of the attendees remained in the event long after dessert had been served, socializing and building bridges with America and each other.

For this singular, high stature project, Empire was engaged to serve as the evening’s overall producer and was responsible for coordinating elements of the program ranging from the Getty Center, tenting (provided by Classic Party Rentals), catering (provided by Bon Appetit), staging & technical production (provided by Showpro), florals (provided by Eggs LA) and overall event management.

Empire is a leading producer of high stature government events for the most distinguished audiences worldwide. Empire is proud to serve the U. S. Department of States on this and other important diplomatic initiatives.

On February 9, 2012 Empire Entertainment was proud to produce the 1st annual TRANS4MATION EXPERIENCE event on behalf of seven-time Grammy winner will.i.am and his charitable organization, the i.am.angel Foundation. The purpose of the event was to raise money to support trans4ormation and revival in distressed communities, beginning with will.i.am’s own hometown, Boyle Heights in east Los Angeles. Held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on the eve of the Grammy Awards, over 1000 people came out to support i.am Angel Foundation including Estelle, Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, Lee Ann Rimes, Mayor Anthony R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Jay Sean and many others. will.i.am is best known for being a multi-platinum music artist, producer and front man for The Black Eyed Peas, though he is an innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist as well. As the evening’s host, his message of trans4rming lives through education, opportunity and inspiration was driven home by an emotive program of speakers and video reels. Dr Robert Ross, President and CEO of California Endowment, David Silver, CEO of College Track and Carola McGiffert, Senior Advisor and Director of 100,000 Strong Initiative at the US Department of State all spoke about their commitment to developing communities and ensuring that more students have access to a college degree. Anthony R. Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, spoke enthusiastically about will.i.am and his efforts to support his community and Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya took the stage to rousing applause as he reminisced about his childhood roots in East LA. Guests were taken through a 360-degree projection of moving footage of East LA created by designer Richard Lasalle and seated in a stunning ballroom of sleek white leather lounge banquettes with graffiti inspired décor by notable grafitti artist Man One. They enjoyed the sumptuous menu of Wolfgang Puck before the highly anticipated three-hour high-energy concert performance began. Some of the highlights included will.i.am’s opener “It’s a New Day,” Coco Lee’s touching rendition of Adele’s cover, “Someone Like You,” K’naan’s crowd hit and World Cup theme song, “Waving the Flag” and Flo-rida’s latest chart topper, “Good Feeling.” Ne-Yo danced his way onstage with his smooth sounds of “All Because of You,” later joined by Taboo, jamming “Give Me Everything Tonight.” Legendary soulster and twenty-two time Grammy winner Stevie Wonder then took the stage for his feel–good harmonica and keyboard medley of “Superstition,” “I Wish,” “I just Called to Say I Love You,” and “My Cherie Amour.” Then the Black Eyed Peas set began with crowd pumping dance favorites, “Time of My Life,” “Dirty Bit,” “Let’s Get it Started” and Pump It, a duet with Coco Lee. Apl de ap beatboxed his hit, “You Can Be Anything,” and “Bebot.” The concert ended with Black Eyed Peas favorite “I Got a Feeling” with the whole audience dancing in their seats. All told, the event raised a whopping five million dollars in donations and commitments for the i.am.angel Foundation and their efforts to transform communities. Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer for the i.am.angel Foundation TRANS4MATION EXPERIENCE, managing all aspects of the event including venue contracting, logistics, catering, décor, onsite talent management and coordination, production, security and onsite management, collaborating with the i.am. angel Foundation, partners and donors. To find out how you can get involved with i.am.angel Foundation and help trans4rm communities around you, visit their website at iamangelfoundation.org “Inspiration without innovation is not good enough anymore. We need to have a clear vision for the future and then we need to transform that future. We transform the future by transforming communities and making the lives of people better.” will.i.am

For the highly anticipated launch of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue 2012, Sports Illustrated selected Empire Entertainment to provide celebrity entertainment for their marquee event in Las Vegas.At Club SI Swimsuit, the final night of launch week at the Caesars Palace Pure Nightclub, Empire secured Grammy Award-winner Bruno Mars and his band to perform for an audience of swimsuit models and 1,000 guests and sponsors.

