Our Work

Bravo Media hosted the first ever BravoCon, a three-day orchestrated production bringing together 80+ “Bravolebrities” and 10,000 fans who can’t get enough of them. The immersive experience included 50 live events consisting of panels, photo ops, live tapings. and parties that allowed for interactions with Bravolebrities from every franchise. Top-tier Bravo talent and producers shared stories and connected with their superfans in a way that had never been done before.

The robust programming schedule was held across three venues–Skylight Modern, Union West, and Manhattan Center. In addition to the live events, Bravo provided experiential activations at all their venues which gave attendees an inside look into their favorite shows.

In addition to all that came with a pass to BravoCon, Bravo offered premium buy-up experiences for purchase catered to their biggest fans. Within Union West, there was a separate, private restaurant built for 80+ guests to enjoy. The meals included Top Chef Dinners, a Southern Charm Brunch, and a Bravopalooza Brunch. Empire was engaged to manage the F&B and overall operations of each experience.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening, the three most recent “Top Chef” Winners designed a custom menu for two seatings. The chefs mingled with restaurant-goers while they enjoyed their entrees and Bravo-themed cocktails.

On Saturday morning, five cast members from “Southern Charm” wined and dined with guests who came dressed in their best southern flair. Among the brunch options, Chicken and Waffles was the most popular dish.

On Sunday Morning, a mix of top-tier Bravolebs from “The Real Housewives” franchise, “Summer House”, “Southern Charm”, “Vanderpump Rules”, and “Below Deck” had the opportunity to engage with their most dedicated fans over Bloody Marys and Mimosas at the Bravopalooza Brunch.

For more on Empire’s past work with Bravo Media, please click here.

Empire is a leading producer of branded events and premieres for television, motion picture, and other media and entertainment clients.

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Empire served as the producer of The Studio Museum in Harlem’s annual Gala for the second year, with artistic direction by Red Maple Leaf. The black-tie evening took place in the elegant 45,000 square-foot, glass-enclosed River Pavilion that features stunning views of the Hudson River serving as the perfect backdrop for this year’s event. Over 750 artists, philanthropists, cultural leaders, civic leaders, and business leaders attended to celebrate The Studio Museum in Harlem and their important work with artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally.

The evening began with a cocktail reception where, upon entering, guests’ attention was drawn to a large statement installation located in the middle of the cocktail space, surrounded by lounge furniture, curated décor, and photo experiences.

To signal the start of dinner, high drapes were pulled back to reveal the impressive views. Guests were invited to the dinner space with a swell in music performed live by AffinitiNYC and were greeted with a striking main stage, equipped with a large LED screen, and centerpieces highlighted by pinspots on each table.

The evening’s program, honoring businessman and philanthropist, Leonard A. Lauder, featured remarks by Gala Co-Chairs, Jacqueline L. Bradley, Kathryn C. Chenault, Carol Sutton Lewis, and Dr. Amelia Ogunlesi; Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator; and Raymond J. McGuire, Chairman of the Board. The fourteenth annual Joyce Alexander Wein Prize was presented to Torkwase Dyson, extending the Studio Museum’s mission of supporting experimentation and excellence in contemporary art.

The evening ended with dancing to another live set by Affiniti NYC, and desserts were enjoyed in the transformed cocktail space.

The Gala raised over $3 million in support of the Studio Museum’s operating costs, including key initiatives such as the collaborative, community-enriching In Harlem exhibitions and public programs.

Empire was proud to work closely with the Studio Museum and Red Maple Leaf to deliver a flawless and memorable evening for The Studio Museum in Harlem.

For more information on The Studio Museum in Harlem, please visit https://www.studiomuseum.org

Empire Japan had the chance to work again with Eurasia Group to produce the most elite geopolitical event in Japan. In a continuation of last year's event, a wide range of current global topics were discussed with special guests including Toshimitsu Motegi, Foreign Minister of Japan, Hiroshi Kajiyama, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, Social Security Reform, and Trans-Pacific Partnership. Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, had the chance to join as a speaker in a fireside chat to discuss Tokyo’s current status leading into the Olympics next year.​​

FilmAid International is an NGO founded by independent filmmakers that provides displaced people with actionable information about their rights, safety, health, and future. Through video, radio, print, SMS, and digital media campaigns created and distributed in collaboration with refugee communities, FilmAid is able to reach over 400,000 people in refugee camps and urban areas every year.

FilmAid’s 20th Anniversary Power of Film celebration took place early November at the Standard Hotel above New York’s Highline. The evening highlighted the initiatives and powerful impact made by the organization and its new partner, Internews.

The cocktail event and program included moving remarks by FilmAid Founder Caroline Baron and Jeanne Bourgault, President and CEO of Internews, introduced by Internews board member Cristiana Falcone Sorrell. Kati Marton and Tim Blake Nelson spoke as well as More Raça, who travelled from Kosovo to share her personal journey from refugee to filmmaker. Her path was inspired by watching cartoons and Charlie Chaplin movies screened by FilmAid’s Mobile Cinemas as a six-year-old refugee in Macedonia.

Actress, producer, and director, Katie Holmes, presented this year’s Richard C. Holbrooke Memorial Award for Dedication to Humanitarian Service to Participant CEO, David Linde, in honor of his work, films, and activism.

The retro-modern setting with wooden panels allowed photography by National Geographic Photographer, Karen Kasmauski, to stand out. These photos captured the journey of FilmAid’s Mobile Cinema screenings of the film “He Named Me Malala,” in partnership with Participant, at various refugee camps in Kenya and Jordan, reaching over 35,000 female refugees in 2016.

The Power of Film underscores the influence and potential of film to effect positive change in the world. FilmAid and Internews continue to support vulnerable populations and have already expanded into the southern Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo, where political persecution and economic collapse have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Empire is honored to support the power of storytelling by producing galas and festivals such as FilmAid’s Power of Film celebration.

To learn more please visit https://www.filmaid.org

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Get Global is the summit for international business expansion. The annual conference brings together dynamic mix of global business executives, industry experts, governmental and NGO resources, and business partners to provide networking and tools to facilitate international business growth.

