Over the years Empire has delivered A-list talent in many incredible settings around the globe. Never was this more true than last month when Empire delivered Lionel Richie to perform on Lastochka, a spectacular ship docked on the frozen Moskva River in Moscow, Russia, while the temperature outside read minus 20 degrees Celsius. The occasion was a birthday celebration for one of the most successful businessmen in Russia, and 150 of his closest friends.After some Russian toasts and speeches by the attendees to the guest of honor, Empire brought Lionel Richie to the stage to launch into a concert performance that didn't waste time getting to his biggest hits. Ritchie opened the show with "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)" and then moved onto to three more classic ballads to warm the crowd up ("Penny Lover", "Sail On", and "Stuck On You"). Then Lionel kicked into high gear with his 80's smash, "Dancin' On The Ceiling" and then went a bit further back in time for his #1 hit with The Commodores, "Brick House". With the audience completely thrilled with the musical performance, Lionel endeared himself personally to the group by inviting the evening's host to share vocals with him on "Say You, Say Me". In spite of the language barrier, it was a moment that made the audience part of the show as the host and Lionel walked among the attendees singing, and the entire crowd sang the chorus. Lionel then kept the couples on the dance floor for one more slow dance to "Hello", before ending the performance with a lively performance of "All Night Long" which had the crowd dancing in a conga line as Lionel thanked them and departed the stage.Following the performance the happy client joined Lionel in his green room, where Lionel was happy to meet several of the host's closest friends, take some photos, and have some laughs. Empire is proud to serve clients throughout the world with headline talent booking and comprehensive event production services. In addition to Lionel Richie in Moscow, Empire has recently presented Rob Schneider for several performances in India, Il Divo at a nationally broadcast event in Vietnam, and many more. Since being founded in 1993, Empire has contracted and produced artists to perform in more than 65 countries worldwide.

On January 19th 2012, Nike invited international press and influencers to the launch of their latest product, the Nike Fuel band.

Guests wore the Fuel Band, which kept track of each mile, minute, and calorie, while they traveled to various activity locations throughout the entire city.Nike took their guests to unique, in-the-know locations throughout the city that added a layer of authenticity and character essential to the experience of each activity.

Some of these experiences included a double dutch performance at an industrial Brooklyn warehouse, pizza making at Williamsburg hot spot, Roberta’s, and a workout led by the Bartendaz at Brooklyn Barbells, an elite weightlifting facility.

The day of the launch, Empire staffed activity locations to ensure each member of the press had a fun and high-end workout experience. Empire provided every location with a women’s and men’s Freshen-Up Kit and a guests refreshments table fit for the pickiest of locavores and gourmands. Both the Freshen-Up kit and the refreshments were sourced through local companies to tie in the personality and life style of the city, making it truly unique New York City experience for international press.

Filmmaker Casey Neistat was one of Nike's guests to the event and documented his experience: Click here to watch.

Radical also installed a motion-sensor Fuel Light Wall, inspired by the Fuel Band: Click here to watch.

Empire was proud to partner with Radical Media once again to help them deliver an engaging, live-event experience for Nike.

To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, an international technology company looked to Empire Entertainment to deliver a world-renown keynote speaker whose personal achievements embodied the lasting commitment to reflection, action and change promoted by Dr. King. Empire recommended internationally-acclaimed director and producer Spike Lee who is known for his bold, unapologetic style, and outspoken point-of-view.Appearing before an audience of close to 1,000 employees, Lee engaged in an intimate discussion of his films and the many ways in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and ideals have impacted the way he works. Guests were given the opportunity to ask the director about his philosophy and creative process as well as the socio-political issues at the heart his best-known films.Integrating the program’s overarching theme of Inspiration to Action, the Q&A sparked an interactive discussion between Spike Lee and his audience, that challenged and inspired guests to apply their own gifts to continue the work of Dr. King in taking action to better the company and their own respective communities.Empire handled the negotiation and contracting of Spike Lee’s services, coordination of all logistics, including precision arrival and departure planning and facilitated direct creative discussion among Spike Lee and the client.

Empire is proud to present the world’s leading speakers and is a leading source for keynote speakers of global stature that can inform, educate and entertain audiences.

