Our Work

Building on the success of the inaugural Fitch Ratings Why? Forum, presented at the New York Public Library in October of 2013, Fitch Ratings held the second installment of this thought leadership event in London. In keeping with Fitch’s exploration of the ‘reasons behind the rating,’ The London Why? Forum focused specifically on Europe’s return to growth and the opportunities and threats that are most likely to impact that trajectory.

The London Why? Forum event took place at the historic Tower of London whereEmpire and Fitch’s design firm, Addison Branding, were tasked with transforming a 12th Century venue into a contemporary and innovative event space. The centuries-old wood columns and ceilings beams were juxtaposed with black leather and chrome and an enormous LED wall, was constructed to serve as a backdrop for the stage.

The program began with welcoming remarks from Fitch Group CEO, Paul Taylor, who laid the groundwork for the evening’s discussion and introduced the evening’s keynote speaker, former Governor of the Bank of England, Lord Mervyn King. Lord King spoke to an audience comprised of some of the most influential institutional investors, senior officers, bankers and European market participants.

Following an audience Q&A with Lord King, a panel discussion began featuring economist Nouriel Roubini, Managing Director of JP Morgan Asset Management and former Economics Editor of the BBC, Stephanie Flanders and Hearst Corporation’s President and CEO, Steve Swartz. The panel discussion was ably moderated by Fitch Rating’s James McCormack and covered topics ranging from Europe’s recovery, the validity of the Eurozone model, Russia, the Ukraine and the “Pivot to China,” and the growth opportunity in Africa.

At the conclusion of the stage program, the New Armouries courtyard and café were transformed into a reception where guests mingled with program participants and further discussed the evening’s topics.

For this unique program, Empire served as overall producer, helping to secure the keynote speaker and contracting the panelists, handling all technical production, scenic and staging, catering, and guest logistics.

To learn more about this innovative new series, check out the Why? Forum website at www.whyforum.com

Empire is a leading producer of thought leadership forums that provide insight to business decision-makers worldwide.

On June 19, 2014, Empire once again served as producer of the Happy Hearts Fund Gala, which raises awareness and funds for schools in regions affected by natural disasters. This 10th anniversary gala, honoring President Bill Clinton and featuring a performance by Sheryl Crow, commemorated 10 years since the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004 and celebrated 85 schools already rebuilt.

Departing from the tradition of bringing awareness to a single country, this year’s gala, sponsored by Chopard cast a spotlight on all of the countries who have benefitted from the aid of the Happy Hearts Fund and focused highlighting the HHF mission, which is to rebuild schools and education.

Within the impressive Cipriani 42nd Street venue, over 500 guests enjoyed cocktails and a seated dinner surrounded by school-room décor with chalkboard-inspired screen graphics, neon-colored rulers used as bidding markers and a classroom scene set onstage. The stunning host and founder of the Happy Hearts Fund, Petra Nemcova, even dressed as “Principal Petra” as she addressed supporters in her welcoming remarks.

Heart-shaped floral centerpieces surrounded by “thank you” written in different languages adorned the guests’ dinner tables.Prestigious honorees and speakers included President Bill Clinton (presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award), President Michel J. Martelly of Haiti (presented with the Leadership in Education Award), John Caudwell (presented with the Children’s Champion Award), United Airlines (presented with the Honored Partner Award), and Apl.de.ap and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas (presented with the Spirit Award).

Guests were also treated to energizing performances of “I’ve Got a Feeling” and “Where is the Love?” by Apl.de.ap, a surprise rendition of “Let It Be Me” (Elvis Presley) by President Martelly of Haiti (who was then joined onstage by another surprise guest - Wyclef Jean - for a one-of-a-kind rendition of “No Woman No Cry”), and Sheryl Crow, who performed four songs including “Soak Up the Sun” and “All I Wanna Do”.

