Empire was honored to work with The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to successfully translate their annual meeting and gala into a virtual version—a recalibrated event commemorating the Bulletin’s 75th anniversary.

The event was truly a unique and interactive virtual experience that allowed guests to engage with the Bulletin’s global audience of thought leaders. Through carefully curated “virtual tables,” leading experts in the fields of nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies hosted intimate conversations throughout the evening: one during the virtual dinner course, and another over a virtual dessert.

In addition to the intimate “table”-style conversations, the event included speakers and an audience from around the world including South Korea, Israel, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and elsewhere.

Program remarks were delivered from the Bulletin’s President, Rachel Bronson; keynote speaker, Yoriko Kawaguchi; Rieser Award recipient and co-author of "Adults Won’t Take Climate Change Seriously. So We, the Youth, are Forced to Strike.", Haven Coleman; and Governor, Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown. The Bulletin community gathered to toast the Bulletin’s 75th anniversary with a special message from William J. Perry who served in the Clinton administration as the 19th Secretary of Defense for the United States.

Table experts included Award-winning journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author, Lesley Blume, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Beatrice Fihn.

George Church, the Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer of today’s "Genomic Era"; Lynn Eden, a senior research scholar (Emeritus) at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation; Laura Holgate, Vice President of Materials Risk Management at the Nuclear Threat Initiative; and Asha George, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, where she plays a leading role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, were also in attendance. Joining directly from Australia was the Honorable Gareth Evans, a distinguished honorary professor at the Australian National University.

To learn more and to support the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' vital mission of equipping the public, policymakers, and scientists with the information needed to reduce man-made threats to our existence, while at the same time elevating the role of science in the formation of public policy, visit https://thebulletin.org/

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

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Empire was proud to partner with BOMB Magazine to produce their 39^th Anniversary Virtual Gala on October 2nd, 2020. The program was livestreamed directly to BOMB’s website and focused on emphasizing BOMB’s theme, The Artist’s Voice, bringing together the close community that BOMB has supported during their 39 years.

BOMB Magazine’s gala featured artists and collaborators previously interviewed or featured in their magazine editions. Empire worked closely with BOMB to develop and produce an original pre-recorded video production and run-of-show for the program. It featured remarks and performances by Betsy Sussler, BOMB’s Editor in Chief, Jibz Cameron aka Dynasty Handbag, Wallace Shawn, Deborah Eisenberg, Claudia Rankine, Eric Bogosian, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, and many more. Artists like Katherine Bernhardt, Kenny Scharf, Dindga McCannon, and Lee Quinones showcased some of their art pieces for auction on Artsy, while contributors like Frederic Tuten, Jonathan Lethem, Linda Goode Bryant, and Monica De le Torre participated in a fun zoom call together recounting their incredible experiences with BOMB over the years.

The show honored Rachel Harrison, Henry Taylor, and Lawrence Weiner with a toast to Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi, and a highlight performance from Rufus Wainwright of “Only the People That Love".

Empire Entertainment is honored to have the opportunity to work with BOMB Magazine to help fundraise and support their message especially during these unprecedented times. https://bombmagazine.org/

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Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) celebrated its annual Crown Awards virtually this year. Empire was honored to produce the first-ever virtual benefit program dedicated to honoring Columbia’s front line heroes who valiantly responded to the COVID-19 pandemic: doctors, nurses, physicians, researchers, administrative, and support staff.

The evening program was hosted by VP&S alumna and ABC News Chief Health and Medical Correspondent, Dr. Jennifer Ashton. It also featured remarks by Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, Dr. Steven M. Corwin, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, and included contributions from Dr. P. Roy Vagelos and Mrs. Diana Vagelos, expressing thanks to the partners, friends, and supporters of Columbia.

Accepting the 2020 Crown Award was Dean Emeritus of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine (VP&S) and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Dr. Lee Goldman, whose leadership was transformational for the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The award paying tribute to his 14-year tenure was presented by Anil K. Rustgi, Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, and Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC).

The program also featured musical performances by VP&S students. Brian Stokes Mitchell and his pianist, Tedd Firth, closed the night with songs such as “The Wheels of a Dream,” “Feeling Good,” and “The Quest” to highlight the evening’s uplifting theme and occasion.  

