On April 27 and 28, 2009, the world's foremost nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlé S.A., in conjunction with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Swiss Mission to the United Nations, collaborated to present the First Annual Creating Shared Value Forum in New York City. They partnered with a globally recognized communications consulting firm who selected Empire to serve as Production Company for this prestigious program. The objective of the forum was to help advance solutions to the serious problems facing the world in the areas of water, rural development and nutrition.

The forum kicked off with an elegant dinner held at the UN Delegate's Dining Room in the United Nations, with panoramic views overlooking the East River. Invited guests included United Nations, Development, Humanitarian and Relief Organizations, distinguished academics, representatives from a host of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other participants in the Forum's discussions. Leaders from the three hosting organizations welcomed the guests while they announced three new initiatives and introduced the topics for the following day's forum. They also debuted the Nestlé Creating Shared Value Report, entitled "Nutritional Needs and Quality Diets," which profiles Nestlé's global efforts to improve quality diets, support weight management, address specific dietary needs and improve knowledge, awareness and understanding about nutrition.

The following day, the world's leading experts in business strategy, nutrition, water, and rural development held multiple panel discussions at the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel. United Nations representatives, members of various development organizations, esteemed academics and government officials contributed their thoughts on the intersection of critical issues in their fields with corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.Moderated by Maria Livanos Cattaui, former Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, the forum included a who's who of experts including: Jeffery Sachs, Special Advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the UN Millennium Development Goals and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University;Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships;Jane Nelson, Director of the CSR Initiative at Harvard University's JFK School of Government;Nancy Birdsall, founding president of the Center for Global Development; Georg Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact; andJohn Elkington, co-founder of SustainAbility, and founding Partner & Director of Volans.

Throughout their discussions, questions and comments were welcomed from the participating attendees who were also leaders on these issues and a spirited discussion ensued. The Forum was also webcast live through various channels all over the globe: See link below for webcast:(http://clients.world-television.com/nestle/Nestle_Global_Forum09/) The incredible day of collaboration, discussion and knowledge-sharing on a wide range of topics helped to suggest strategies and best practices for addressing these issues and promoting a shared responsibility to create a better world. "Creating shared value is essential for the good of business and for the safety of our world. More than 2 billion people go to bed hungry. It's not just awareness, it's our necessity to fix," Jeffrey Sachs said. Empire served as Production Company for this program, designing, managing and overseeing the provision of all technical production, conference logistics, décor and the design and creation of all branding and signage.

Empire is a leading producer of global conferences and forums and a supporter of initiatives promoting global sustainability.

Each year, America's pre-eminent film presentation organization, The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents its annual Gala Tribute honoring legendary stars and industry leaders of our generation at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The Film Society's Annual Gala Tribute 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 and, in 2008, actress Meryl Streep.This year's Gala, the 36th annual, honored two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. The star-studded event featured remarks by many of Hanks's friends and collaborators, as well as film clips commemorating his celebrated career.

The evening culminated in the presentation of the Gala Tribute award – named the Chaplin Award. This year's gala evening started with VIP cocktails with the honoree in the Hauser Patron's Lounge in Alice Tully Hall and was followed by a seated dinner in the glass-walled atrium. The dinner décor was provided by designer David Stark. Following dinner the 1000+ guests entered the Starr Theater for the all-star program produced by Empire Entertainment. The program began with remarks by this year's event committee chair Ann Tenenbaum and then remarks by Film Society Executive Director Mara Manus and Program Director Richard Pena. Then came a career retrospective montage featuring work from most of Tom Hank's past films and ending with a clip of his newest release, Angels & Demons which served to introduce director Ron Howard who delivered the first tribute of the evening. This was followed by film clips and tributes by writer/director Nora Ephron, actress Sally Field, director Jonathan Demme, writer/director Mike Nichols, actress Julia Roberts, writer/director John Patrick Shanley, actress Charlize Theron, a performance based on the Chopsticks scene in "Big" by up-and-coming Julliard pianist Aaron Diehl and a tribute by director Robert Zemeckis.