Notable attendees included fashion designer Donna Karan, musician Taboo, singer/songwriter John Legend, actress Naomi Watts, and supermodels Coco Rocha and Arlenis Sosa. Event sponsors included Chopard, Clinique, and United.Rounding out the stage presentation was a lively auction led by renowned auctioneer Simon de Pury of Phillips de Pury & Company, with packages including tickets to the 2014 Victoria Secret Fashion Show, a luxury trip to Ibiza for eight guests, including air travel via private jet and yacht, and the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival while sporting a custom made jewelry piece designed around a 5.12 carat Colombian emerald from Chopard. A highlight of the auction included a fashion show featuring Coco Rocha and Petra Nemcova walking the catwalk.

Between ticket sales and auction packages, the Happy Hearts Fund raised over $2.5 million through which the HHF has reached the goal of raising enough to rebuild 15 more schools which will accomplish their foal of rebuilding 100 schools before the end of 2014.

Working closely with Happy Hearts Fund, Empire served as producer of the gala, managing elements including venue, décor, technical production, performing talent and stage management.To support or learn more about the Happy Hearts Fund, please visit www.happyheartsfund.org.Empire is honored to have been part of such a worthy event and is a leading producer of not-for-profit, for-cause events globally.

As a part of Bloomberg’s Global Leadership Conference at Sea Island, Georgia, Empire created and delivered an original, immersive experience that took place over the course of a full evening to promote understanding of international business protocol in the emerging markets of China, Cuba, Nigeria and South Africa.

For this sophisticated, executive audience already fluent in international relations, Empire engaged, scripted and curated Ambassadors from each country to represent their nations and showcase their cultures and traditions. During cocktail hour, guests mingled with these International representatives and engaged in some light-hearted competition playing games indigenous to each culture. The Nigerian game of Ido was played on one side of the room while others enjoyed a game of Ping Pong with a professional Chinese player.

The transition from cocktails to dinner on the patio was signaled with lively Cuban dance and music.Once the first course was served, Cuban ambassadors and Cuba Libre cocktails greeted guests.

Throughout the dinner service, Chinese, South African and Nigerian Ambassadors circulated the room, visiting each table to deliver a brief presentation illustrating the various “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of their country’s business culture.

Bloomberg executives were entertained, informed and delighted.Desserts, coffee and tea were served in the foyer of the Sea Island Resort as guests were invited to a South African game of Jukskei in the gardens and espresso at a table of Cuban dominos or cubilete, the traditional dice game. Guests were also welcome to Chinese Oolong tea served by the Chinese Ambassadors in a traditional Tea Ceremony.

Empire is the premiere event production company for corporate conferences and bespoke, immersive content and experiences.

When alumni from Princeton's Class of 1989 celebrated their 25th Reunion in May 2014, they called on Empire to help them secure one of the hottest concert artists today – Flo Rida - to entertain their classmates.

Empire secured the Grammy nominated hip hop and dance music artist to perform a 90-minute set of greatest hits to over 2,500 pumped up alumni. The performance was independently organized and supported by members of the Class of 1989.

From the moment Flo Rida hit the stage, the crowd’s energy was infectious. He performed all of his chart- topping hits, including “Low,” “Club Can’t Handle Me,” “Good Feeling,” “Wild Ones,” and “Whistle,” as the crowd sang and danced to his well-known upbeat songs.

Throughout the performance, Flo Rida invited guests onstage to dance and sing with him. At one point, Flo Rida crowd surfed into the audience, and carried a fan on his shoulders as they sang. Flo Rida’s enthusiasm kept the event at a climax throughout his entire performance.

Empire secured and contracted Flo Rida and his band, coordinated all production, logistics and onsite management and worked closely with the Class of 1989 alumni organizers to ensure its success.

Empire is a premier industry provider of headline talent for large events and parties.

From May 25-28, 2014, NetScout Systems, Inc., an industry leader for advanced network, application and service assurance solutions, held its Asia Reseller Summit in Osaka, Japan. NetScout’s U.S. events agency for the Summit, Opus Events, called on Empire to handle all Destination Management and Coordination Services in Japan.

