When Bravo was looking to promote Season 19 of their Emmy-winning competition series Project Runway, they partnered with Empire to help execute a multi-day outdoor stunt that would engage with fans and fashionistas across New York City.

In this age of social media, nothing gets more traction than a fabulous selfie. Empire built three oversized mirror installations adorned with colorful, eye-popping floral designs, and set them up in key locations throughout Manhattan across three days, kicking off on the premiere day of Bravo’s Project Runway Season 19.

The largest of the three mirrors was set up as a thee-day flagship location in the heart of Flatiron Plaza next to Madison Square Park. With the Flatiron Building as the backdrop and the Empire State Building caught in the mirror’s reflection, thousands of passersby, including Real Housewives of Potomac’s Wendy Osefo, came by to check themselves out and take a snap.

The other two mirrors ‘popped up’ each day with fresh new floral ‘looks’ and sassy new mottos (e.g. “IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO SLAY”) in different locations including SoHo, Columbus Circle, the Meatpacking District, and Union Square. Additional notable visitors included Real Housewives of New York’s Leah McSweeney, and current S19 Project Runway contestant, Darren Apolonio.

Blessed with beautiful, sunny, and warm mid-October weather, the mirrors were seen by tens of thousands of New Yorkers and enjoyed interactions with thousands of selfie-takers.

Empire secured the location permits, worked with florist East Olivia on the installations, and managed a team of Brand Ambassadors outfitted in branded black denim jackets and white T’s.

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The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Aspen Institute co-hosted the 2021 Global Inclusive Growth Summit. The day-long, virtual event was attended by a global community of purpose-driven leaders from across sectors who came together to take collective action towards rebuilding an economy that works for everyone.

Participants included Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris; Former President, William Jefferson Clinton; H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Director-General, World Trade Organization, Ajay Banga; Executive Chairman, Mastercard, Reeta Roy; President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation, Vera Songwe; United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Brad Smith; President and Vice Chairman, Microsoft, Alan Jope; CEO, Unilever, Ivor Horn; Director of Health Equity & Product Inclusion, Google, Ashish Jha; Dean, Brown University School of Public Health, Makhtar Diop; Managing Director and EVP, International Finance Corporation, Michael Froman; Vice Chairman, President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard, Dan Porterfield; President and CEO, Aspen Institute, Shamina Singh; President of The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Ida Rademacher; and many more. The multi-session program was hosted by Marketplace correspondent, Kimberly Adams.

Conversations catalyzed new partnerships, spotlighting solutions that advance inclusive and sustainable economies around the world.

The virtual event platform hosted main stage content on topics including inclusive and sustainable growth, financial security, putting technology to work for the common good, digitizing small businesses, corporate intrapreneurship, crypto-currency, building financial security after Covid-19, live demos on groundbreaking tools for advancing inclusive growth.

Additionally, a live social feed was created to provide guest interaction, the full program agenda, a list of speakers and their biographies, and more.

Empire worked closely with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Aspen Institute in the months leading up to the Summit, consulting closely on content and program development, speaker advance, event marketing, and audience development communications. Empire also oversaw all technical production and management of the livestream program and pre-recordings, virtual event platform development, creative and visual design, editing, and overall project management.

Empire is a proud production partner for the 2021 Global Inclusive Growth Summit, supporting the goals of inclusive and equitable economic growth.

About The Global Inclusive Growth Partnership: The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth & the Aspen Institute

Launched in October 2019 with an inaugural summit, the Global Inclusive Growth Partnership (GIGP) combines the expertise and networks of both the Aspen Institute and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to address systemic issues across a range of topics including financial security, the future of workers, portable benefits, growing micro and small businesses, and commercially-sustainable social impact.

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth:

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund to produce independent research, scale global programs and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the frontlines of inclusive growth.

The Aspen Institute:

The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is the creation of a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado, and New York City, as well as an international network of partners. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org.

To learn more and view the programming on demand, visit https://globalinclusivegrowthsummit.com

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Empire was proud to produce World Food Program USA’s livestreamed panel discussion entitled US Against Hunger: The Future of Hunger & Global Food Systems. This engaging conversation was moderated by award-winning international journalist, Femi Oke, and featured Dr. Martin Frick, Deputy to the Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021; Volli Carucci, Director of Food Systems and Resilience, U.N. World Food Programme; and Chef Andrew Zimmern, chef, writer, & Emmy-winning TV personality.

The virtual panel focused on the U.N. World Food Program’s work of fighting food insecurity and addressing how food waste impacts hunger. The discussion was livestreamed through the World Food Program’s social media accounts as well as a Vimeo player on the World Food Program USA’s website.

Empire worked closely with the World Food Program USA team and served as overall producer of the virtual event, which is the final program in a series of four.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind, and has been serving not-for-profit organizations for nearly three decades.