Expansion into foreign markets can pose significant challenges but the rewards can be great given that we live in an increasingly globalized world where ideas and goods flow freely. GetGlobal helps companies find the right resources and partners to succeed.

The two-day conference is a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions, breakouts, and roundtables discussions. In 2019, GetGlobal took a big leap by expanding in its own right with a move to the Seaside Ballrooms of the Long Beach Convention Center. Over 1,000 attendees registered, with over 40 sponsors participating and 14 exhibiting.

This is the third year that Empire has been responsible for producing GetGlobal. Empire works year year-round with the GetGlobal staff to secure the venue and design the flow of the event within the venue. We coordinate all in-venue AV and food and beverage, set up credentialing systems, and design and manage the graphic look of all the spaces. Empire also assists with logistics for all speakers and presenters, room managers, and exhibitors to make sure the conference runs smoothly.

To learn more visit https://2019.getglobal.co​

As Presenting Sponsor of Wedding Weekend on Madison Avenue, EstéeLauder brought a series of fragrance-related events and activations to engage with brides to be.

The Lowell Hotel’s restaurant Majorelle provided an enchanting atmosphere for brides-to-be to engage in fun activities to help them prepare for their big days.

Brand Ambassadors offered samples of Estée Lauder fragrances, Beautiful Belle and Beautiful Belle Love. In addition, Carson Kressly from Say Yes to the Dress gave bridal consultations, guests participated in fragrance sampling and bouquet-making with Belle Fleur, and a Master Class tutorial with French it-girl, beauty blogger, and Estée Lauder Global Beauty Director, Violette.

Additionally, arranged along seven blocks of Madison Avenue’s busiest shopping areas, stood ten floral installations featuring luscious florals cascading from oversized golden gift boxes each bearing the hashtag #lovebreaksallrules.

Empire was thrilled to support Estée Lauder with this tastefully-branded, weekend-long series of chic wedding weekend activations.

Empire is a leading producer of experiential marketing events for some of the world’s most coveted luxury brands.

To commemorate one week before ONE Championship held its 100th event at the historic Ryogoku Kokukikan, ONE held its very first Martial Arts Fan Fest.

Held at the Bellesalle Shibuya Garden, the ONE Championship Fan Fest celebrated the best of martial arts with the world’s top martial artists and fighting game esports players.

Selected fans received the opportunity to participate in autograph and meet-and-greet sessions with ONE Championship CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, as well as their favorite ONE Championship athletes and ring girls. In the ring there were also special martial arts demonstrations from organizations Shin Karate, Shooto, and Pancrase, including martial arts seminars and open workouts with marital arts superstars Demetrious Johnson, Aung La N Sung, Miesha Tate, and Shinya Aoki.

On the competitive esports spectrum, ONE Esports had partnered with Bandai Namco and Capcom to hold the ONE TEKKEN Invitational and ONE Street Fighter Tokyo Challenge. This gave the community the opportunity to compete against some of the top fighting game players in the world. The winners of these challenges would receive for a combined prize pool of over 3.5 million JPY.

Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series: Japan vs. the World, which will see one athlete earn a USD $100,000 contract with ONE Championship, was broadcasted live globally with Abema TV being the broadcaster sponsorship.

Empire was responsible for event planning, production, managing and operations, producing yet another successful event with ONE Championship.

When adidas Japan wanted to make a statement at Atmos Con Vol. 7, one of Japan’s largest sneaker conventions, they called upon Empire Japan to help design and execute the perfect booth experience.

Held at Hikarie Hall Shibuya, Atmos Con Vol. 7 brought out thousands of sneakerheads for a multi-brand retail experience featuring some of the globes most coveted kicks. This included Nike Sportswear, Asics, Crep Project, Fila, Puma, and Reebok Classics.

Inspired by the design of their latest footwear, the “NMD_R-1 G-SNK”, a glow-in-the-dark all-over snakeskin prime knit, an installation was created that swallowed visitors with designs of phosphorescence snake motif. Including this unique experience, the first 200 people who purchased the shoes & t-shirt set were gifted a silk screen designed tote bag.

Empire Japan handed all aspects of production and operation, producing yet another successful event with adidas Japan.

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In the seventh year in a row, Empire's Tokyo office had the opportunity to produce the leading Japanese IT event for Salesforce Japan. Salesforce.com this year hosted over 13,000 attendees for a two full days of sessions, expos, and events taking place at both the Prince Park Tower and Tokyo Prince Hotel. This exciting event once again gathered the leaders in the IT industry from around Japan to Tokyo where the latest in software, technology, and ideas were showcased.

This year’s keynote speakers included Parker Harris (Co-Founder & CTO, Salesforce) and Shinichi Koide (Chairman, President & CEO Salesforce Japan), along with many illustrious speakers from in and outside of Japan.

This year’s exhibition hall also enjoyed a similar amount of energy as last year with 86 sponsors in total. The Tokyo Prince Hotel, located next to the Prince Park Tower, showcased the Trailblazer Zone, which had large rebranded elements throughout the various zones and served as the main hub for developer experts.

Empire’s Tokyo-based Asia division was responsible for all event design, production and management, including technical production and coordination and continues to support Salesforce in showcasing the latest in technology and cloud services. Empire is a leading producer of global conferences and events in the Asian region and serves as the partner of choice for some of the world’s most sophisticated technology companies to produce their premier business events.

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On the first weekend of October, the New York Times shared its love of food with New York City, launching the first-ever New York Times Food Festival.

The New York Times partnered with Empire to produce both a large public-facing festival in Bryant Park as well as two full days of live Talks programming at The Times Center, uniting more than 20 exceptional chefs and restaurants, food journalists, and experts with thousands of passionate foodies.

The Bryant Park component featured restaurants and chefs hand-chosen by New York Times editors Sam Sifton and Christine Muhlke, including Frenchette, TAK Room, The Beatrice Inn, EmmySquared, Adda, and more. All of the participating chefs sold items not available in their restaurants, all inspired by classic New York City street food.