Empire managed logistics for over 100 NetScout guests and staff for their visit to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Osaka where the Summit was held. A welcome reception was held on the first night with beautifully atmospheric live music provided by Ito Maiko, a popular traditional “Koto” Japanese harp player cast by Empire.

On the second evening, NetScout held an Awards Dinner for which Empire cast Japanese samurai sword performance artists, KAMUI, whose highly skilled swordsmanship and storytelling has gained them high praise around the world. KAMUI’s dramatic performance on the night demonstrated why director Quentin Tarantino turned to them for expertise for his hit movie, Kill Bill.

On the third day of the Summit, Empire, working with a local tourism company, arranged a tour of Kyoto – Japan’s cultural heart – where participants had the chance to visit several UNESCO World Heritage Sites including The Golden Pavilion and Kiyomizudera Temple.

The fourth and final day saw guests departing the hotel, with our staff making sure that they were looked after for their ongoing journeys.

Because of detailed planning and local expertise, Empire was able to ensure smooth logistics, exceptional entertainment and many pleasant memories for NetScout’s team in Japan. We look forward to welcoming them back.

Empire recently had the pleasure of again serving the Swatch Group in Japan, this time on the occasion of their launch press conference at the Nicolas G. Hayek Center, in Ginza, Tokyo. For this most recent launch event, Swatch Group Japan sought to showcase four models of the world's first "SISTEM51" movement watches. First revealed in April 2013, the "SISTEM51" automatic (self-winding) watch movement is 100% Swiss made and consists of only 51 parts.

For the press event and product reveal, Empire matched the venue’s minimal white space with a clean and contemporary design to provide optimal visual merchandising of the product. The well-attended press conference featured a variety of speakers, product reveals, pre-recorded video rolls and a reception. Empire served as overall producer of the launch press conference, and was responsible for all displays, performances and talent casting. Over 90 members from the media attended, resulting in wide coverage of the event.

Empire is a leading producer of product launches and related press events worldwide.

The CLASSY Awards is the largest social impact awards ceremony in the United States. Taking place at the San Diego Civic Theatre, this inspirational evening highlights the greatest champions of social progress, a process that starts with thousands of entries and culminates in 8 winners being announced live on stage. This year, Elizabeth Gore (Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the United Nations Foundation) and Kenna (Grammy-Nominated Musician, Tech Creative and Founder of Summit on the Summit) hosted the 5th Annual CLASSYs in partnership with the United Nations Foundation.

As the CLASSYs continue to grow, we were privileged to partner with them to help celebrate the fifth anniversary. The evening began with an outdoor reception complete with multiple red carpets providing each and every guest with a special VIP experience. Guests were welcomed into the theater to find a beautifully designed set by David Korins Design, drawing inspiration from the elegance of the awards logo laurel, which helped frame the multi-screened stage. The real magic happened when the house lights dimmed and the set came to life with LED lights framing each screen and the podium.

Throughout the evening, various leaders from the social sector presented awards to the winners in each of the 8 categories- Active Duty & Veteran Services, Animal & Wildlife Welfare, Disaster Relief & Public Safety, Education Advancement, Environmental Protection, Health Services, Human Rights & Social Justice Services, and Poverty & Hunger Relief. Some of the speakers included Adam Garone, Co-Found & CEO of Movember, Premal Shah, President of Kiva, Kathleen Schwille from National Geographic, Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO of the Humane Society of the US, and Col. David Sutherland of Easter Seals Dixon Center, who brought all 2000 guests to their feet with his moving remarks.

Overall, the CLASSY Awards continue to pave the way recognizing and honoring the importance of those individuals striving to make our world a better place and we are grateful for the opportunity help emphasize this significant occasion.

To learn more about the awards, please visit www.classyawards.org.