When one of Israel’s fastest-growing insurance companies was looking to bring their executive management team to New York City for its annual conference, they turned to Empire to design and produce the full 3-day event. Every year the CEO surprises his management team with a trip where they discuss the coming year’s business plan. Each trip is organized around one of the company’s major tenets through specially curated activities. This year’s theme was “challenge,” which was incorporated into key programs throughout the trip.Working together with a marketing team local to the client, Empire handled everything from their arrival to departure. Looking for a boutique hotel close to Central Park, we booked the guests at Le Parker Meridien. For many of these guests it was their first visit to New York so much of the itinerary was designed to give them a first hand taste of the Big Apple. This included eating at classic restaurants such as the Carnegie Deli, traveling via Subway like native New Yorkers, and visiting historic locations such as the United Nations & the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero.Kicking off the conference, Empire helped coordinate a briefing from the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Proser by securing a private room within the UN and handling all of the audio visual needs. Ambassador Proser was able to give guests a feeling of home while discussing the constant challenges he faces in his position. The theme really took off at the first dinner, where guests were divided into 7 teams and were given the first challenges commencing the city wide scavenger hunt the group would participate in throughout the second day.Edie Lutnick, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, inspired guests on the second morning with a talk about the tragedy and challenges surrounding the events of 9/11 and those family members and companies it affected. From there the attendees paid their respects at the memorial at Ground Zero and began the daylong scavenger hunt. This included solving clues directing teams to capture pictures of the Statue of Liberty, MetLife building, each other ice-skating at Rockefeller Center and the Atlas statue on 5th Avenue.The day culminated in a gala dinner at Apella designed by Empire, where The Honorable Mayor Rudy Giuliani gave an engaging speech to the executive team about the challenges of leadership. Empire produced all aspects of the dinner including lighting, décor, entertainment and all audio, video & media needs. Afterwards the groups celebrated by performing choreographed and lip-sung remixes of hit songs about their company and boss, followed by a dance party featuring one of the best corporate DJ’s.The pinnacle of the three-day trip was on the last day when, as a surprise to all of the employees, Empire secured the Thompson Reuters and NASDAQ billboards in Times Square welcoming the company to New York City. After all this excitement, the company finally settled into NASDAQ Market Site for their actual conference where Empire booked and secured the venue, a kosher caterer, and again handled all audio, visual and media needs.

Empire is a worldwide producer of company meetings, managing all aspects of a conference including stage production, technical production, video, photography, site selection, contracting, logistics, catering, décor, talent coordination, security and on-site supervision.

For the 2nd year in a row, the Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) entrusted Empire to produce their annual holiday party at the famed Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City in December 2011.Empire worked closely with BTMU’s Lee Linderman, Vice President, Corporate Sponsorships & Events, to design a Latin event theme to highlight BTMU’s operations in South America. By infusing the natural elements found in Latin America, Empire transformed the stately Cipriani into a tropical paradise. Twelve-foot palm trees towered overhead and exotic tropical flora consisting of huge green elephant ear leaves, yellow orchids and red helaconia florals garnished the bars, topped buffets and adorned tables dressed in shimmering green linens. The 40-ft high ceiling was washed in amber foliage patterns by the lighting design by Star Group.As guests arrived, they were greeted by the enticing sounds of a Brazilian jazz band. Later, in anticipation of the speaking program, samba percussionists took to the stage to create a dramatic lead-in for the remarks by Tony Marino, Head of Human Resources and CEO Masa Tanaka. Following remarks, guests were treated to a surprise dance performance by ZeeCee, featuring Tanaka’s son Zabu and dance partner Chris. ZeeCee displayed their slick pop-n-lock moves to an original mix while the intelligent lighting system added dynamic lighting effects on the dance floor. Both the remarks and the dance number were captured by the 2-camera IMAG team and projected onto the large 9’x16’ screen over the stage.Cipriani strayed from their classic Italian fare to feature a Latin American menu offering items such as ceviche, steak with chimichurri, empanadas and desserts drizzled with tres leches sauce. While some guests stuck to the dance floor, others hovered around the main central bar, a stunning white plexi 16’x16’ square glowing with amber LEDs. Matching white plexi and amber LED lounge tables flanked the dance floor with sleek white leather banquettes and custom palm print throw pillows.In an adjoining lounge area, guests could play a few rounds at the golf simulator or take photos with friends at the 2 green screen photo booths, which featured distinctively South American backgrounds including Machu Picchu and an Amazonian waterfall. Halfway through the party, guests got to see their photos (as well as everyone else’s photos -- including CEO Masa Tanaka’s own shots) projected onto the large video screen.In addition to providing décor & design, entertainment, stage management and technical direction of sound, lighting, video and staging, Empire was in charge of overseeing the check-in and distribution of custom pre-printed name badges for all 1,300 guests, which began early in the afternoon at BTMU’s offices in NYC and Jersey City. Empire also managed the round-trip bus transportation of 500 guests from Jersey City to Cipriani 42nd Street. Both Empire and BTMU were pleased at having produced a stellar, high level holiday party in spite of strict budgetary guidelines and constraints in a time of fiscal austerity. Empire is a leading creative producer of business meetings and events worldwide.