Saturday morning, The Park opened with a ceremonial “noodle cutting” by Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Times CEO, Mark Thompson, on the Main Stage using an 18’ lasagna noodle in place of a traditional ribbon. The Park’s iconic fountain entrance revealed a playful, yet elevated food festival design with red patterns and clean, picnic-inspired accents. A substantial portion of the Park showcased curated restaurants and chefs to the public to allow for the community to experience the event.

In another portion of The Park, attendees paid an admission to access food and beverage available for purchase. Inside the ticketed area, more than 4,000 attendees over two full days found themselves in a food-lover’s paradise of reimagined street food.

The New York Times partnered with Farm to People to provide the Marketplace, a retail environment selling artisanal food items and New York Times merchandise. Additional partners included The Best of Smorgasburg with seven of the Brooklyn institutions’s best vendors and Ample Hills Creamery serving their new, exclusive Times-inspired ice cream, “The Flavor of Record”.

At the east end of The Park, the NYT Cooking Stage hosted live cooking demos by Thomas Keller, Angie Mar, Alison Roman, Melissa Clark, and many more. A smaller Workshop Pavilion featured specialty sessions including a Fall wine preview with NYT wine critic, Eric Asimov, mixology master classes presented by Tequila Don Julio, Bulleit, Tanqueray Gin, and Johnnie Walker, and cake decorating classes by Instagram wunderkind, Heber Clawson.

The main stage featured sets by DJs Coleman, Aaron DRM, Rich Medina, and Natasha Diggs, who kept the crowd dancing on the lawn, while custom modular seating supported by Uber Eats and picnic tables gave the attendees a place to enjoy their food. Uber Eats also sponsored two clever installations featuring bicycles and takeout boxes promoting their #LetsEat campaign.

Presenting sponsor MasterCard hosted a tent where card holders and attendees were invited to “Experience the Taste of Priceless,” enjoying custom macarons and complimentary sparkling wine pours. Their tent featured a gorgeous logo installation of illuminated florals for their #StartSomethingPriceless messaging while elegant cutouts in the wall lit displays of the macarons in floral scenes of yellow and red, representing the Mastercard logo.

Just blocks away, The Times Center hosted two full days of live journalism, interviews, and book signings in partnership with Kitchen Arts & Letters. Panel discussions included Eating as a Living: Life of a Food Critic featuring Frank Bruni, Ruth Reichl, Sam Sifton, and Pete Wells from the NYT and Bourdain and Beyond, featuring Andrew Zimmern and Pati Jinich in conversation with Kim Severson. Other participants included Massimo Bottura, David Chang, and Action Bronson, among many others.

Downstairs at the Times Center, Johnnie Walker and Bailey’s provided cocktail tastings and Guinness allowed attendees to “Personalize Your Pint” with custom-printed photos in the foam. REI invited guests to customize their own trail mix.

For this first-time festival, Empire served as overall producer of the outdoor festival and Times Center activations. Empire’s role included ideation, layout, design, tenting, permitting, security, staging and technical production, staffing, culinary integration, sponsor ideation and activations, management of registration and operations of stages, and much more.  

Empire is a leading producer of world-class festival and culinary events and we were honored to work with The New York Times Company to help produce this successful, first-ever New York Times Food Festival.

To learn more and sign up for information on next year’s Festival visit https://www.nytfoodfestival.com

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Ranked by Forbes as one of the top five most inspiring conferences, PopTech recently convened its 23rd annual forum, bringing together brilliant minds from all corners of the world. Hosted by Moran Cerf, this year’s gathering featured a robust community of remarkable scientists, humanitarians, technologists, designers, artists, innovators, corporate and governmental leaders, academics, and those who defy easy categorization.

With an overall 2019 theme of “Shift”, PopTech 2019 demonstrated that we are designed to change, to push the limits of possibility, take bold action, lead by example, shape the future. The diversity and deep expertise of each speaker delivered a series of topic-defining presentations that allowed guests to explore future trends in business, innovation, creative expression, and social justice.

The campus-like setting at Point Lookout provided an immersive and enriching environment that facilitated experiential interaction and fostered authentic human connection. The multi-day program featured interactive sessions, shared meals, and a closing cocktail reception featuring locally sourced, sustainable oyster’s delivered by their farmers.  

Many of the highlights of the three-day weekend occurred during the carefully-orchestrated, yet spontaneous evening activities. These included hosted fireside chats, late night debates, stargazing, and collective jam sessions. Each element was designed to help guests discover how shared potential exceeds the reach of individual aspiration.

PopTech programming focused on many of the most pressing issues of our time and was co-curated by Leetha Filderman, President of PopTech, and former hacker, Moran Cerf, Professor of Neuroscience and Business at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, as well as PopTech’s Curatorial Advisors.

The programming line-up covered the topics of Climate Change, The Future of Food, Privacy and Surveillance, Disruption in Higher Education, Artistic Expression, Connectivity, Networks, and Mobility, among others.

A sampling of participants included Internet pioneer, Bob Metcalfe; Earthrise Alliance CEO, Lori Garver; Conservation X Labs Founder & CEO, Alex Dehgan; The Honorable Paul Martin, Former Prime Minister of Canada; Phillip Agnew, Co-Founder the Dream Defenders; Sinan Aral, MIT professor & Founding Partner of Manifest Capital; Nusrat Durrani, visionary media executive & MTV World Founder; Sarah Hurwitz, Head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama and Former Senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama; Pedro Alonzo, Adjunct Curator at Dallas Contemporary; Assaf Biderman, CEO, Superpedestrian; Chris Riley, geographer and author; Alex Kingsbury, The New York Times Senior Staff Editor; Yves-Alexandre De Montjoye; and many more.

Live performances by composer and electro-acoustic violist, Martha Mooke, Grammy-award winning beatboxer, Rahzel Brown, and singer-songwriter, Jill Sobule, had the audience captivated.

PopTech, founded by Bob Metcalfe and John Sculley, is a 23-year-old non-profit committed to showcasing the vanguard of emerging technology, science, exploration, and creative expression.

The organization is famous for stretching beyond passive idea sharing, as it has cultivated a community focused on robust exchange and a bias for action.