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After a year hiatus, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans decided to bring together their newest cohorts of Fellows for their annual Fall conference in Nashville, TN. Their leadership and Board of Directors called on Empire once again to serve as their production partner for this important gathering.

The Fall Conference hosted the three most recent classes of Fellows, as well as members of the Board of Directors, and a select group of alumni. The weekend was strategically designed as a multi-day retreat consisting of social, educational, and conversational sessions and activities. Its goals included bringing the newest classes of Fellows together, recognizing and celebrating the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States, and fostering the sense of community and direct connections between Fellows.

To accomplish this cohesion, event programming was built around common themes of immigration, leadership, innovation, and mental health, targeting to attendees across multiple cohorts and disciplines, age ranges, and professions.

Nashville was chosen as the host city both for its rich history and role as a cultural center, but also for its metropolitan government’s work with New Americans to engage and empower immigrants to participate in government and community.

The weekend kicked off on Thursday evening with Fellow arrivals and registration at the Sheraton Grand Downtown, followed by a welcome dinner and private performance by American singer-songwriter, Joy Oladokun.

Friday morning began with breakfast and optional morning activities including an outdoor exercise bootcamp at Capital City Park and a tour of Nashville’s New American communities.

Programing took place at the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition with food truck activations for lunch and a panel discussion with Robert Fisher, Senior Advisor of Results for America, Dr. Stephanie King, the Director of Health Equity Bureau for Nashville’s Metro Public Health, and Fabian Bedne, Senior Manager of Community Development in the Office of Nashville Mayor John Cooper. The opening session was followed by a special blue grass performance by PD Soros Executive Director, Craig Harwood.

Curated one-on-one conversations amongst the Fellows ended the day’s program. Friday evening included a cocktail reception where Fellows had the opportunity to meet and greet with Mrs. Daisy Soros and family before heading out to their individual class dinners at restaurants in the city. One group of Fellows went to Lyra, a restaurant in East Nashville, and the chef shared his New American story with them in the private dining room. The evening closed with an epic line dance party with cocktails and a DJ in the Skye Lounge at the top of the Sheraton Grand.

Saturday afternoon included tours at unique locations around the city of Nashville including Thistle Farms, Cheekwood Botanical Garden, Nashville Food  Project, The Healing Trust with Jen Bailey, and The National Museum of African American Music. The evening’s dinner was held at the Grand Old Opry where Fellows had a chance to experience the variety act performances in one of America’s longest running radio broadcasts and shows. The event featured Carrie Underwood as the closing performer.

The weekend came to a close on Sunday starting with a conversation between four  Fellowship Alumni who are making an impact in the South and concluded with closing remarks by Mrs. Daisy M. Soros, whose heartfelt words created a shared moment for the Fellowship and instilled a sense of legacy in each attendee.

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Fall Conference was a celebration of diverse cultures and a touchstone for the newest classes of Fellows that make up the growing Fellowship community.

Empire worked closely with The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships team, the various departments at The Sheraton Grand Downtown, and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition team to plan and execute each component of the weekend. Empire managed every detail of this occasion, which included concept development, programming, venue acquisition, budgeting, technical production, catering, décor, guest transportation and accommodations, and overall guest experience.

Empire is proud to have partnered with The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans to produce their Fall Conference to celebrate the Fellows, foster new Fellow bonds, and showcase the growing New American population in Nashville, TN. Empire is also honored to have had the opportunity to recognize the impact of Mrs. Daisy Soros and their family, and to reflect on the life of Mr. Paul Soros.

Empire is a leading producer of high-level events for many of the world’s leading educational institutions, associations, and foundations.

To learn more about the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans visit https://www.pdsoros.org

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Over two days at The Shed, a cultural center in Hudson Yards, New York City, Unfinished Live convened leading voices in tech, media, art, policy, and the spaces-in-between for vibrant conversations about the decentralized future.

The discussions during Unfinished Live fostered a movement toward an equitable and sustainable future for all. Hosted by Baratunde Thurston, participants included Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence at PolicyLink and the Chair of the Unfinished Network; Nabiha Syed, President of The Markup; Audrey Tang, Digital Minister of Taiwan; Claire Evans, author of Broad Band; Elizabeth Stark, CEO of Lightning Labs; Ian Cheng, Artist; Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute; Rashad Robinson, American Civil Rights leader; Gavin Wood, Founder of the Web3 Foundation and Parity Technologies, Co-Founder Ethereum; Gary Liu, CEO, South China Morning Post; Yasmim Green, Director of R&D, Jigsaw; Anil Dash, Co-Founder and CEO, ThinkUp; Rumman Chowdhury, Founder, Parity AI; Alex Kantrowitz, Founder, Big Technology; and Anna Sale, of Death, Sex & Money, who hosted live audio experiments; along with many, many more.