The setting: the perpetually chic and romantic City of Lights, Paris. The purpose: an incentive program for a top performing global sales team. The perfect headline entertainment: multiple Grammy Award-nominated artist and international sensation, Robin Thicke.

On Friday, May 16, a perfect Parisian spring night, attendees and their spouses eagerly filed into the Pavillon Cambon, anticipating who would be the surprise guest artist to cap off the week’s fantastic European itinerary.

Once onstage, Robin Thicke and his band did not disappoint. His full dance set included all of his R&B, pop-rock hits like “Give It 2 U”, “Dreamworld”, “Shakin’ It 4 Daddy”, and “Feel Good”. He also mixed in covers like Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” and closed out his set with his insanely popular hit “Blurred Lines.” The band's powerful stage presence with full horn section and backing vocalists had the audience dancing and shouting for encores, while Robin leapt on top of the piano and danced around the stage, giving an unforgettable performance. Following the show, Thicke graciously greeted and talked with VIPs, took photos, and personally announced his latest album set to release in July 2014.

For this incentive program, Empire worked closely with SWIFT Smart Solutions. SWIFT is a leading producer of large-scale meetings, events and training development for its corporate clients and Empire has enjoyed a solid collaboration with SWIFT for over a decade. Empire identified the best possible talent candidates, negotiated the performance contract, and facilitated the production and logistics plan to support the concert. SWIFT handled all technical production, the spectacular Parisian venue selection, and room design.

Empire is a leading provider of headline entertainment for international corporate meetings & events and is deeply experienced in overcoming the challenges of presenting headline entertainment outside of the United States.

The Genesis Prize is a brand new initiative, seeking to recognize individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields, and whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody the character of the Jewish people through commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and/or to the State of Israel. To help commemorate the inaugural award ceremony, Empire delivered former Tonight Show host Jay Leno to serve as emcee for this momentous occasion.

The Genesis Prize Foundation wanted a household name that could help lighten the evening while simultaneously adding to the already prestigious line-up. Jay Leno was the perfect fit. The event took place at the historic Jerusalem Theater in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the $1 Million Genesis Prize to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg, in turn, announced that the prize money would be invested to create the Genesis Generation Challenge – a competition striving to find and fund the next big idea to measurably better the world.

Along with the award presentation the program included a variety of performances celebrating famous Jewish musicians, artists, and composers. One of the many highlights of the evening was an ever-impressive special performance by Grammy award-winning pianist Evgeny Kissin.

Throughout the evening, Leno touched on a wide variety of topics from local Israeli politics to American pop culture in order to account for the diverse audience of international dignitaries, Nobel laureates, and business leaders from around the globe. Overall, his participation greatly helped amplify the international buzz surrounding the award, and we were honored and privileged to play a part.

On May 9, 2014, Empire delivered award-winning actor Alec Baldwin to take the helm of one of the most creative and prestigious award shows of the advertising world, The One Show. This annual event presented by the One Club celebrates the most acclaimed work in advertising, design, interactive, and branded entertainment. The One Show is the annual culmination of Creative Week, the New York City festival commending the union of excellence in advertising and the arts.

For this year’s event, the One Club desired a highly-recognizable host who could not only command the attention of the room, but who would also deliver a fun experience to this discerning gathering of industry professionals. Alec Baldwin was the natural solution.

Nearly 1,000 guests packed Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall for the event, excited for Baldwin to kick off a fantastic evening. Prior to the show’s start, the television and movie star graciously posed on the red carpet for several photos with industry VIPs.

Collaborating with the writers from comedy video website Funny or Die, Baldwin was able to deliver an amazing event, leading the three-hour show with a deftness and charisma.

Mary Warlick, CEO of The One Club said of Baldwin that he is "a gifted actor and a New Yorker through and through, Alec Baldwin is the perfect choice to host The One Show, a New York institution. We want to make a big statement for this year's new format, and Mr. Baldwin does just that."