Empire has been proud to work with the PopTech team for several years to produce this extraordinary and inspirational event.

For more information, visit https://poptech.org/

The Global Security Forum is an annual international gathering bringing together a multi-disciplinary network of experts, practitioners, and policy-makers from government, security, academia, media, entertainment, international organizations, the humanitarian sector, the private sector, and beyond to discuss the world’s most pressing security issues. This invitation-only event provides a unique platform for international stakeholders to convene and offer solutions that address the international community’s leading security challenges.

The 2019 Global Security Forum took place at the St. Regis hotel in Doha, Qatar. The two-day conference explored the security challenges posed by the proliferation of modern disinformation and the serious implications this has on an increasingly interconnected world.

The nexus between disinformation and technological advances has produced an unprecedented threat landscape, which requires a whole-of-society approach. The global effects of disinformation–whether via organized campaigns that influence elections or policy decisions, or via misinformation given to individuals or groups engaging in violent acts of perceived retribution–have become common and persistent security threats. All nations are dealing with this phenomenon. Private and non-profit organizations are dealing with the effects as well. Relying solely on governments or the private sector alone to counter disinformation, however, will not work; it is imperative to convene an open dialogue in a multi-stakeholder environment to develop comprehensive solutions.

The 2019 Forum convened officials and experts from across the world, including government, technology platforms, media, advertising and marketing agencies, social media, academia, think tanks, and international organizations, among others. The program was opened by His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for the State of Qatar. Speakers included Defense Ministers, ambassadors, legal analysts, and news correspondents from over 40 countries.

The two days included moderated panel discussions, workshops, keynote presentations, and fireside chats. Empire was responsible for all production support, speaker logistics, speaker, staff and attendee travel and accommodations, food and beverage, credentialing, press support, and graphics. The entire conference was webcast on MSNBC and Al Jazeera with over 10 news agencies sharing the press platform.

Empire also produced a gala dinner on the first night of the conference. The dinner was sponsored by Qatar Airways, with His Excellency, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, in attendance. The evening began with a reception that included an Oud player, calligrapher, henna tattoo artist, and live falcon. The dinner was a formal three-course plated dinner with a live local jazz band.

Empire is a leading producer of international conferences and has worked extensively throughout the Middle East and Gulf Region.

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The Hult Prize’s $1 million check is the largest sum awarded to the winners of any social good innovation competition. This is because the solutions the Hult Prize funds are both effective, and especially urgent. The competition, which is open to students around the world, encourages and energizes young entrepreneurs to build for-profit startups that focus on critical social challenges. To date, the Hult Prize has engaged over one million students and deployed over $50 million in capital to winning projects.

Each year, the Hult Prize directs applicants, of which there may be as many as 50,000, to focus on a single, specific issue. In 2017, participants designed innovations to improve the lives of at least 1 million refugees over the next five years, and the winning proposal was an initiative to bring community transit hubs to refugee settlements, solving for the significant mobility gap that migrants face.

The Hult Prize main event takes place inside the United Nations Headquarters, with the presentations by the final six teams occurring in the ECOSOC chamber in the afternoon. Once the presentations are complete, all the participants go upstairs to a reception in the Delegate Dining Room, both inside and on the patio that overlooks the East river while the judges are given 45 minutes to deliberate and select a winner. As in years past, President Bill Clinton has joined them for a final briefing and then he announces the winner from the stage. President Clinton will also announce the next year’s challenge.

Empire’s team was responsible for all production support for the presentation and reception, venue management, food and beverage, accommodations, credentialing, press support, set design, and graphics. We also coordinated with the UN broadcast office to have the proceedings webcast.

To learn more about the Hult Prize, please visithttp://www.hultprize.org​

Following the immensely successful launch events and 12-city U.S. tour for Dartmouth College’s $3 billion capital campaign, The Call to Lead, Dartmouth’s leadership and Board of Trustees once again engaged Empire as their creative and production partner to take Dartmouth’s message worldwide with a series of Global Summits.

Alumni, family, and friends from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), gathered for Dartmouth’s first-ever Global Summit in London–a platform on which to claim Dartmouth’s pride of place in the global higher education landscape through increased brand awareness and institutional competitiveness, fostered by a highly enthusiastic, highly supportive international communities, including undergraduate alumni, graduate alumni, and parents.​

The Global Summit weekend included three distinct events filled with learning, fun, and inspiration to celebrate Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary. Friday’s Welcome Reception showed that the “Big Green” had arrived in London. Held at The Shard, London’s tallest tower, the venue offered guests 360° views of the city and the iconic London landmarks, The Tower of London and the London Eye, which were lit in green light for the evening. At The Shard, guest enjoyed networking, cocktails, and rekindled connections to Dartmouth’s five schools.

Saturday morning’s programming sessions brought guests “back-to-class” at the Institute of Technology & Engineering (IET Savoy) and fully immersed them in Dartmouth’s bold strategy and vision for its big bets on discovery. The lunch networking hour featured hosted table conversations and allowed for participatory engagement by all in attendance. Gail’s Bakery, owned by a recognized Dartmouth alumus, provided guests the opportunity to taste the best that London has to offer with a local connection to their alma mater.

The crowning jewel of the weekend was a spectacular celebration in one of London’s most historic venues, Guild Hall, that fused Dartmouth’s rich history with forward-looking plans for its next 250 years. Students and faculty shared stories of collaboration that have led to world-changing impact spanning disciplines, generations, and geographies. The evening included a surprise musical performance by the Dartmouth Idols paired with acapella group Anuna performing a 900 year-old Irish vocal tradition. The evening included stunning announcements of substantial support and donations by many generous alumni.

Between stage segments, meals were served with precision timing as guests were treated to a visual extravaganza of high resolution footage and imagery of the Dartmouth campus through the seasons.  

The evening culminated with Laurel Richie, Board of Trustees Chair, recapping Dartmouth’s strategic priorities and energizing the crowd to act and answer The Call to Lead. At the conclusion of Richie’s remarks, guests moved into the afterparty, where  Dartmouth’s Baker Tower, recreated with its spire glowing green, served as the centerpiece of the space. This striking scenic piece was surrounded by a variety of themed activities including a London phone box (recreated in green) and other social media activations.