For the third consecutive year, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosted “Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays” at the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the Department of State. This annual event honors the service, dedication and sacrifice of U.S. Government employees and their families who endure long periods of separation due to assignments in hardship posts around the world. This year, Empire worked with the Office of the Chief of Protocol to bring together a unique partnership with Internet voice & video phone service Skype to help bring these separated families together over the holiday season using new and innovative technologies.Using Skype, families attending the event in Washington DC were able to celebrate and re-connect live in a meaningful way with their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other loved ones serving at U.S. Embassies around the world. During the holiday event for approximately 350 guests a Skype Group Video call was initiated so that personnel around the world could view a live stream of the program hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Skype was also set up on several laptops outfitted with webcams around the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room for families to use.During the event, children of U.S. diplomats serving unaccompanied tours, and children from the respective foreign embassies in Washington DC, also prepared Hallmark cards, recordable storybooks and art projects for those serving abroad. As an expression of gratitude, the completed projects were sent to the recognized hardship embassies for display during the holiday season.The highlight of the event came during the stage remarks by Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Capricia Marshall when Jennifer Mauldin and her family came onstage to talk about the challenges of being apart from her husband. In the midst of her remarks a surprise reveal moment occurred when Jimmy Mauldin suddenly appeared live at the event via Skype video call from Pakistan where he is serving a year in the Economic Section at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. The family, children and the entire audience teared up during this touching digital reunion.In honor of this event and inspired by the history and significance of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, interior designer Erinn Valencich created holiday decorations to complement the existing collections and colors in each room. The decorations would remain on display through the month of December in the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room, Thomas Jefferson State Reception Room and James Monroe Reception Room on the eighth floor of the Harry S Truman building. Every day, the Diplomatic Reception Rooms play host to the most senior levels of American diplomacy and showcase our nation’s heritage to visitors from around the world. These stately rooms are maintained without taxpayer or government funds.Empire was honored to make the connection between its clients with the U. S. State Department and Skype and to develop what is sure to be a growing partnership in years to come.A full transcript of the evening's remarks is available at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/12/178868.htmYou can learn more about starting to use Skype at http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/support/user-guides/start-skype/. You can also find more info about making video calls using Skype at http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/support/user-guides/video-calling/.Empire is a leading producer of innovative events for clients in both the private and public sector and is honored to serve our country.

Leading online music streaming service Spotify, which launched in the United States in July 2011, held its first ever press conference on November 30, 2011, unveiling the Spotify Platform, and announcing, “this is the beginning of something game-changing for digital music." The press conference introduced Spotify's new platform and a range of apps, created in partnership with some of the best and brightest brands in the world.

The fastest-growing and most popular music service of its kind, the Swedish-founded Spotify is quickly changing the face of the music industry; with more than 10 million active users, over 2.5 million paying subscribers, and now available in 12 countries. The press conference was delivered by Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek, who was joined on stage by the CEOs of a number of the partner apps, including Jann Wenner, the iconic founder of Rolling Stone. CEOs from Last.FM, Tunewiki, and Songkick also shared the stage with Ek to discuss their respective apps, and answer questions from the audience on the impact the development of the Spotify Platform would have on the Spotify user experience, and on the music industry at large. Up and coming indie pop band, fun, gave a fantastic acoustic performance to cap off the stage presentation before guests were invited to interact with the custom-built partner installations Empire placed around the room, allowing guests to demo the new apps. To punctuate the initiative of accessibility, the event was live streamed to audiences in London and Stockholm as well as to individual media outlets around the globe – an idea that not only extended the reach of the event, but also resulted in the press conference becoming the number one trending topic on Twitter in real time.

For attendees in NYC, Empire layered and enriched the event experience with multiple elements that underscored the Spotify brand and created a much buzzed-about experience. Large-scale custom-designed graphics and Spotify visuals populated the room, while a guest-curated Spotify playlist emanated from the speakers. Unique and innovative catering offered additional fodder for the press blogs, while installations showcased the newly-announced Spotify applications designed to enhance user experience.

“As seems to be Spotify’s style, the event has unusually high production values: waiters are handing out espressos and bite-sized breakfast foods that I’ve never heard of (but are quite delicious). The company has a custom backdrop for the stage featuring music-themed illustrations.” -Jason Kincaid, Tech Crunch

“The platform was announced at a press conference in New York that bore all the hallmarks of Apple and Facebook's set-piece keynotes, with chief executive Daniel Ek outlining the news with the help of several partners.” -Stuart Dredge, Guardian.co.uk

Empire is a leading producer of innovative product launches and announcements and is a leading event marketing agency to some of today’s fastest growing Internet and media brands.