Two highlights of the evening were a live performance by Bruce Springsteen & wife Patti Scialfa, followed by remarks by director Steven Spielberg and his presentation of the award to Tom Hank who then delivered his moving and hilarious acceptance remarks. Following the tribute program the guests returned to the atrium for a DJ's party sponsored by 42 Below Vodka.For this high stature event Empire served as producer and were responsible for overseeing creative and coordinating program participation for all participating presenters and talent, working with Lincoln center to provide necessary production design and supervision, creating the run of show and stage managing the event and working with the various film clips provided by the studios to integrate them into the program. The program was immensely successful and the client, all of the participating presenters and Tom Hanks were ecstatic with the results.

Empire is a leading producer of high-profile award and tribute programs and is frequently engaged to present programs with international stature talent & celebrities like Julie Roberts, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks.

When a leading software company was planning to bring corporate customers, partners, team members and industry experts together in New Orleans for a giant, week-long global conference, they asked Empire to provide the entertainment. In keeping with the flavor of New Orleans, Empire proposed and eventually secured local musical legends, The Radiators, to provide the soundtrack for the conference. This New Orleans musical institution has a sound described as a convergence of R&B, jazz, country, soul, swing, gospel, and New Orleans Rock n' Roll.

The Radiators are a featured mainstay of the "New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival" but on this week the band was a mainstay at the Ernest Morial Convention Center - acting at the house-band entertainment for three days of meetings and keynotes for a community of top software executives. The Radiators played live music as the eight thousand attendees entered the hall and supported keynote presenters as they took the stage. The Radiators' lively blend of upbeat, cross-genre New Orleans' rock brought energy and pacing and kept attendees engaged and surprised as the event unfolded. Having only wet the appetite of conference attendees, The Radiators took the stage at a local nightclub on one evening where they performed a full-length, high-energy concert that had the crowd electrified and cheering late into the night.

Like the diverse conference attendees themselves, The Radiators' perfect mixture of New Orleans jazz and rock ensured a steady flow for the tightly scripted conferences during the day, and a loose vibe for the guests to unwind to at night.

Empire is a leading provider of entertainment for large scale corporate meetings and events and is always able to deliver local flavor talent whether in New Orleans, Paris or Hong Kong.

When one of the world's leading technology companies formulated their plan to launch a ground-breaking new innovation, they made the decision to use a viral stunt as a means of drawing buzz to the product.The client selected a global marketing agency, who in turn partnered with Empire to produce a unique three day, live entertainment stunt that would generate substantial attention and buzz both where the stunt took place as well as online and in the viral cloud.

In order to achieve maximum visibility for consumer reach, they targeted the most highly trafficked location in New York City - Times Square. At the crossroads of New York City, the live stunts would be seen daily by a substantial number of the 1.5 million locals and tourists that cross Times Square's daily path. With the launch of the new and revolutionary technology, it was essential to create an experience to match the energy of the product – an energy that would match the buzzing backdrop of New York City and the commotion of billboards, brands and lights that mark Times Square. To accomplish this Empire secured innovative acrobatic and aerial troupe, Antigravity®, to present an entertainment-driven and high-flying choreographed experience that delivered product messaging and a physical representation of it's functionality. This creative was based on a conceptual storyboard developed by the marketing agency & Empire.

Empire worked within a month timeframe to bring an original concept to life. Antigravity®, with a notable roster of world-renowned acrobatic competitors, former Olympic athletes and Broadway performers, showcased their talents within a 10 minute high-energy performance, choreographed to original music, created and licensed specifically by Empire for this event.To achieve maximum impact, it was decided that the original performance would be repeated four times throughout the day, at critical high-traffic points, on three consecutive days – Friday thru Sunday.