Empire worked closely with several Dartmouth departments and teams, as well as faculty, students, and volunteers, to plan and execute the first of these international events. Empire’s roles included concept and program development, venue acquisition, budgeting, registration, scripting, screen content production, technical production, catering, permitting, security, scenic, décor, staffing, and guest logistics and experience.  

Empire is a leading international producer of high-level events, both on and off campus, for many of the world’s leading educational institutions.

For more information on Dartmouth’s Campaign, visit https://calltolead.dartmouth.edu/about/dartmouth-250-global-summit

VIDEO CREDIT: Dartmouth MPG Team

The inaugural New York City VenuesNow Conference was held at the Conrad Hotel downtown for over 600 attendees. Oak View Group’s Media & Conferences division annually hosts the conference which provides a forum for leaders in the live entertainment industry to discuss important trends and topics appearing in the VenuesNow magazine published by OVG. After two years in Los Angeles, the flagship event has moved to New York City.

The first day of the VenuesNow Conference took place in the Gallery Ballroom and featured opening remarks by OVG Founders, Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff. Soon after, the all-star lineup of speakers would discuss key topics from Capital Ideas to Esports. James Dolan sat down with Irving Azoff to discuss business and MSG Co. and the program included panel discussions featuring NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

Other notable speakers included Executive Vice President of MSG Live, Darren Pfeffer, President of San Francisco 49ers and Co-Managing Partner of Elevate Sports Ventures, Al Guido, Director of Strategy for AT&T, Dave Macdonald, and many more. The first day of conferences concluded with another opening night cocktail reception in the Gallery Prefunction space and Northeast Gallery featuring DJ Monopoli.

The final day of the conference took place on 9/11, 18 years after the devastating tragedy. A beautiful floral installation honored those affected by the events on 9/11 with a graphic wall featuring silhouettes of the twin towers built out using white roses.

The opening topic, “Never Forget: How Sept. 11, 2001 Forever Changed Public Assembly,” featured a highly qualified panel of safety experts who discussed exactly how public safety in this business has changed post-9/11. Light discussions followed throughout the final day and attendees were encouraged to take roses provided to the 9/11 Memorial, just a short walk from the venue.

The VenuesNow Conference connects leaders, influencers, and visionaries in a variety of discussions and networking opportunities, highlighting comprehensive topics and the future of the industry. Empire was proud to serve as the overall producer for this event.​

Co-founded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Project Everyone, the Goalkeepers event takes place during the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York City and brings together Heads of State and international Sustainable Development Goals “Goalkeepers” (those spearheading various missions in their local communities). Among other themes, this year’s Goalkeepers focused on the challenge of fighting global inequality.

Kicking off the two-day event, the 2019 Goalkeepers GlobalGoals Awards were presented at the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Awards program opened with an energetic dance number by “This is America” choreographer, Sherrie Silver, performed by a group of young dancers synchronized to original screen content.

Host Tumelo Mothotoane kept the program flowing as global change-makers were honored for their work. Award winners included African Union Youth Envoy, Aya Chebbi; Child Rights advocate, Payal Jangid; mPharma Founder, Gregory Rockson; and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who was honored for his progressive sanitation work in India.

Award presenters included Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, and Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Henrietta Fore. Simultaneous translation was utilized to translate between Hindi and English to ensure the audience could enjoy the entire program.

After the Goalkeepers Awards program, guests entered the Atrium space overlooking Central Park to enjoy cocktails and custom food bars. Guests interacted with custom activations including an art installation made of over 75,000 bottle tops, collected and painted by women in Salvador, Brazil, and an impressive 68’-long custom mirror wall, encouraging social sharing by the guests to spread the word about their favorite goals.

The next morning, over 400 guests were welcomed back to the main Goalkeepers event by a stunning multimedia vocal performance by Ogi Ifediora, performing to looped tracks of herself and screen content by renowned TreatmentStudios. Once inside the Appel Room, programming began with keynote remarks by New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden, and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, followed by a seated conversation with both Prime Ministers along with Bill & Melinda Gates.

Throughout the day, other speakers delivered impactful messages, including Stanford Professor and bias expert, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, Lydia Murithi, Dr. Joia Crear Perry (all in conversation with Melinda Gates discussing bias), Aliko Dangote and Zouera Youssoufou (in conversation with Bill Gates discussing ways to change the odds instead of evening the odds for today’s less fortunate, especially children), as well as Richard Curtis, who spoke regarding the 2020 call to action.

Session moderators included Journalist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, James Chau (Bill Gates’s session), and British journalist and broadcaster, Tulip Mazumdar (Melinda Gates’s session).

Providing even more of an audience reach this year, a segment of the program was filmed for the BBC World Debate. Moderated by Zeinab Bedawi, this segment featured Mo Ibrahim, Sigrid Kaag, Kay James, and John Fugelsang, who discussed inequality throughout the world. This segment was broadcast the following weekend on BBC.

Between and after content sessions and as breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch were enjoyed, guests were invited to experience activations in the Atrium including the “Goalkeeper’s Library”, where the titles from the Goalkeepers community were available for the guests to take. In addition to the Library, guests were able to select a #togetherband, allowing them to showcase their favorite goal in a fashionable way.

Empire was proud to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Project Everyone, and many other partners to present Goalkeepers 2019.

To learn more about the Goalkeepers event, please visit: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/

Additional information about the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals can be found here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

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Empire was honored to serve once again as Samsung’s producer of the 18th annual Samsung Gives Charity Gala, which raises funds for a variety of social and charitable programs focused on helping youth build brighter futures. This year’s Gala took place in the Hammerstein & Grand Ballrooms of the Manhattan Center in New York City.

Upon arrival, guests entered the foyer, which had been transformed into an elegant registration space with deep blue drapes and chandeliers adorned with twinkling lights, crystals, and flowers hanging to the floor, along with a moving digital step & repeat of charity logos, utilizing Samsung’s new product, “The Wall.”  Guests then proceeded to the Promenade in the Hammerstein Ballroom and upstairs to the Grand Ballroom to enjoy cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres, surrounded by large-scale floral installations.  

