​Playworks celebrated its 20th anniversary by raising more than $200,000 at the second annual New York Get in the Game Gala, recognizing Inspiring Leadership Honoree ESPN and Most Valuable Principal Heather Foster-Mann of Brooklyn’s PS 133 William A. ButlerSchool. This school year, acclaimed nonprofit Playworks will provide safe, healthy, and inclusive play for nearly 900,000 children in more than 1,800 elementary schools nationwide to reduce bullying, increase physical activity, improve learning, and promote social and emotional skills.

The evening featured remarks from Olympic gold medalists Edwin Moses and Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, a live auction led by CK Swett, entertainment from Grammy-nominated artist John Forte, and international recording artist ELEW, recess games, a friendly pingpong tournament, plus food and drink. Funds raised support the expanding efforts of Playworks to bring the power of play to every girl and boy in New York and beyond.

To help make this event a success, Empire produced the fundraiser at the elegant TriBeCa Rooftop venue, where we transported guests from the ballroom to the playground on the transformed rooftop space. Attendees enjoyed stunning Manhattan views and experienced play through sophisticated and immersive activations of traditional recess games like Four Square, along with life-sized installations of Chess, Jenga and Connect 4.

Working closely with Playworks, Empire served as the event producer, managing elements including venue, décor, technical production, and performing talent.  Empire is a leading producer of fundraising events and we are honored that Playworks continues to work with us to produce successful events.

To support or learn more about Playworks, please visit www.playworks.org

Philanthropist and supermodel Petra Nemcova and the Happy Hearts Fund team called on Empire once again to produce their 2^nd Annual Fight for Education gala in the renowned Hammerstein Ballroom. Leaders from finance, sports, and fashion gathered to support the Happy Hearts Fund mission to rebuild safe, resilient schools in areas impacted by natural disasters.

The action-packed evening was kicked off by internationally-acclaimed tenor James Valenti and soprano Jessica Fishenfeld, singing the National Anthem. After the moving performance, veteran sports announcer Mark Fratto invited Petra to the ring to thank the guests for their attendance and lead a traditional ten-bell salute, honoring the passing of Muhammad Ali.

The night proceeded with six fights featuring amateurs in finance representing Blackrock, Deutsche Bank, and Oppenheimer, among others. Models Hind Salhi and Arlenis Sosa also showcased some exciting boxing in support of the cause. The last bout consisted of acclaimed professional MMA fighters Nick Pace and Julio Arce.

In between the action, auctioneer Patrick Tully led the live auction of eight lots, including a trip to Monaco and Cannes to experience the famous Formula E-race on the Monaco Grand Prix F1 track, and a special VIP package to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. As a compelling finale to the event, Ms. Petra “Trouble” Nemcova surprised guests by taking on comedian Dane “Kiss The” Cook in an entertaining fight using cupcakes, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup.

Throughout the elevated evening, the nearly 400 guests were treated to a three-course meal of caprese salad, chargrilled filet of beef, and family-style desserts for a sweet finish, all catered by Abigail Kirsch.

Over $1.1 million was raised as a result of the Fight for Education gala, continuing the exciting annual tradition benefiting the Happy Hearts Fund.

Empire was proud to be a part of this creative fundraising event, having been the producer of Happy Heart’s annual events for the last six years and is a leading producer of not-for-profit events globally.

To learn more about the Happy Hearts Fund, please visit www.happyheartsfund.org.

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The team behind the Lowline has been working for the past several years to generate support and awareness for their vision to convert an historic underground trolley terminal on Manhattan’s Lower East Side into a subterranean public park. Using breakthrough solar technology for natural sunlight illumination and plant growth with cutting-edge design, the Lowline will be the world’s first underground park, adding a much needed acre of green space to the neighborhood.

The Lowline opened the Lowline Lab, a long-term laboratory and exhibit open to the public, designed to showcase the power and potential of the technology to grow and sustain a wide variety of plant life. Located inside an abandoned market on the Lower East Side just two blocks from the proposed site of the future park, the Lowline Lab serves as a prototype, letting the public preview what's to come. Over 60,000 visitors have come to date and dozens of free community-based programs have been held.

The Lowline held its inaugural spring benefit at the Lowline Lab, to raise funds and welcome guests into an underground, other-worldly garden experience.

Guests were greeted by scantily clad nymphs in body paint and ivy, tempting them to drink tequila spiked elixirs from flower-covered watering cans before moving deeper into the Garden of Eden. An interactive cocktail hour allowed guests to pour their own drinks from irrigation wall taps, where specialty cocktails were surrounded by plants, herbs, and spices. Guests could also add basil, mint, and lavender to add infusions and garnishes to their drinks.