The team of 32 performers, which also included some of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, were dressed in sleek, branded racer-like costumes. Each performance began with the cast separated into four separate groups. Each group of eight performers entered Times Square from a four block radius in order to build buzz and draw audience from afar. After five minutes of pre-show the four groups converged on Duffy Square island (where the TKTS booth is located) bringing together a momentous crowd. As the multitude of onlookers and tourists steadied their cameras for a free show, Antigravity® kicked into high gear and delivered a ten minute performance that included Rockettes-type choreography, extreme acrobatics, contortion, tumbling breakdancing, cyre wheel and other Antigravity specialties. One of the unique features of this performance was the use of performers to create a 16' wide X 9' high ‘living billboard' that displayed a series of advertising images and functionality demonstrations as the performers exchanged and flipped cards to create image after image. After the final image, the boards and performers pulled apart to expose an open stage area that transitioned into the famous finale of the Antigravity® Jumping Boots, which catapulted performers fifteen feet in the air into dynamic tumbling sequences. The audience was left speechless and met the performances with rousing applause as they rushed to meet and take photographs with the performers post event.

To support the promotion and drive product trials, street teams were on site directly after the acrobatic stunt as well as on surrounding NYC blocks to provide hands on experience with the product. The demonstrated technologies were preloaded with candid photographs and videos of the Antigravity® team rehearsing the routines, captured by Empire in the week leading up to the event.The stunt performance live entertainment event was part of an even larger brand marketing campaign where billboards, wrapped New York City buildings and busses, and store product launches covered the city landscape. Empire photographers and videographers documented all coverage as well as footage of the Antigravity performance in Times Square to create a viral video that was posted on the first day of the performances. A variety of partners provided other essential support for this program including permits for the event.

Close partnership by the Times Square Alliance and local NYC police precinct were also essential in delivering the successful events. Empire Entertainment served as event producer, helped develop the creative concept, coordinated and managed production and logistics elements, secured the talent, created all original props and placards, licensed the original music, directed the creation of costumes and choreography, provided security, production, videotaping and photography and created and edited the viral video.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of unique, dynamic event and street marketing initiatives and creative launch events.

When one of India's leading media conglomerates, sought to present the Concert for Mumbai - a benefit performance to raise money for ambulances in Mumbai following the Mumbai attacks of 26/11 - they turned to Empire Entertainment, an international production company with access to the hottest names in international entertainment to help deliver talent. Charged with delivering an artist whose broad, international appeal would ensure ticket sales and sponsorships, Empire successfully delivered the innovative and world-renowned MASS Ensemble. MASS (which stands for Music Architecture Sound Sculpture) has literally created their own performance genre with their elegant and high impact blend of music, sculpture, dance and visual arts. Moreover, MASS were thrilled for the opportunity to show their solidarity and share their unique music with the people of Mumbai.

When asked at the press conference held the day before the show why they had agreed to perform, Founder and Creative Director William Close explained, "In 2000, I developed a musical instrument called the Earth Harp. The first time this instrument was set up, it strung from one side of a valley 1,000 feet across to the other side. It turned the earth itself into an instrument. As we tour around the planet and set this giant instrument up in concert halls, attach it to buildings and architecture, I believe it becomes a symbol of resonance of the earth and music for the earth… We all know how deep and powerful music is, and how transformative it is… To help situations such as the experiences that have happened to this amazing city on 26/11, [we] share our music and transform the negative energy [created by the terrorists]."

Four MASS members played this magnificent Earth Harp together on their first piece at Shanmukhananda Hall. This symbol of the world as an instrument of peace, of beauty, of harmonious sound sent a compelling opening message to the audience, and the momentum only magnified throughout the rest of the show. They revealed unique instrument inventions including the Aquatar, Drum Cloud, Drumbrella, Chime Sculpture and Wing Harp. They incorporated dramatic demonstrations of yoga in its most advanced form as Andrea Brook, Sarah Llewellyn and Peter Francyk expressed the music of MASS through movement. They even were able to collaborate with a phenomenal local tabla musician on a number of songs. Gasps of delight, spontaneous applause and shouts of praise from the audience added a soundtrack to the performance that only contributed to its powerful impact. On the final piece, Shawn Barry sang the hopeful melody of John Lennon's "Imagine," poignantly joined by the voices of over 1,000 audience members on the chorus. As MASS Ensemble took their final bow, the crowd leapt to its feet in a lengthy and enthusiastic standing ovation.