After cocktails, guests made their way into the historic Hammerstein Ballroom, which was transformed into a scintillating banquet hall. An attention-grabbing LED set design showcased animated content and logos of Samsung’s donors and charity partners. Throughout the event, the LED panels were used for to provide visual complement to each musical performance.

The evening’s program included live “Voice of God” announcements by celebrities DJ Irie, Jessie Decker, and Mark Messier; a lively opening performance by DJ Irie, Wyclef Jean, and The Young People’s Chorus of NYC (under the direction of Francisco Nunez); special guests Ryan Seacrest and Mark Consuelos; and remarks by Good+Foundation Founder & President, Jessica Seinfeld, and Eric LeGrand among others. From Samsung, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics America, Joe Stinziano, and President & CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, YH Eom, both addressed the audience. This year’s “Champion of Hope” award was presented to NBA Champion and philanthropist Dwayne Wade by his sister, Tragil Wade. The evening also featured a mid-show performance by Portugal. The Man who played their hits, “Feel it Still,” and “Live in the Moment.”

The evening’s finale was a performance by legendary hip hop group, The Roots, who delivered a non-stop high-energy set that featured a surprise performance by Ciara who, along with her dancers, had the entire crowd on their feet through her hits including, “Goodies,”“Tootsie Roll,” “1, 2 Step, and "Level Up.“

The Samsung Gives Charity Gala raised more than $2.4 million for its Charity Partners, who included The Ryan Seacrest Foundation; Good+Foundation; The Irie Foundation; Boomer Esiason Foundation; CAPA Foundation; The Eric and Jessie Decker Foundation; Farm Team; Joyful Heart Foundation; Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; New York City Ballet; New York Public Library; New Victory Theater; Team LeGrand; The Mark Messier Foundation; Victor Cruz Foundation; Why Not You Foundation; Young People's Chorus of New York City; and The Wade Family Foundation. Each charity was represented by a celebrity in the audience, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Ali Wentworth, Mariska Hargitay, Peter Herman, Yolanda Hadid, Ali Wentworth, and more.

For the 5^th year, Empire was proud to work closely with the Samsung team to design and deliver an incredibly memorable evening benefitting these worthy causes.

For more information onSamsung’s charitable initiatives, please visit https://www.samsung.com/us/careers/giving-back/

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Expanding the #CreatorUnite conversation—“unifying the powers of sports”—adidas Japan, the New Zealand National Rugby Association, and Empire launched the “CreatorsUnite Art Exhibition”.

With the theme “ALL BLACKS” (New Zealand Men’s Rugby Union), famed Japanese artist, Noritake Kinashi, including 17 other Japanese creators from various fields of modern art, illustration, calligraphy, and graffiti created artwork that unites athletes and creators.

Each art piece was released online from September 14th, and was displayed in the adidas store in Shibuya Japan.

Empire created and managed the exhibit, handling the media kick-off and fan event, producing yet another successful event with Adidas Japan.

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Bustle Digital Group held their 2^nd Annual Rule Breakers event in Brooklyn, featuring performances by Lizzo, Betty Who, Jessie Jo Stark, Abir, and more. Empire produced the main stage and other elements at the all-day immersive festival, designed to celebrate women who push boundaries, ignore convention—and of course, break rules—to further women’s rights.

The day began with attendees engaging in a 45-minute meditation session and then moved on to roller skating in the rink that's part of the LeFrak Center in Prospect Park. DJ’s Natasha Diggs and Rashida spun the tunes that kept the guests dancing and the festival vibe building.

The audience was then treated to a surprise show by Brooklyn United, a marching band comprised of fifty or so boys and girls ranging in age from 6–17.  The troupe marched into the audience which quickly made space for them in front of the stage where the kids wowed spectators with their high-energy musicianship and dancing.

The first headline performances of the day came from Abir and Jessie Jo Stark, both of whom delivered fantastic shows. The buzz built as Betty Who took the stage later in the day, with the 6’ 2” singer bringing tremendous charisma to her performance of hits such as “Mama Say” and “Somebody Loves You”.

After Betty Who’s performance ended, the 6,000+ crowd was clearly buzzing and moving closer to the stage for the headline performance of Lizzo, which came just minutes after a rousing speech about women’s rights by politician Stacey Abrams. Lizzo took the stage to a roar from the crowd which she wowed with her sense of humor, incredible vocals, choreography (along with her “Big Girl Dancers”), and her messages of love and acceptance. Songs like “Truth Hurts”, “Juice”, “Good As Hell” and more had the audience singing along to every word and dancing under a perfect sunset in Prospect Park.

Lizzo’s concert ended at 9PM, at which point Empire had 15 hours to flip the venue to be ready for doors for the client’s Camp Romper event starting at noon the following day. The Camp Romper event was a family-friendly program, highlighted by performances by Rock & Roll Playhouse, an organization which prides itself on providing kids and parents a place to inspire creativity through music across the country. And they certainly did so for the many families who came out to the Camp Romper event. The families enjoyed the fun music and activities that the bands provided, along with activations scattered throughout the event space where the kids could have their faces painted, watch bubble artistry, and much more.

Empire provided the staging, audio, and lighting for the main stage and also coordinated and managed other various entertainment elements throughout both days. We are proud to produce some of the most exciting consumer-facing events on the planet, including the Bustle Rule Breakers and Camp Romper events.

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One of the world’s leading automotive companies tasked Empire with securing two fantastic nights of concert entertainment for their Dealer Meeting in Chicago, and Empire delivered with Train and Imagine Dragons.

On the first night, the 2,400 auto dealers and their spouses got to see firsthand why Train is one of the best bands available for corporate events. Lead singer Pat Monahan always works the crowd with his incredible vocals, great songs, and sense of humor. When the band wasn’t performing their own smash hits, like the Grammy-winning “Drops Of Jupiter” and “Hey Soul Sister”, they delivered widely-known cover songs like “Under Pressure” and “Reeling In The Years”. And as usual, Pat invited attendees to join him onstage to help sing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” which is always a highlight of Train’s shows.