With two main stages, a podcast studio, a dedicated Clubhouse social audio lounge, and interactive art spaces with a special presentation from the artists of Unfinished Camp, the multi-day program was packed with meaning and experiences. Additionally, the Project Liberty Experience—a monumental, immersive, interactive art installation by Refik Anadol—and a projection environment in The McCourt invited guests and members of the public to envision a world where individuals own and control their data.

Empire worked closely with the Unfinished team and various Unfinished partners to deliver an inspiring and seamless experience for this high-profile convening. Empire roles for Unfinished Live included technical production for the program spaces within The Shed (staging, rigging, audio, video, livestream), design, layouts, and production management. Empire oversaw show running for the main stage programs for the live show days as well as livestreaming to a virtual audience. Empire worked closely with T Strategy and Plan Experiential on all aspects of show production as well as Chilean strategy and creative agency, Felicidad, to deliver an extraordinary display of Unfinished Live’s design assets and imagery.

Empire, alongside the Unfinished and Shed teams, collaboratively developed and managed a thorough on-site Covid safety plan for all staff, crew, talent, and guests, ensuring the health and safety of all present at the event.

Empire is a proud production partner for Unfinished Live.

About Unfinished

Unfinished works to strengthen our civic life in the digital age. With a network of partners in technology, academia, social impact, and the arts, Unfinished is imagining the future of technology, culture, and our economy to create a thriving multiracial democracy.

To achieve this, Unfinished is advancing a very concrete solution through Project Liberty, an initiative with the potential to transform how the internet works and who benefits from the digital economy. Project Liberty aims to create a new civic architecture for the next generation of the internet that prioritizes people over platforms, returns the ownership and control of personal data to individuals, reflects a commitment to ethics and shared values, and expands economic opportunities for both users and developers.

Unfinished has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network that includes: The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Ford Foundation, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown University, Citizen University, Common Goal, Guild of Future Architects, Heartland Forward, Independent Sector, New_ Public, Sciences Po, Serpentine, Amplifier, MilM2, and PolicyLink, and which continues to grow.

To learn more visit: https://unfinished.com/

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Empire was proud to partner with Leaders on Purpose to produce the 4th Annual CEO Summit, a hybrid event taking place in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly. The annual event convenes the world’s most prominent CEOs, academics, multilateral leaders, and business visionaries, all with the goal of integrating purpose and profit.

The theme of this year’s CEO Summit, "Advancing Systemic Leadership & Shaping a Better Future for All—Together", consisted of 12 hours of programming including over 100+ leaders participating in keynote sessions, fire side chats, and intimate breakout sessions, all taking place on a custom-designed virtual platform.

Among the many highlights of the program were remarks by Leaders on Purpose CEO, Christa Gyori; Co-Founder and CSO, Dr. Tatiana Kazakova; UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore; Partners In Health Co-Founder, Dr. Paul Farmer; Unilever CEO, Alan Jope; Paul Polman; and many more.

Sessions from the day included a panel discussion on “Earthshot Partnerships–Breaking Silos, Building New Capacity to Problem Solve Together” with Christian Klein, CEO SAP; Dawn Nakagawa, Executive Vice President Berggruen; and Arlo Brady, CEO of Freuds. There was also a Keynote Session, “Transparent Communication & Building Trust” with Mark Read, CEO WPP. And finally a panel on "Economic Diplomacy in the 21st Century: Enabling a Purpose-First Environment”, in partnership with Meridian International President & CEO, Ambassador Stuart Holliday, included H.E. Rosemary Banks, Ambassador to the US, Country of New Zealand; and Karan Bhatia, Vice President Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google.

Leaders on Purpose is where purpose and strategy meet for better business and a brighter future for all. The organization supports multinational businesses in becoming future-fit, more resilient, and sustainable through embedding purpose at the core of their organizational strategy. They do this by focusing on four areas: research into strategy practices; a peer-to-peer community of CEOs; advocacy for policies to create an enabling environment for purpose-centered business; and advisory on business transformation that delivers on purpose and performance. The annual CEO Summit is the organization’s flagship event bringing together leaders across sectors in support of a purpose-first economy.  

Empire’s role as producer included overall project management, virtual platform development, sponsorship sales, all aspects of the technical production for the hybrid event, registration management, content development, and virtual speaker coordination.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid, and live events and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

To learn more please visit https://www.leadersonpurpose.com

During the relatively slow summer month of August, Empire was anything but slow, presenting four globally-known, superstar artists for live and in-person events in a period of four days for various clients in various locations!

Country sensation Dierks Bentley thrilled with a performance at a corporate event in Las Vegas.

Back on the east coast, Pitbull and his dancers had the entire audience on their feet at a spectacular private party.

Jason Derulo appeared for a lucky corporate conference crowd, mirrored on monumental projection screens, while the iconic Christina Aguilera sang some her greatest hits and ballads at a private function.