Empire worked closely with the Columbia team to create the overall event, implement design and run-of-show, coordinate and record all speakers and talent (safely in-person and remote), and oversee the technical production and livestream.

Empire also created the microsite with elegant textures to host the livestream. The site featured a colorful, clean format with digital program and donate link above the program player window.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual awards ceremonies and fundraisers, special feature video productions, and more. We are proud to support Columbia’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

To learn more and donate, please visit ColumbiaCrownAwards.org

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Empire was proud to help livestream the first of four episodes of the Unfinished Live digital series on the web, YouTube, and NowThis to an international audience. Focused on big societal issues and how conversations can lead to impact and positive change, Unfinished Live is a new kind of intelligent digital programming that combines storytelling and content with live audience interactivity and calls to action. The topic of the first of these groundbreaking episodes was Economy & Justice.

Writer, artist, and activist Baratunde Thurston serves as host of the series, guiding the audience through a fast-paced hour of insight discussions, films, and artistic commissions that invite the audience to participate and imagine ​what’s possible now.

The first episode explored questions including whether capitalism is working for us all and whether we can reimagine a better economy together. Bringing together a wide range of disparate voices and perspectives, the first episode featured ideas and artistic contributions by documentary photographer, Aaron Huey; Founder & CEO of Coalfield Development, Brandon Dennison; Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary Julián Castro; Ford Foundation President, Darren Walker; JUST Capital CEO, Martin Whittaker; Filmmaker Abigail Disney; New York Times writer, David Leonhardt; Executive Director and Co-Founder of GreenWave, Bren Smith; PayPal CEO, Dan Schulman; as well as workers, activists, small business owners, and social innovators.

The program consists of live host segments, dynamic films, and thought-provoking performances to showcase lived experience, creative expression, and real-world candor. Through conversations, interviews, exchanges, and roundtable discussions, experts join everyday voices in a nuanced exploration of possibility and discovery on each episode’s topic.

Unfinished Live has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network to create both the series and the impact platform (see below), including The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown, MilM2, and PolicyLink.

Empire is proud to serve as producer of this important series, managing the development and production of each episode as well as the overall project.

About Unfinished Live

Unfinished ​is an impact network and media platform devoted to the simple idea that if we open our minds and create the space for possibilities, we can advance powerful solutions to the most critical challenges of our time. By tapping into the power of communities, creative media and new technology, we connect thought-leaders, culture-shapers, policy-makers,and innovators to provoke ideas, elevate unheard voices, and pursue collaborations for greater impact.

To learn more and to RSVP for an upcoming episode visit: https://unfinished.com/

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Shibuya is known for its epic (and often rowdy) Halloweens, when hordes of costume-clad revelers flock to the area around the world famous Scramble Crossing. This year, in order to allow for a safer and more socially distanced Halloween, Empire co-produced the “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Festival”.

Taking place on the “Virtual Shibuya” platform, authorized by Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward under the slogan #StayVirtual, Tokyo’s famous high streets of Shibuya were transformed into a Halloween entertainment showcase. The use of 5G and the latest cutting-edge technology connected the real Shibuya to a virtual space, combining digital and real worlds into an immersive experience.

Viewers tuning into “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Fes” with their own avatars had a chance to experience a variety of online events: a mystery-themed game with the virtual mayor of Shibuya, “HACHIKO”, designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto; a virtual costume contest; shopping for limited edition goods; and more.

Additionally, the stage hosted performances and talk shows from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kento Mori, BiSH, Rinne, Nulbarich, and international DJs Ellen Alien (Berlin), Surgeon (Birmingham), Dasha Rush (Berlin), and Ken Ishii. The event also featured collaborations with NHK's Bit World, KidZania, and Netflix. “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Fes” hosted over 400,000 viewers from all over the world.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, digital and hybrid events. Please contact us for more information on Virtual and IRL Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

Official Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSA9H_TGgAQC6ANogSiNa5Q

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Empire was honored to produce the Center for Hearing and Communication’s Virtual Gala, “Communication Without Limits.” This inspirational lineup of speakers and entertainment helped raise money to provide comprehensive services to those affected by hearing loss, deafness, or listening challenges.