The evening included a seated dinner where attendees enjoyed a DIY-style meal featuring an “interactive salad” that required chopping their own vegetables and an entree that encouraged guests to eat with their hands and serve each other from the family-style dishes. The appetizing menu was created and curated by Chef John Fraser of Nix, Narissa, and Dovetail.

The program featured speeches by Lowline Co-Founders Dan Barasch and James Ramsey, and honored Openbox’s Marquise Stillwell and Lowline Young Designer student, Nasir Mouzon-Cooley. CK Swett hosted the live auction, garnering over $50,000 in proceeds for auction lots that included a trip to Tuscany and a video message from singer/songwriter Sia.

Amber Martin, vocalist and comedic performance artist, closed out the program with an original three-song, jaw-dropping performance with chosen musical and comedic vignettes from her fascinating repertoire of characters. The audience could not keep their eyes off of her. DJ Sammy Kim created the playlist for the evening.

Empire is honored to serve as the Lowline’s event producers since 2013 and proud to support the creation of the world’s first underground park.

To learn more about the Lowline, visit http://thelowline.org/

Empire recently worked to provide headline entertainment at an annual user conference that brings together thousands of thought leaders from the fields of business and information technology to solve the world’s most complex business technology problems.

For this year’s conference, the first in Las Vegas, conference producers, Invision Communications, chose Empire as their partner to secure and produce the headline entertainment for the opening night Customer Appreciation Event.

Working closely with the Invision team, Empire supported an artist selection process and was able to quickly deliver multi-platinum selling and Grammy award-winning artists, The Goo Goo Dolls. Fresh off their new record release, the Goo Goo Dolls delighted the crowd of approximately 4,000 attendees with all their classic songs including "Iris", "Slide", and "Broadway", as well as a mixture of new music from their latest release.

The Goo Goo Dolls performed on a massive stage in the tiered Grand Garden Arena, underneath a monumental projection wall. DJ Ravi Drums played a warm-up DJ set prior to the band taking the stage. The band also participated in a VIP meet & greet.

Empire and Invision worked closely on all creative, logistic, and production details to ensure a smooth experience for the client and band and to promote the best possible experience for the attendees.  

Empire is a leading resource for delivering and producing headline talent for corporate conferences worldwide, and a proud to partner to organizations like Invision Communications.

For the fourth consecutive year, Empire served as producer of the Fragrance Foundation Awards, the fragrance industry’s premier event celebrating outstanding achievement and creativity.  

Held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the evening began with guest arrivals and an elegant cocktail reception in Alice Tully Hall’s outdoor sunken plaza and soaring glass atrium. Amidst a series of freestanding walls printed with the designs, guests mingled and sipped champagne while VIPs walked the red carpet and posed for the press photographers in a tent on West 65^th Street.

Once seated in Alice Tully Hall, the evening’s host, critically acclaimed actor, producer, and comedian, Alec Baldwin, kicked off the star-studded award program in his signature style. His humorous opening monologue covered the Fragrance industry and this year’s nominees to current affairs and politics.

Notable program participants included Hall of Fame Honoree and CEO of L Brands, Leslie Wexner, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Perfumer, and Vice President of International Flavors and Fragrances, Sophia Grojsman.

Celebrity presenters included Lionel Richie, Adriana Lima, Petra Nemcova, Karolina Kurkova, Laverne Cox, Eric Dane, Josephine Skriver, Meg Ryan, Nacho Figueras, Leigh Lezark, Jessica Stam, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Tracee Ellis Ross, Stella Maxwell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and more.

Following the seated Awards program, guests were seated for an elegant, sit-down dinner in the Alice Tully Hall atrium and outdoor plaza—the perfect summer night dining experience. Leigh Lezark & Geordon Nicol of the Misshapes DJ’d throughout the meal.  

The evening ended with an afterparty held at the Lincoln Restaurant. The guests danced to music by the fashion-favorite DJ, Mia Moretti, as they sipped their cocktails and visited various food stations.

The Fragrance Foundation Awards bring together virtually every luxury and consumer brand in the fragrance industry, including Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Victoria’s Secret, Michael Kors, Givenchy, Elizabeth Arden, LVMH, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermès, Lancome, Zegna, Clinique, and Gucci.