Empire selected and recommended Alec Baldwin, negotiated his contract terms and coordinated his logistics and content preparation. On the day of the event, Empire ensured all needs of the client and talent were well met to facilitate the best possible performance.

Empire is one of the world’s leading providers of high-stature talent for awards shows and events.

From May 1 to May 10, one of five major orchestras in America, the 2014 Boston Symphony Orchestras Asia Tour, sees the Suntory Concert Hall in Tokyo as its final performance destination.On Friday, May 9, at the beautiful Suntory Hall Blue Rose (Small Hall), Empire Japan produced the VIP Cocktail Reception Party for State Street Bank, one of the sponsors for the 2014 Boston Symphony Orchestras Asia Tour.From the pre-production management, staging to venue décor, Empire Japan was responsible for full production in collaboration with Hong Kong partners. More than 200 VIP guests attended including Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy and the 29th United States Ambassador to Japan. Empire Japan was thrilled to have produced such an enjoyable evening.

On May 14, 2014 Conduit Mobile came to NYC to re-launch as Como- the world’s leading do-it-yourself mobile app-creation platform. With customers ranging form mom and pop shops to global powerhouses like Amazon, Como powers over 600,000 mobiles apps with over 3,500 new businesses joining every day.

The Como Summit brought together 200 of the smartest minds in tech alongside the savviest minds in business to the tech-centric IAC Building. The morning was filled with informational panels focused on how to help small businesses make a big impact, featuring speakers from Como, Amazon, Booker, Yext, Etsy and the City of New York, to name a few. Taking place during National Small Business Week, Como partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration to livestream the program to viewers worldwide.

From registration to partner expo to stage program, the entire event was designed with a “small business, big moment” look and feel. We drew inspiration from the classic Main Street America aesthetic, building custom storefronts with awnings and hedges for the expo area to help create the small business, suburban feel. Pinch Food Design catered, bringing in their ever-creative food stations with a special deck interaction, rotisserie and spinning salad bar that helped bridge the space from expo to conference area. The immersive 120’ long video wall welcomed guests to the stage program, upgrading from the small town feel to a more techy, modern and edgy environment.

The conference provided a great opportunity to educate and network with potential partners, demonstrating Como to be an amazing resource for SMBs to reach and engage their clients in more meaningful ways. We were honored to be able to help celebrate the launch and in the words of the client, become “one of the team.”

May 19, 2014, marked the 10th consecutive year that Empire has produced The Webby Awards— the internet's most important annual event. This year, web achievements by celebrities including Taylor Schilling, De La Soul, and the Jamaican Bobsled Team were celebrated alongside accomplishments of Lawrence Lessig and VICE Media.

Empire produced the 18th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC, where attendees first mingled and enjoyed Cipriani’s famed Bellinis and passed hors d’oeuvres during a perfect Spring cocktail reception.

Patton Oswalt was uproarious as host for the third straight year, opening by asking the guests to stop looking at the internet on their phones so that he could talk to them about the internet.

But as always, it was the Webbys renowned five-word acceptance speeches that stole the show. Some winner’s speeches were funny, such as Ylvis (who were behind the “What Does the Fox Say?” song and video), who simply said, “We came for free food,” while others proved that five words are enough to say something more profound, such as VGNC’s Executive Producer who exclaimed, "Peace and glory to Ukraine!"

One of the more interesting moments of the night came when Bansky was named the Webby Person of the Year by the legendary godmother of punk, Patti Smith. Unwilling to appear publicly, Banksy had Patton Oswalt open a golden envelope with his 5-word acceptance speech. However, the card inside appeared to have been censored, leading Patton to say, “Oh….somebody painted over it”. Whether that was the elusive artist’s five-word speech was anybody’s guess.