Word among the guests was that the Train performance would be difficult to top. But Imagine Dragons hit the stage on night two, and from the opening notes of their blockbuster “Believer”, it was obvious the crowd was in for another great night. Between hits like “Demons”, “Thunder”, and “On Top Of the World”, lead singer Dan Reynolds spoke about the importance of equality, loving yourself for who you are, and the urgency of getting therapy for young people suffering from depression. And when the band closed the show with their #1 smash “Radioactive”, punctuated with pyrotechnics, confetti cannons, and streamers, it was an over-the-top ending for two incredible evenings.

Empire has been securing headline entertainment for special events since 1993. From classic artists such as Elton John and Stevie Wonder, to the hitmakers of today like Train and Imagine Dragons, we are honored to provide the best in musical and comedic entertainment for our clients worldwide.​

Creating meaningful connections between Uber Eats and its partners was a common theme throughout the recently-held Future of Food Summit in Hong Kong as the company continues to invest in Asia Pacific where consumers order more Uber Eats than any other geography in the world!

Empire Japan x Pico TBA were proud to produce this two-day summit, partnering with Uber Eats Global Creative team, which hosted around 300 industry and opinion leaders from Asia Pacific as well as notable F&B figures from around the region including Coca-Cola, Cafe Coffee Day, Burger King, Baskin Robbins, Guzman y Gomez, Chai Time, and more.

The summit was kicked off by Mr. Raj Beri, Head of Uber Eats APAC who talked about the state of food on demand in Asia Pacific, followed by a fireside chat about how technology is changing the way we eat, keynotes, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. There were also various experience zones, workshops, and food drops for the attendees to enjoy.

Empire x Pico TBA was involved in the concept development, planning, venue management, production, and operations.​

Empire recently welcomed Health Catalyst, a Utah-based data analytics company, to New York City for the exciting launch of their IPO. The group was treated to an action-packed day for over 300 of their employees and guests.

After ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ, the group boarded six double decker buses for a customized tour of New York City, including a walking tour of the World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial.

The bus tour culminated at Pier 40, where guests boarded a private dinner cruise showcasing the Manhattan skyline, including a trip under the Brooklyn Bridge and a close-up viewing of the Statue of Liberty.

Empire is a leading producer of launch events, campaigns, and announcements, and is proud to support innovative ventures like Health Catalyst.

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Sometimes an event venue just screams out for a particular type of artist. Such was the case when a longtime corporate client asked Empire for a concert act to perform an outdoor, summer night amphitheater show at the San Diego Symphony. Empire suggested James Taylor as the perfect performer for the setting and the client readily agreed. Empire contracted the five time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, to perform a greatest-hits set that included mellow classics like "Fire & Rain", "You've Got A Friend", and "Sweet Baby James". His more upbeat hits such as "Your Smiling Face", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "Mexico" had the 1,000 plus attendees out of their seats dancing and yelling for multiple encores. With the sun setting behind the stage, and a full moon rising, there was no doubt that James Taylor was the perfect performer for the evening.

Earlier at the same conference, Empire had also secured The Honorable Newt Gingrich and Valerie Jarrett (Senior Advisor to Barack Obama) to engage in a moderated conversation about the state of the American political system. The two proved that politicians from opposite sides of the aisle can speak civilly to one another, listen to one another, and discuss real solutions to modern challenges such as immigration, the "tribal" news media, and economic disparity.

Securing keynote speakers and headline entertainers is one of the many services available to clients in Empire's overall portfolio of event production services. Empire has delivered an incredibly broad range of many of the world’s leading artists and thinkers for private events. We pride ourselves on collaborating with clients to determine the best performers and presenters based on deep understanding of attendee demographics, event budgets, client goals, and project setting.​

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J. B. Miller, President and CEO of Empire Entertainment, Inc., and Mark Poncher, President of PeakXVGlobal Events, announced the union of their two global event production agencies. After many years of collaboration, Empire and PeakXV agreed to merge in order to expand their capabilities and global footprint to best serve the mission-driven needs of existing and future clients. The combined entity will now be known simply as Empire.

Miller and Poncher have more than 60 years of live and broadcast event production experience combined, bringing clients’ brands and stories to life with lasting impact. The companies they’ve built have each become industry leaders in the design, planning, and execution of global media and experiential events worldwide.

“All of us at Empire are thrilled to welcome Mark Poncher and his team to our family,” says Miller. “From our first collaboration in 2007 on the ClintonGlobal Initiative Global Citizen Awards at Carnegie Hall, it was clear that Mark and his team were consummate professionals and extraordinary producers who share Empire’s commitment to excellence and client service. We know that combining our two stellar teams into one organization will provide all our clients in the corporate, private, government, and not-for-profit arenas with unparalleled capabilities to create and produce events that matter.”  

Poncher, now COO of the company, added, “I’m really excited, as is everyone on the PeakXV production staff, to join forces with the great team that Empire has built. Together we look forward to strengthening capabilities across the organization and expanding our West Coast team to support current and future clients.”

Empire recently marked its 25^th anniversary with another consecutive year of record growth. The New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong-based firm has executed projects in over 100 countries, including high-profile events like the TIME 100 Gala, Tribeca Film Festival, the Black Ball, and the Grand Opening of Palm Island Dubai. The union with PeakXV will contribute greatly to increasing momentum and growth. And with Poncher taking on the role of COO, Miller, long recognized as one of the event industry’s top executive producers and creative visionaries, will dedicate substantially more time to client management and creative direction.  

“Our plan is to leverage our respective strengths and prioritize three areas with great growth potential for us,” says Miller. The Empire plan calls for:

1. Increasing focus on noteworthy thought leadership programs, summits, conferences, and exhibitions of international stature and gravitas.  

Empire’s experience on projects like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers, Eurasia Group’s GZero Summit, and Smart Cities NYC, is now supplemented by the team behind the Clinton Global Initiative, C40 Johannesburg, Solve at MIT, and others.