Empire is a leading producer of events, award shows, and programs for the luxury brand, fragrance, cosmetics and fashion industries.

​Would you go through weeks of hardcore boxing training while working full-time and then climb into the ring in front of hundreds of your friends and coworkers for a great cause?

That’s what 16 amateur fighters did for “Executive Fight Night,” a semi-annual Vegas-style boxing event designed for business executives to blow off some steam and raise funds for a good cause. Empire Japan was once again proud to produce such an exciting event.

The sixth and latest fight night was held at the Tokyo Grand Hyatt. 400+ spectators were wining and dining as their friends and coworkers fought it out in the ring.

Of course, EFN is not just about blowing off steam and testing ones physical ability. Over ¥10 million in proceeds from this event, a EFN record, has been raised for Shine On! Kids, an organization devoted to bettering the lives of children in Japan who are battling cancer.

Empire once again proves to be the leading producer of fundraising events and was thrilled to help produce yet another successful Executive Fight Night.​

Empire Japan presented five entertainment acts for Shell Global’s 2016 Smiling Stars incentive, an annual event that rewards its retailers around the world for exceptional performance.

As the welcome entertainment, a duo of guitar and koto harp serenaded guests in the garden with their arrangements of Japanese and western music. Following the music in the garden, violin trio Grand Noir provided acoustic ambience during dinner before returning to electrify the stage with a plugged-in performance in advance of award presentations.

As the first act of the evening, traditional Eisa and lion dances from Okinawa energized and interacted with guests from all over the world out on the terrace. Following the Okinawan dance, guests moved inside and the juggling sensations Kikyo Brothers used their trademark light-up programmed batons in an exhilarating juggling routine. Finally, as a capstone for Empire’s portion of the program, world-champion diabolo performer Yusaku Mochizuki, also of Empire Artists-managed group enra, lit up the stage with his unique performance of his original piece “GRAVITY” in a high-octane routine combining the diabolo with tap dance.

Empire was responsible for proposing, negotiating, contracting, and advancing logistical elements for all five acts. Empire is a leading provider of talent for corporate events and celebrations around the world.

​Now in its fourth year, The Architizer A+Awards are the definitive global architectural award program with more than 100 categories and over 300 judges. The gala event in New York City is the signature architectural event during the city’s design week, NYCxDesign, and falls just before the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). Comprising diverse and innovative global projects from starchitects to emerging firms, this year’s winners represent the best new architecture, interiors, and products from across the globe. For the second year in a row, Empire was at the helm to ensure this event was a success.

The ceremony was hosted again with charisma and charm by John Gidding from HGTV's "Curb Appeal: The Block", and kicked off with a phenomenal and impassioned speech about the Architecture industry by Architizer CEO Marc Kushner. “The A+ gala is more than just a party. It represents a moment for us to stand up and champion our art, recognizing the transformational role that architecture plays in our lives,” says Architizer CEO Marc Kushner.” This year we are expanding the fame, creating an even wider set of categories, celebrating the buildings and structures that impact our world, as well as the products and material used to create them.”

Over 500 luminaries from the world of architecture and design entered the industrial-style space to a red carpet and step & repeat, where event sponsor MINI showed off one of its spectacular new models. Guests enjoyed cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres by Cloud Catering while enjoying the ambient music played by DJ Javier Peral.

Attendees also enjoyed watching an extraordinary demonstration of the artistry of a watchmaker from partners Audemars Piguet, sipped on cocktails at a customized Sunbrella designed bar, and saw contest-winning architectural designs, all created in LEGO.

This year's biggest winner was Studio Gang, which was named Firm of the Year, and other special achievement awards were presented to Penda, Paul Goldberger, and Samsung, among others. A moving tribute to the late and brilliant architect Zaha Hadid was the highlight of the night and all were inspired by her legacy.

Empire is a premier producer of some of the world's most prestigious award ceremonies, including The Webby Awards, The Fragrance Foundation Awards, and was honored to be chosen as Architizer's production partner for the 2016 Architizer A+Awards.

What do Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba, Lena Dunham, The Onion, Kanye West, Making a Murderer, and #BlackLivesMatter all have in common?  They were the big winners at the 20th Annual Webby Awards, produced by Empire in New York City.

For the 12th consecutive year, the Webbys chose Empire to produce what many hail as “the Oscars of the Internet.” The show is renowned for its tradition of allowing its winners only five-word acceptance speeches, and this year spawned some true classics including “Break The Internet” winner Kim Kardashian (“Nude selfies until I die!”), Entrepreneur of the Year Jessica Alba for the Honest Company (“Guts. Heart.  Passion. Drive. WiFi.”), and Artist of the Year, Kanye West (“I can’t stand short speeches”).