Perhaps for the first time ever, the best speech of the night was not from a winner, and was not limited to five words. After the audience was treated to a stunning video celebrating the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web, Charlie Rose took the stage and introduced the man who invented the Web itself, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. He made a moving, passionate, and poignant call to action for Web leaders everywhere to continue creating the fabric of the Web, person-by-person, idea-by-idea. The audience leapt to their feet when Lee closed by saying he only needed three words to explain whether the Web would continue to stay free for all people everywhere: “Up….To…Us!”

The Webby is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, The 18th Annual Webby Awards received 12,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states and generated nearly one billion media impressions worldwide. Empire is honored to have partnered with Recognition Media on the event since 2005.

Empire had the honor of producing the 7th annual Internet Week New York festival once again, which featured an array of events around New York City from May 19 to 22, 2013. Event headquarters was positioned at the Metropolitan Pavilion and the Altman Building for the second consecutive year, after a brief hiatus from those spaces in 2012.

With more than 10,000 visitors over the week and hundreds of companies represented, including CBRE, Yahoo!, Quantcast, and NTENT, the space was organized to create separate, yet still cohesive, spaces in which to provide concurrent content. Two stages were sponsored by Evolve Media and USA Today / Gannett, a classroom was sponsored by The Trade Desk, and a lounge was furnished by official design partner, Design Within Reach.

Looking to keep things fresh, sponsors brought in a variety of interesting activities this year, including KBS’s “Inside the Internet” experience, consisting of a single-person unit where individuals spun around in a holographic box with confetti and music, Evolve’s nail art station offering free manicures and custom art, and SheKnows offering samples of gourmet popcorn and juices.

Highlights of the week included:

· The welcome address presented by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who discussed the role of technology within the city.

· A keynote presentation by VICE News, moderated by VICE News Editor-in-chief Jason Mojica with input from participants Richard Wolffe, CIP and Executive Editor at MSNBC.com, Duy Ling Tu, Professor and Director of Digital Media at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and Justine Simons, Senior Producer at the New York Times.

· Webby Sessions which included a conversation between Eva Chen, Editor-in-Chief of Lucky Magazine and David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards – covering Eva’s experience with brands like Elle, Vogue, Vogue China, and Teen Vogue. The content focused on the evolution of fashion, beauty, and retail in the digital age.

· Chrissy Teigen—celebrity Tweeter, blogger, super model, and Sports Illustrated Cover Model—speaking with Cosmopolitan.com’s editor and sharing her thoughts on the impact of social media on the community of millennial women.

· A live performance by the Blogologues, a live sketch comedy show, in which the internet is performed verbatim by an ensemble of actors, which was met with hysterical laughter by the audience.

Following a similar pattern as past years, the event took over two separate spaces to accommodate longer presentations and conferences. Taking place in the Altman Building, MediaPost held two day-long conferences, OMMA Native and OMMA Social. AdAge's Marketing and Technology Summit rounded out the third and final day.

Empire oversaw the 7th Annual Internet Week New York festival headquarters from conception to completion, coordinating registration for the thousands of guests, stage management and producing all of the presentations in the theater and on both HQ stages, and managing all event sponsors from the design process for their space and all of their needs from load-in to load-out.

Empire is a leading producer of trade events, expos and event marketing / presence marketing installations with extensive experience in the technology industries.

On April 10, 2014, Empire presented R&B/pop sensation Jason Derulo for a telecommunications giant in South Beach, Florida. Nearly 1,000 guests packed legendary Miami nightclub Mansion for the private performance. Jason was a surprise to the attendees until the CEO started dropping clues about the mystery artist……. over 30 Million Singles Sold Worldwide…..over 1 Billion Views and counting on YouTube…….7 top-10 US Radio Singles in the Top 40 Format….. 17 Million Social Media Fans and Followers. The crowd was already in a frenzy when Jason hit the stage, launching immediately into his smash hit "In My Head". Backed by an electric hype-man and DJ, as well as four dancers, Derulo broke out other hits such as "Riding Solo", "Marry Me", "Watcha Say", and the "Other Side".