2. Expanding Empire’s west coast presence with full, local production capacity from Seattle, Portland, and the Bay Area to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Empire has long served west coast clients in the technology, media, entertainment, automotive, digital, and fashion/lifestyle industries. This move immediately transforms Empire’s existing west coast team into a large-scale operation capable of full-service client management, creative development, and execution for all types of projects.  

3. Expanding capabilities to produce large scale sporting and civic events, particularly surrounding the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.  

Poncher and his team bring unrivaled experience in large-scale sporting events to supplement Empire’s work with sports brands that include FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, Nike, and adidas. Poncher’s deep experience in the sports space includes the Pan Am Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Rio and Guadalajara, the Pyeonchang handover during the Closing Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, The Paralympic Games, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, and serving as Executive Producer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Special Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

This expansion also serves as an important step in Empire’s long-term global growth plan, which includes creating a formal presence in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, where both Empire and PeakXV have extensive capabilities and past experience.  

J. B. MILLER, PRESIDENT & CEO

J. B. Miller founded Empire in 1993 and has grown it into a dynamic, full-service, New York City- and Tokyo-based experiential and entertainment production agency that designs and produces projects for corporate, government, association, not-for-profit, and private clients.

Led by Miller, long recognized as one of the industry’s leading executive producers and creative visionaries, Empire has executed projects in over 100 countries. These events have included broadcasts, parties, conferences, launches, festivals, and awards programs such as the White House U.N. General Assembly Head of State Reception, the TIME 100 Gala, The Tribeca Film Festival, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue launch, The Webby Awards, The Clinton Global Initiative’s Global Citizen Awards, The Gotham Awards, the Film Society of Lincoln Center Chaplin Award Gala, the Fitch Ratings Why? Forum, the Robin Hood Investor Conference, the Keep a Child Alive Black Ball, Microsoft Connect Developer Conference, Internet Week, and the Grand Opening of Atlantis, Palm Island, in Dubai.

Empire projects have also included participation by artists and leaders such as Adele, Jay-Z, Bono, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Prince, Sting, David Bowie, Andrea Bocelli, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Blue Man Group, and David Copperfield, among others.

* * *

MARK PONCHER, COO

PeakXV was formed at the beginning of 2017 as a partnership between Mark Poncher and Chris Wayne (who passed away in January 2019). Their clients include the Clinton Global Initiative, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Third Way, Solve at MIT, the Soufan Foundation, the General Entertainment Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HuffPost, and the Above the Noise Recovery Fest Concerts.

Prior to PeakXV, Mr. Poncher spent more than 30 years producing events, creating experiences, and managing environments for audiences large and small. He has served as the Executive Producer of the Clinton Global Initiative conferences worldwide since 2006, C40 Annual Meeting in Johannesburg, the Bloomberg Tobacco Awards in Abu Dhabi, and the U.S.-Africa Business Forum.

Mark was also the Business Producer for the ceremonies for 2007 Rio and 2011 Guadalajara Pan and Parapan American Games, Rio Réveillon (New Year’s Eve), and the Cinco De Mayo 150th Anniversary broadcast special. He was Head of Production for the Baku 2015 European Games Ceremonies and the Executive Producer of the 2014 and 2015 Rose Parade Opening and Closing Spectaculars. He produced the Handover Ceremonies for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the Executive Producer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

For more information, contact:

J. B. Miller

President & CEO

jbmiller@empireentertainment.com

Mark Poncher

COO

mark@empireentertainment.com

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​Empire delivered a private concert by legendary rock musicians for a birthday celebration at a client’s private estate in Northern New England.

For this intimate event of approximately 70 guests, Empire secured a 75-minute headline performance of John Fogerty, the Co-Founder of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Rock ’n Roll Hall of Famer, alongside a special guest performance by Billy Gibbons, guitarist and lead singer of ZZ Top and Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer.

The event took place in a constructed tent in an open field. Following a dinner, a surprise reveal of the stage introduced the evening’s headline entertainment.

When Fogerty and Gibbons hit the stage, everyone got up to sing and dance to their classic hits including, “Proud Mary”, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”, “Centerfield”, "Sharped Dressed Man", and “La Grange”.

Prior to the performance, the guests enjoyed an intimate dinner and an exciting 20-minute drone show. Empire worked closely with the event décor team to orchestrate a seamless performance for this special birthday celebration.

Empire is a leading producer of private concerts by celebrities, megastars, and icons.

Playworks celebrated their fifth annual Get in the Game Gala, hosted by Nickelodeon, in the Viacom Building rooftop overlooking Times Square on a beautiful summer night.

This year Playworks New York/New Jersey expanded their impact to serve more than 125,000 girls and boys in over 200 schools across our region to ensure safe, healthy, and inclusive play which helps reduce bullying, increase physical activity, improve learning, and promote social and emotional skills.

In addition to their full-time Playworks programming in local New York City and Newark schools, this winter they launched daily programming in four Rochester schools as part of their Western NY expansion, funded in part by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

There was much to celebrate as Playworks' NY/NJ Board Chair, Laura James, and Team Up Program Manager, Luis Guerra, presented the Most Valuable Principal award recognizing Dina Ercolano, and honored five Playworks Junior Coaches.

The evening featured inspiring remarks from Playworks NY/NJ Program Director, Henry Appiah, Director of Development, Deborah Brodheim, and Founder and CEO, Jill Vialet. A live auction led by CK Swett raised funds to support the expanding efforts of Playworks to bring the power of play to every child in New York and beyond. A special highlight was Sponge Bob Squarepants greeting guests and congratulating the Junior Coaches on their awards.

Attendees enjoyed stunning views of Times Square and experienced play through immersive activations of traditional recess games like Four Square and Switch, along with life sized installations of Jenga, Hop Scotch, Ground Pong, and a rousing game of Ro-Sham-Bo Rockstar.

Working closely with Playworks, Empire served as the overall event producer, managing elements including venue, décor, programming, and technical production. Empire is a leading producer of fundraising events and we are honored to have produced all five years of the Annual Playworks New York Get in the Game Gala.

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

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