The Gala honored Alex Lacamoire, award-winning music director, arranger, orchestrator, and composer best known for his work on Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and In the Heights. Actor, singer, and songwriter Joey McIntyre emceed the program, sharing a personal story about his son who was born with a hearing loss and the way CHC transforms the lives of so many families like his who are coping with the challenges of hearing loss.

Heather Baker, CHC board member and recipient of CHC’s services, shared a personal and moving story of how CHC impacted her life, while CK Swett, the auctioneer, encouraged all to donate throughout the night, raising over $700,000 to date! Other highlights include hearing health messages from ABC Anchor, Bill Ritter; actors Richard Kind and Kassie DePaiva; Grammy award-winning trumpeter, Chris Botti; singer Caroline Vreeland; and NBC Weather Anchor, David Price. The CHC kids sang a special tribute of Hamilton’s “My Shot” and held a fun and inspirational Zoom call with Alex and CHC kids, where they shared their experiences and celebrated their limitless abilities.

There were special appearances by Hamilton cast and crew, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbueler, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kurt Crowley, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others, with surprise messages for Alex and performances by ELEW and a beautiful finale of Alex and Joey singing “You Will Be Found,” from Dear Evan Hansen.

Empire worked closely with the CHC team to create the overall event and run-of-show and video packages; oversaw technical production, livestream, and speaker and talent logistics; and facilitated captioning and interpreting for all guests.

Empire is a leading producer of fundraising virtual galas and proud to support the Center for Hearing and Communication in their commitment to improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss and auditory and listening challenges.

To learn more and donate to the Center for Hearing and Communication, please visit chchearing.org/

BALMUDA, Japan’s award-winning appliance & computer accessories manufacturer, held a product launch event for their "BALMUDA The Cleaner", a hover-style cleaner that delivers "a whole new cleaning experience."

The launch event was held at the KASHIYAMA DAIKANYAMA, a modern glass gallery, cafe, restaurant & bar complex in Tokyo, where the product was announced and showcased to the media, emphasizing its style, cleaning power, and usability.

Empire was tasked with the venue design, event direction, and management.

Empire is proud to work with BALMUDA once again and to continue our live event work as a leader in executing innovative, consumer-faceing brand marketing projects around the world.​

BALMUDA Site: https://www.balmuda.com/jp/

With help from Empire, ArchCare’s first ever Virtual Gala, hosted by Rosanna Scotto, Co-Host of FOX 5’s Good Day New York, was livestreamed to a custom-designed event microsite.

The entirely original virtual program featured His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Scott LaRue, President and CEO of ArchCare; tributes from comedian Jim Gaffigan and his wife, Jeannie; Tino Martinez; Mike Piazza; Nicole Henry; and more.

The evening celebrated ArchCare’s Healthcare Heroes and the challenges they faced throughout the past seven months of Covid-19. Their efforts were spotlighted through a series of powerful video vignettes illustrating the everyday lives and motivations of a few of the incredibly heroic individuals working at each of ArchCare’s programs, including Managed Care, Home Care, Nursing Homes, Specialty Hospital, and PACE Centers.

Before the program began, guests joined the microsite to preview the evening’s agenda below the video player window and view the donor scroll. The evening opened with a welcome video and invocation by Monsignor Joseph P. LaMorte followed by the ArchCare Gala’s traditional performance of “God Bless America”—sung by the New York Tenors.

The program of speakers and videos highlighted Healthcare Heroes’ tireless efforts and honorable commitment to helping the most vulnerable populations in extremely dangerous and uncertain times. ArchCare’s administrative departments supported frontline workers and volunteers forging an inspiring motto, “you be there for them, and we’ll be there for you.”

For the text-to-pledge moment to solicit donations, a moving performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” by the New York Tenors paired with onscreen visuals and donor recognition inspired the live audience to give generously.

ArchCare recognized Quest Diagnostics for its partnership before the evening was closed with a spirited sing-along video compilation to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles, performed by Sing for Your Seniors.

CMI Event Planning + Fundraising is a longtime producer of ArchCare’s in-person Gala. This year, CMI and Empire worked in partnership to produce the high-level, virtual event ArchCare needed. Empire worked with ArchCare and CMI to develop and produce the entire program including shaping the run-of-show, writing a moving script, producing original video packages and graphics/animations, editing all content, and managing the technical delivery of the livestream and microsite.