Parks & Recreation’s Nick Offerman hosted the awards, setting the tone with his sardonic wit, and advising the attendees that this year’s Webbys would be the last, as he had been informed that one of the winners had actually broken the internet. Offerman then advised the crowd to "celebrate these Webbys as if they truly might be our last, because, God knows, if Donald Trump becomes President and gets his tiny, tiny hands on our internet, we may never get to do this again.” Later in the show, Offerman introduced his wife, Megan Mullally, and the couple presented the Agency of the Year Award in hilarious fashion.

Other presenters and winners included documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, VICE Founder Shane Smith, YouTube personality Tyler Oakley, and Director Spike Lee, who presented the award for Social Movement of the Year to #BlackLivesMatter.  For the show’s finalé, the Webbys chose to honor Prince, who performed live at the Webbys in 2006 after receiving that year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. With the stage bathed in purple light, Erykah Badu sang Prince’s “Ballad of Dorothy Parker,” followed by a video of Prince’s own five-word acceptance speech “everything you think….is true”.

As in past years, the evening was a mix of profound creativity, innovation, irreverent humor, gravitas, and emotion, reflecting the diverse nature of the Internet as a medium.  

Following the awards, the audience moved to the Highline Ballroom for the annual Webby awards afterparty which featured a performance by Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and music by Funkmaster Flex.

Empire is honored to have produced some of the world’s leading awards programs, including The Webby Awards, The Gotham Awards, The Fragrance Foundation Awards, The Architizer A+ Awards, and The Film Society of Lincoln Center Chaplin Awards.

Screenvision Media is the premier provider of in-cinema advertising in movie theatres nationwide. For this year’s Screenvision Media Upfront, the company chose the theme, “Impact Like No Other,” to represent its ability to deliver impact before, during, and after the movie to advertisers. The upfront would seek to demonstrate how Screenvision connects the in-theater experience and brands to every part of the moviegoer’s journey, driven by data and technology, interactivity, and integration.

To bring the "Impact Like No Other" theme to life, Empire developed designs and worked closely with Screenvision Media to transform Skylight Moynihan Station into a fully immersive theater and afterpary experience for its high-level attendees.

The evening began with guests entering through a movie theater “lobby,” complete with movie trailers and animated content on screens supplied by Christie Digital and Cinema Scene. Guests moved into a full-size recreation of a movie theater, complete with a concession stand, for a presentation given on the best advertiser medium available: a massive, 40’ screen. After compelling remarks by Screenvision Media executives including CEO John Partilla, EVP of National Sales, Katy Loria, CMO John McCauley, and SVP of Sales, Christine Martino, Loria closed by inviting guests to a “Party Like No Other”. At that exact moment, drapes were lifted to reveal four Star Wars Stormtroopers who emerged and led guests into the afterparty space. As guests streamed through the portals, they entered in to a Hollywood-style afterparty, complete with a screening room, crystal chandeliers, a 16’ square bar, innovative catering by Pinch Fopod Design, and interactive movie sets inspired by some of 2017’s most anticipated feature films, including Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “Kong: Skull Island”, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “LEGO® Batman Movie”, and Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”. Within each set were a series of custom guest activities including a photo booth based on a giant recreation of a crashed helicopter for “Kong: Skull Island” and a record-your-own-voice-over booth for “LEGO® Batman.”

A showcase of the upcoming movie slate was produced by Screenvision Media programming partner, Bitesize TV. Timeplay created a customized interactive game experience in the “screening area”, 40 Foot Solutions produced other on-screen elements for the show, and Christie Digital and Cinema Scene provided interactive video walls throughout the entire event space. In addition, SITO Mobile, Shazam, and Mobiquity Networks provided state-of-the-art location services utilizing a combination of beacons, geo-fencing, and data capabilities throughout the event to demonstrate the power of data and audience targeting in real-time.

Working closely with Screenvision Media’s marketing and creative team, Empire conceived of this experiential and immersive way to tell their story to their advertising customers and to provide a memorable experience for the influencers in attendance. Empire was responsible for all event details including concept ideation, venue acquisition, layout and set design, catering, staging, sound, lighting, graphics, furnishings, carpet, catering, technical production, staffing, and coordination with movie studios.

Empire is a leading producer of innovative upfronts, newfronts, and other mission critical B2B events.