But the highlight of the night came when Jason's hype man announced that the next song in the set was currently the #1 song in the nation on the Billboard Top 40. Derulo then broke into "Talk Dirty To Me" which the crowd sang along to word-for-word. Derulo was also playful and interactive with the audience, even inviting some attendees onstage for an impromptu dance contest before playing "Wiggle", the next single to be dropped from his new album, and featuring Snoop Dogg.

Aside from booking and coordinating the performance, Empire also arranged for Derulo to sign 50 CDs and participate in a meet and greet with the client's VIPs prior to the show.

On April 23rd, 2014, The Africa Center invited an intimate group of VVIP supporters to experience the “Lagos Lounge” — a very special evening of African culture, music and food, presented to cultivate major donors for their capital campaign to complete the Africa Center on Fifth Avenue in Harlem.

The small group of guests arrived at the most unique of settings and one of New York’s best-kept secrets: a private, 100-year-old Vaudeville Theater and hidden architectural gem on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Unbeknownst to passersby, the Theater is only accessible through a small residential building’s common laundry room. Guests entered the building completely unaware that the unremarkable street entrance would lead them into an eye-opening concert hall.

After lying forgotten as a mannequin storage attic for decades, the cavernous space was lovingly restored by an Academy Award-nominated composer into a world-class recording studio. Today the soaring ceilings and wooden stage are adorned with vintage musical instruments, a cast iron & glass goldfish tank and architectural lighting that create a warm yet haunting environment. Due to the room’s impressive ambiance, candles and old music were all that were needed to set the mood of the evening.

Africa Center Board Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton opened the evening with welcome remarks addressing the important role that The Africa Center will play in the coming years as Africa continues to grow in wealth, influence and cultural significance. Clinton then invited guests to become part of the founding membership program.

Hadeel Ibrahim, the Africa Center Board co-chair, also spoke about the promise of the Africa Center before introducing Tanzania-born British architect David Adjaye who in turn introduced the evening’s first musical artist - East African singer/ songwriter SOMI. SOMI awed the audience with her powerful voice and evocative songs, reminiscent of the music of Sade and Nina Simone.

With just a quick intermission to change the stage over and to refill drinks, Fab 5 Freddy, the long-time host of “YO! MTV Raps” introduced the next and final performer for the evening – Morocco’s Hassan Hakmoun. Hakmoun and his 5-piece group had the audience, which included notable figures like Tom Freston, Jean Pigozzi, Susan Sarandon and Carrie Lowell, on their feet.

Empire helped secure the impossible-to-rent space, brought in Creative Edge to cater and provided both production and design for this event. We were thrilled to curate this evening of international talent and African flavors to facilitate awareness of the Africa Center.

Signature Theatre called upon Empire to help produce their annual gala and create a next-level experience through elevated design, a compelling program and flawless execution, all while showcasing their beautiful new Frank Gehry-designed theatre. With a ceremony paying tribute to theatre artist Ruben Santiago-Hudson and 108th New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, alongside presenters including Edward Norton and John Oliver, the stage presentation was not only impactful and meaningful, but hilariously entertaining as well.

After guests checked in at the theatre's main entrance on West 42nd Street and VIPs walked the red carpet, they ascended the staircase to discover the lobby, traditionally used as a place to mingle prior to a show, transformed into a formal affair.

Balancing the need to design an elegant evening without challenging the existing design of the venue, we used a palate of steel grays, textured linens, and crisp white flowers, all of which complemented the impressive wood paneling abundant in the space. Specialty and thematic event lighting also helped transform the space for this special night.

During the two simultaneous pre-dinner receptions, guests chatted and prepared for the dinner and stage presentation while being served an array of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while live music provided by Graham Keir of Hire Juilliard Performers enhanced the experience. As dinner commenced, guests were welcomed by Executive Director Erika Malin and Gala Co-Chairs Edward Norton and Leslie Bains. Founding Artistic Director James Houghton honored theatre artist Ruben Santiago-Hudson not only for his work in theatre, but also for his personal contributions to Signature Theatre. Comedian and actor John Oliver of HBO's “Last Week Tonight” roasted Bloomberg, bringing down the house with laughter, and also thanked him for his contributions to the success of the Signature Theatre.