When E18 & L'Experience, both highly-respected producers of live and corporate events in India, sought an internationally known comedian to perform a 5-city tour, they turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver Rob Schneider, star of films such as "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo", "Grown Ups", and "50 First Dates".The event sponsor, Black Dog Scotch Whisky, have built a reputation for hosting India's top comedy events and raised the bar with Rob Schneider's recent visit to Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Gurgaon (New Delhi), and Mumbai/Bombay.One of India’s top comedians, Mumbai-based Sorabh Pant, was the opening act throughout the tour. His 20-minute performance each night got the audience revved up for the evening's headliner.When Rob Schneider took the stage he was greeted by a roar of applause from the 600-1000 audience members, complete with fans shouting catchphrases from his various films. His set of 60-75 minutes began with 15 minutes of humorous observations and jokes on India and his experiences during the trip which he tailored to each city's unique culture. His material on what it's like working in Hollywood and more universal topics such as marriage cut though culture barriers and resonated strongly with the Indian audiences who roared with laughter throughout all performances.This first-ever visit by Rob Schneider included extensive press coverage from every major newspaper in India, including Times of India and Malayala Manorama, as well as television interviews with CNN/IBN and CNBC.Empire is a leading advisor and partner to international producers and talent buyers on every continent and a gateway to world-class entertainment. Empire is proud to partner with E18 & L'Experience in India and similar organizations throughout the world who have contributed to our work history of projects in 65 countries to date.

On November 15, 2011, Empire Entertainment once again served as producer of the Coalition for the Homeless’ 17th annual ARTWALK NY – New York's premier contemporary art auction event. More than 900 art collectors, art appreciators and celebrities came together in Skylight Studio for a night of festivities, including a live and silent auction.The core of ARTWALK was a silent and live auction featuring over 130 works of contemporary art donated by some of the world’s most celebrated artists from Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey, Wade Guyton, Invader and Yoko Ono. All of the biggest names in the art world were represented and up for auction, all benefiting the Coalition’s efforts to end homelessness in New York City and beyond.The evening began with hors d’oeuvres by Canard and cocktails graciously provided by Star Vodka, Beck’s, The Odeon and Sud de France. Food was provided by several of New York’s best restaurants, including Macao Trading Company, Michael’s and Edi and the Wolf.In the live auction room, co-chairs Alec Baldwin, Carey Lowell, Richard Gere and honorary chair Coco Rocha took the stage to acknowledge the important work and various projects of the Coalition for the Homeless. When the live auction bidding began, Phillips de Pury auctioneer Aileen Agopian auctioned off a Shepard Fairey original painting as well as works by Andy Warhol, Wade Guyton, Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer and others.The rest of Skylight’s cavernous space served as a gallery for the silent auction. Throughout the night, guests bid on and purchased works from established artists like Yoko Ono, Leonard Rosenfeld, Olaf Breuning, and Christo. The silent auction featured works ranging from paintings and photographs to sculptures and installation pieces.The event was sponsored by FENDI and featured an exclusive FENDI Lounge where guests could relax on lounge furnishings between bidding sessions. Working closely with Coalition for the Homeless’ events team, Empire Entertainment served as overall producer of the event and was responsible for aspects ranging from event design, selected art solicitation (including the Andy Warhol piece), layout, production and logistics to décor, restaurant coordination and music.ARTWALK NY raised over $850,000 for the Coalition for the Homeless and reached the highest attendance in the event’s 17 years. Empire Entertainment is honored to have worked in collaboration with the Coalition for the Homeless and its many supporters, to make this year’s ARTWALK NY event the most successful one yet. To learn more about the Coalition for the Homeless or to get involved and donate, visit www.coalitionforthehomeless.org

The Gotham Independent Film Awards is an elegant dinner gala staged every year by the Independent Filmmaker Project. The funds raised by the event are channelled to independent filmmakers through the IFP's many programs and services. The Gothams are held at Cipriani's iconic Wall Street location, and are the marquee event of New York's prestigious independent film world.

At the 2011 Gotham Awards, tribute presenter and pint-sized comedian Patton Oswalt delivered one of the most memorable lines of the night as he stood at the podium with freakishly tall Charlize Theron draped on his left shoulder: "Yeah, this is what people really want to see. Charlize Theron with a bag of flour." Theron was one of four Gotham Awards tributees, along with Gary Oldman, director David Cronenberg and producer Tom Rothman, and one of many celebrities attending the star-studded 2011 Gotham Independent Film Awards. Ang Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Edie Falco, Alec Baldwin, Oliver Platt, Tilda Swinton and many others were out in force to support independent filmmakers and kick off the Oscars award season. This was Empire Entertainment 's fourth year producing the event.