Following the stage program and Swimsuit model reveal, Bruno Mars and his band took the stage to perform a 45 minute set of covers like “Kiss,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Roxanne” as well as his hits “Grenade” and “Just the Way Your Are” that had the entire club on their feet.Empire was responsible for securing Bruno Mars and handled all details relating to his performance with the Sports Illustrated Events team. Empire also worked closely with Team Epic who staged all of the launch week events.

Empire is a leading provider of high-profile talent for media events.

A 50th birthday only comes around once. So when a leading retailer wanted to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a bang, they and their meeting planning agency turned to Empire Entertainment to secure a headline entertainer to celebrate this great milestone. With employees of all ages from all over the country converging on Orlando for their annual sales meeting, it was important to bring in the right talent whose performance would appeal across all of the audience demographics. With the element of surprise for the attendees a main concern with the client, Empire worked with all parties, including the venue, to ensure total secrecy of the headliner's identity.After a day full of breakout sessions and keynotes, the attendees were looking forward to letting their hair down and having a good time. To open the evening's entertainment, Empire secured comedian and television personality, Tom Papa. Tom warmed up the crowd of 2,700 for 20 minutes with non-stop laughter ending his set with a standing ovation. Before exiting the stage, Tom gave one final announcement. "It is my great pleasure to introduce my friend, Jerry Seinfeld" The stunned and delighted audience immediately jumped to their feet and applauded with excitement as Jerry stepped on stage. Delivering his world famous stand-up performance, Seinfeld had the attendees in stitches for his entire 60 minute set. Following their performance, both entertainers took the time to meet with executives and VIPs for a quick conversation and photo.Empire Entertainment is a worldwide leader in headline entertainment booking.

Ever since the tragic events of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami that swept a wave of destruction across north-eastern Japan on March 11th, 2011, American Humane Association has been supporting welfare organizations involved in the rescue and care of animals involved in the disaster.When the Association decided to hold their 2012 VIP Luncheon in Japan, Empire was asked to manage the event.

Approximately 30 VIPs attended the February 15th event, hosted in The Alder Room of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Tokyo.Distinguished guests included members of the U.S. Embassy in Japan, representatives from Japanese animal welfare organizations, and executives from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ – sponsors of the event and one of the Humane Association’s strongest supporters.President and CEO of the Association, Robin R. Ganzert Ph.D. led the luncheon, speaking of the need for everyone to defend and protect the voiceless. Shiro Nakagawa, Chairman of the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) also spoke about how the two countries had united to help the animals.In addition to the speeches, attendees were shown a fascinating video documentary on the history of American Humane Association’s Red Star™ Animal Emergency Services, which for almost 100 years has been responding to disasters around the world.Empire Entertainment would like to thank all involved in the event.

We are proud to support American Humane Association and its partners in their most valuable work.

At the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show, Cheil USA enlisted Empire Entertainment to deliver musical talent to promote Samsung’s new product, the Galaxy Note.Empire's task was to provide contemporary, engaging headline music performances by a tech-savvy artist that could utilize and incorporate Galaxy Notes into their songs and performance. The musical performances would take place over three days in a promotional space that recreated a street art scene. Cheil built the promotional space in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. To meet the needs of the client and to complement the setting, Empire recommended and delivered Body Language, an emerging band from Brooklyn.Empire was able to work with Body Language to develop an original performance that artistically integrated the Galaxy Notes technology into their music as supporting instruments. Moreover, the band’s music - an eclectic mix of electro, pop, dance, funk, soul, and jazz, was a great fit for the booth’s concept of free-spirited, modern art scene with a touch of futuristic technology.The combination of Body Language and the event setting broke through the clutter and attracted heavy traffic throughout the three day period. The Central Hall location ensured that every single attendee passed by the Samsung space and this year the number of attendees was record-breaking, reaching over 153,000 people.As a result of this project, the Samsung Galaxy Notes achieved massive exposure with the help of Body Language’s extraordinary performance and catchy tunes. In support of the musical attraction, caricature artists also drew portraits of attendees with the Samsung Galaxy Note that could be printed on t-shirts as gifts for attendees.CES is the world’s leading and biggest technology and electronics trade show which is held annually in Las Vegas. It reaches across global markets, connects industries and encourages innovation for more than 2,000 corporate members involved in design, development, manufacturing, distribution, and integration of consumer electronics products.For video from the event, click here.Empire Entertainment has been serving clients like Cheil / Samsung with unique talent solutions at Consumer Electronics Show for almost two decades.