As one critic from RadioandMusic.com perfectly captured, "MASS Ensemble were mesmerizing for many reasons. One, they converted the entire hall in to an instrument - a huge earth harp, something which the Mumbai audience would have witnessed for the first time - the band sounded as if a philharmonic was at work. The multi talented musicians from MASS shifted from one instrument to another with ease and elegance. They sang, danced and even displayed some jaw dropping aerobics." With Empire Entertainment on hand to coordinate contracts, pre-production and on-site logistics, the Concert for Mumbai was a seamless, successful, and most importantly profitable experience for the client and the charitable beneficiary. As the crowd departed Shanmukhananda Hall that night, the words of John Lennon still floated in the air:You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one.

Empire Entertainment is an international event production company, providing entertainment solutions for clients all over the globe. Empire Entertainment is proud to have joined MASS in donating our time and service to this worthy event for the people of Mumbai. - - - Photographs by Deepak Dhuri / www.radioandmusic.com

Empire worked closely with Fox International to design a press event for the Blu-Ray release of the Fox film, "Max Payne" starring Mark Wahlberg – they wanted something that would fascinate attendees but also speak to the dark themes of the film.The event kicked off innocently enough, with cocktails and a screening of the film at the swish Cipriani Club. But the next morning, the cadre of journalists from around the world began their day at the scene of a grisly double murder – staged by forensics experts from CUNY. The forensics professors and their students created a realistic crime scene in a dark Manhattan club, complete with two "bodies", blood spatter and spent shells. The journalists collected evidence, interviewed witnesses and combed the scene for clues, all in the hopes of solving the murder.

The following morning, at a sports club across town, the journalists were given access to the suspects and their brazen lies and explosive revelations. Arrests were made, followed by cupcakes for all.In addition to great food and drink, the guests were treated to one-on-one interviews with the film's director, Peter Moore, as part of the three-day press event.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of unique marketing initiatives and product launch / press events.

When a leading pharmaceutical company wanted top-quality entertainment to perform for approximately 1,000 of their finest sales employees, they turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a concert with one of the most renowned bands of the 90's. Following a weeks worth of company meetings, the employees entered the ballroom with excitement, awaiting the announcement of who their surprise performer would be. After remarks and an introduction by a company executive, Smash Mouth took the stage to begin their 80-minute greatest hits, high energy set. Kicking off their performance with a rousing rendition of their hit "Can't Get Enough of You Baby," the audience jumped to their feet and cheered the band on as they performed their hit songs such as "Then The Morning Comes", "Walkin' On The Sun", and their cover of "I'm A Believer".

Smash Mouth's interaction with the crowd throughout the set led to a room-wide sing-a-long of classic rock songs including Van Halen's "Runnin' With The Devil" and The Kinks' "You Really Got Me". The evening climaxed with an all-out performance of Smash Mouth's #1 hit "All Star".Empire was responsible for proposing, contracting and arranging travel and accommodations for Smash Mouth, as well as coordinating and managing all schedules, logistical and technical aspects of the band's performance.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of private and corporate events in the U.S. and around the world.

Nestlé Japan turned to Empire Entertainment Japan for the product launch event of their newest creation, "NESCAFÉ CHARGE". Empire Entertainment Japan invited the world-famous 3D ‘Trick Artist', Kurt Wenner to create a 3D chalk painting with the new product as the subject. The exhibition drew in a huge crowd to Marunouchi ‘oazo', the venue located at the very heart of Tokyo, mesmerizing the public with their very first taste of ‘3D Trick Art' in Japan. The event also drew significant amount of media attention, and its overwhelming success led to additional exhibitions across Japan in the following weeks.

Empire is a leading provider of innovative street marketing & event marketing solutions for major brands around the globe.