Empire was honored to work with ArchCare and help support their work.

Empire is a leading producer of highly effective virtual fundraising events.

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Empire was proud to help Tradeweb Markets host a virtual event entitled Trading Through the Noise: Data Insights on the U.S. Election, featuring FiveThirtyEight.com Founder and renowned election statistician, Nate Silver, and moderated by CNBC Senior Analyst and Commentator, Ron Insana.

The virtual event offered Tradeweb’s global clients a fast-paced discussion on how to make insightful, data-driven decisions during the uncertainty of this year’s U.S. Presidential election.

Tradeweb CEO Lee Olesky and President Billy Hult welcomed the audience, set the stage, and introduced the speakers. Next, Ron Insana outlined the context of the financial markets and the stakes of trading decisions in the uncertain political environment.

Silver shared insights into the election and its possible outcomes drawn from his research and polling assessments. Ron and Nate then engaged in a lively discussion on what we can expect to see now, during the election and in the immediate aftermath. Tradeweb’s audience had the opportunity to ask their questions directly to them.

The event was designed to help Tradeweb’s clients navigate the fourth quarter of 2020, given the information overload and partisan noise surrounding the presidential election, and to provide valuable insights from those with unique perspectives. The event focused on evaluating empirical data and key economic and market indicators through a range of election outcomes—including two starkly different candidates representing substantially different economic approaches.

Following the main event, a small group of VIP guests moved to a separate virtual space for a more intimate discussion with Nate, Ron, Lee, and Billy.

Empire worked closely with the Tradeweb Markets team and served as overall producer of the virtual event, responsible for securing the guest speakers, developing the content and topics, producing the visual design and screen content, and managing the technical production. The entire production was conceptualized, designed, and produced in less than three weeks.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind and has been serving the global financial services industry for nearly three decades with thought leadership content.

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As part of National Vote Early Day, ten days before the U. S. Presidential election, Climate Reality Project, EARTHDAY.org, and Hip Hop Caucus teamed up with Empire to produce a livestream program on Twitch, entitled Your Vote, Your World to encourage young people from coast to coast to participate in the democratic process.

The program featured Al Gore, Don Cheadle, Stacey Abrams, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Thomas Middleditch, Kal Penn, Questlove, Mark Ronson, Shepard Fairey, Jonathan and Drew Scott, and Lil Dicky, as well as musical performances by Dave Matthews and Ozomatli.

The two-hour long, audience interactive program included an enlightening interview of Al Gore by the 15-year-old youth leader and climate activist, Alexandria Villaseñor, as well as 10 questions asked to Al Gore by powerful voices like Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, Calum Worthy, and representatives from NAACP.

The program also featured a performance by the cast of Hamilton from Michelle Obama’s organization When We All Vote. Other organizations participating included OneUpAction, Plus1Campaign, Voto Latino, American Public Health Association, Broadway Green Alliance, and student organizers from colleges around the country who submitted videos encouraging their peers to vote. In bringing together all of these diverse voices and organizations, Your Vote, Your World demonstrated the importance of voting in a fun and accessible way.

The program was livestreamed on Amazon Music’s Twitch account, and this feed was streamed through the event’s microsite and the organizations’ social media accounts, as well.

Hosted by Adesina Sanchez and Danni Washington, the show was engaging in its messaging and calls to action with a lot of interaction with viewers in the chat feature. Throughout the two-hour livestream, viewers tuned in from approximately 30 states and 10 countries with thousands of live viewers across Twitch, and the various partner organization’s social media feeds. Across all platforms, the program has amassed over 350,000 views. You can view the teaser video here.

As overall producer, Empire developed the run-of-show, created a youth-oriented script with social impact leader, Terry Torok. Jonathan Hutchinson produced original video packages and graphics, and edited together the various video submissions from celebrities, political leaders, college organizers, and partner organizations.

Empire is honored to have worked with the Climate Reality Project, EARTHDAY.org, and Hip Hop Caucus to support the important work they do, especially during this significant moment in history.

Empire is a leading content producer of virtual, broadcast and livestream productions.

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