Empire secured and contracted all of these artists and managed the logistics of their performances within a four day period.

Empire is a leading provider of headline musical talent and are thrilled to bring these and other artists back to the stage for in-person live events.  

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In Los Angeles and New York City, Empire produced two VIP screenings of Chance The Rapper’s new concert movie Magnificent Coloring World. Partnering with AMC Theatres, these exclusive screenings took place at Universal Citywalk on Friday and AMC Empire 25 in Times Square on Saturday for Chance The Rapper’s family, friends, and a few lucky fans who won tickets. This incredible film will be playing across the country in AMC Theatres in 35 cities until August 26.

To mark the release of Focus Features’ Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Focus Features partnered with Empire to bring the iconic Brasserie Les Halles back for one weekend only—and give friends and fans of Anthony Bourdain the opportunity to celebrate his legacy in the restaurant where it all began.

No one has transcended the culinary world and single-handedly transformed how entire generations thought about and connected with food—and the rest of the globe—like Anthony Bourdain. Tony spent the first two decades of his adult life toiling away in hot, cramped kitchens until his essay “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” appeared in The New Yorker, gained immediate acclaim, and spawned his groundbreaking memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, which became a New York Times Bestseller and catapulted him from Executive Chef at NYC’s Brasserie Les Halles to worldwide renown as the host of multiple food and travel shows including No Reservations and Parts Unknown.

Tony’s untimely death in 2018 led thousands of his fans and admirers to revisit the Les Halles space on Park Avenue South and pay tribute to their favorite globetrotting storyteller and foodie, but unfortunately the restaurant was shuttered two years earlier in 2016, after nearly 25 years in business.

Bringing back Brasserie Les Halles for one weekend took enormous tenacity and a touch of luck. The Park Avenue South location came under new ownership in 2017 and went through a full demolition and renovation in 2018-2019. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the reopening of the new restaurant was delayed, which created an opportunity to rent the space and convert it into Brasserie Les Halles through exterior branding, interior design, and tabletop elements reminiscent of the original Les Halles’ Parisian and Art Nouveau aesthetic.

The first night of the four-day pop-up was an invite-only event for friends of Tony and Roadrunner’s filmmaker, Oscar-winning director, Morgan Neville. After attending a special screening of the documentary, guests headed to the restaurant for a dinner that featured Les Halles classics including French onion soup, steak frites, and chocolate mousse, while punk rock tunes from Tony’s favorite artists like The Stooges, Ramones, and Iggy Pop reverberated throughout the brasserie.

The following three nights were open to diners who booked their tickets in advance through event partner RESY. All 900 tickets sold out in just minutes. Diners were comprised of fans, friends, and former colleagues of Tony’s who traveled from across the country and as far as Spain to attend the event.

Empire brought on Great Performances to run the kitchen and front of house staff. Focus Features, Empire, and Great Performances collaborated and consulted with Philippe Lajaunie (Owner & Co-Founder of Les Halles) and Jose de Meirelles (original Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Les Halles) to ensure that the menu stayed true to the original Les Halles.

Empire is a leading producer of experiential marketing events and experiences in New York City and around the globe.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain opened in theaters on July 16^th and opened to $1.9 million dollars at the domestic box office. The strongest opening for a specialty film this year—narrative or documentary—and top opening doc of the year.

For the American Ballet Theatre's (ABT) Summer Celebration, it delivered a dazzling, virtual showcase of soaring artistry including excerpts of classical, iconic ballet pieces along with the premiere of three new works: Collage & Creed by Silas Farley, Desire by Helen Pickett, and City of Women by ABT Principal Dancer, James Whiteside. All pieces were performed and filmed in quarantined “ballet bubbles” in different locations across the United States.

The First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, delivered welcoming remarks. Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Award-winner and ABT Family member, hosted the Summer Celebration with a special guest, ABT Dancer, Erica Lall.

The program also paid tribute to the ongoing ABT Heals series of live recitals for patients and hospital staff at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, highlighted the ABT Across America tour that took place in July, and honored ABT Heroes–medical advisor Dr. Robert Galvin and Jennifer Garner, actress and ABT’s champion supporter–who have helped the company to navigate the pandemic.

Empire worked in close partnership with American Ballet Theatre to develop the creative and run-of-show, coordinate and record speakers remotely, and oversee technical and video production. The program celebrated the spirit of summer and ABT’s “ballet bubbles” by bringing to life themes of nature and vibrant colors through eye-catching landscapes, dancer silhouettes, ambient nature sounds, animations, and sweeping transitions.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid, and live events, and is proud to work with leading arts organizations like America’s National Ballet Company®.

To support American Ballet Theatre and its magnificent dancers, brilliant choreographers, and education programs, please visit: https://www.abt.org

ABT’s Summer Celebration program is available for a limited time on ABT’s YouTube Channel.