Nothing makes a wedding more special or memorable than the perfect entertainment. And in some cases, when the client wants to create the event of a lifetime, the entertainment required includes some of the biggest headliners in the world. Such was the case when a high-profile couple wanted to celebrate their special day at the world-renowned Marquis Los Cabos. To secure their wedding entertainment they and their wedding planner turned to Empire Entertainment to engage and produce the internationally-acclaimed romance singer, Julio Iglesias. Working closely with the wedding planner, their production team and Julio's representation and production teams across many countries and time zones, Empire was ultimately successful in securing the wedding couple's first choice performer.

Empire completed the protracted negotiations resulting in the contract for Julio to perform. Following the contracting Empire coordinated all logistical, production and creative details for the performance including the complicated cross-border shipping of band equipment. Additionally, Empire worked closely with vendor partners in Mexico as well as Government officials to secure all necessary visas and work permits for the band & crew consisting of nationals from the Netherlands, Spain and the Dominican Republic among others. Empire also worked closely between Julio Iglesias' production team and the world class sound, lighting, staging & decor vendors engaged for the project to satisfy Julio's complex production requirements without sacrificing the designer's incredible vision for the event.

One production issue for which Empire provided the novel solution was the issue of allowing Julio's sound & lighting engineers to mix and light the show from within the intimate and exquisitely decorated wedding banquet room. The problem was that Julio's massive sound & lighting boards would have compromised the decor in the room. Empire's solution? Install drawstring, semi-transparent drapes at the rear of the room which gave the audio & lighting engineers direct sightline to the stage and to open them only once the house lights were lowered for the start of the show. The result? The audience never saw the technical installation or the technicians and the show looked and sounded great. Julio Iglesias was kept a complete surprise to all the guests who cheered when he was introduced by the bride. Julio performed a show of his decades-spanning greatest hits that included "To All The Girls I Loved Before", "Abrazame" and "El Amor", among others, singing in Spanish, English and French. Julio played for over 75 minutes and delivered a truly unique show. After the performance Julio posed for photos with the bride & groom and their friends.

As is typical for large, international productions of this nature, Empire managed every detail of the concert performance from the negotiations and contracting, all the way through to the final execution, and stage management of the performance. Empire is a worldwide leader in the booking & producing of headline talent for high end private events and has a great deal of experience producing major events in Mexico, Central and Latin America.

The Golden Horse Awards is the Academy Awards for Chinese-language films and one of the most prestigious film award ceremonies in the world. When STAR Group was seeking a performer who would not only live up to the prestige of the event, but also astound their millions of viewers, there was only one candidate - Marco Tempest, the virtual magician. Combining the worlds of magic and technology, creativity and cutting-edge visual performance, Marco's skills as an illusionist and as an imaginative performer are revolutionizing the way the world sees magic."Marco Tempest performed his magic in front of the Gods of Dragon Mountain Temple," reported one news syndicate.

Prior to the day of ceremony, Marco spent his day at the Dragon Mountain Temple, where he displayed his magic in front of the Taiwanese press, impressing them with his feats of digital sleight-of-hand and drumming up interest in the upcoming award ceremony. On awards night Marco took the stage at Taichung's Chungshan Hall before a huge live and televised audience. The show began with the stage in pitch black except for a light beginning to materialize on Marco's body. The magical light then flowed through Marco's fingers, down his arms, and his chest, transcending the limits of reality. Right from the start the audience knew they were watching something truly extraordinary.

Marco's performances for the show, from the press junket in Taipei to an impromptu appearance on the red-carpet, and the grand finale where he conjured an actual Golden Horse Award from the virtual world, set the stage for the glamorous night. "A brilliantly imaginative performance of magic and technology!" Deputy Minister of Taiwan's Government Information Office Mr. Albert Lin, said as he scratched his head in bewilderment. The consensus of the millions and millions of viewers across Asia was that Marco's performance was mind-blowing.

Empire Entertainment Japan once again delivered, and helped make one of the biggest film award ceremonies in Asia completely unforgettable.