Empire is proud to have served Signature Theatre and to support a variety of leading arts organizations as producer of their annual gala events.

Each year TIME publishes the TIME 100: a list of the 100 most influential people in the world. To celebrate this highly anticipated release, TIME hosts an exclusive Gala event in New York City attended by current and past TIME 100 honorees. With its extraordinary mix of world leaders, innovators and celebrities, the TIME 100 Gala is recognized as one of the world’s most high profile annual events and for the 6th consecutive year Empire was proud to serve as the event’s producer. The 2014 TIME 100 Gala took place at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Participants and performers at this year’s TIME 100 included Carrie Underwood, Pharrell Williams, Seth Meyers, Governor Scott Walker, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Alfonso Cuarón, Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Megyn Kelly, as well as Time Warner Chairman and CEO, Jeff Bewkes, Time Inc. CEO, Joe Ripp, and Managing Editor of TIME, Nancy Gibbs.

The TIME 100 was also attended by a global who’s who of icons from industry, culture, sports, fashion and politics. Some of those in attendance this year included Amy Adams, Katie Couric, Rand Paul, Rupert Murdoch, Barbara Walters, Susan Sarandon, Padma Lakshmi, Christy Turlington Burns & Ed Burns, Jenji Kohan, Frank Ocean, Ronan Farrow, Alice Waters, Charlie Rose, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Arianna Huffington.

The TIME 100 featured red carpets on three floors, an elegant cocktail reception, a seated dinner and program that combined keynote remarks, musical performances, toasts by the evening’s honorees, and an after-party. This year’s gala event was sponsored by Chivas Regal 25 and Citi.

As one of the world’s most high-stature events, the TIME 100 draws extensive global media coverage which this year included the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Today Show, Huffington Post, FOX, and many others. BizBash Media named the TIME 100 the #1 Media Event of the Year.

With the world watching through such extensive coverage, the production of the TIME 100 requires precision execution. Empire was proud to work closely with the TIME team to deliver a flawless evening.

Empire’s responsibilities as producer included event design & décor, talent booking & coordination, venue and catering logistics (provided by Great Performances), technical production, broadcast and Internet stream facilities, stage management, staffing, front of house logistics, security and sponsorship activations.

Crackle, a SONY Pictures Television digital entertainment network, partnered with Empire to produce their 2014 Digital NewFront— an annual presentation to advertisers and media covering the digital entertainment sector.

With an exciting lineup of both new, original programs and returning series, presenters such as Bryan Cranston ("The Tightrope"), Chad Michael Murray ("Chosen”), Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Cleaners”) and sportscaster Dan Patrick (“Sports Jeopardy”) were on-hand alongside Crackle executives Eric Berger and James Smith.

The NewFront was held inside Chelsea’s Cedar Lake Center, whose elegant brick walls, high ceiling and flown lighting grid, which are reminiscent of a soundstage, helped to drive home the message that Crackle is an integrated part of the SONY production operations and is actively engaged in producing the content it distributes. The venue featured a main theater as well as an adjoining reception space where guests took photos with Crackle on-air talent.

Within the concise, 60-minute program, Crackle showcased their extensive original programming in the sports, comedy, thrillers, and music categories, featuring the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, John Legend, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner. Crackle presented itself as a dynamic and far-reaching network, actively building upon its past success and firmly focused on future growth.

In addition to securing the venue, designing the spaces, managing event logistics, catering and stage managing the complex program, Empire provided all staging and technical production support. The presentation seamlessly fused a large, main LED screen with content shown on a series of six flown plasma screens flanking the set. The stage design served as a perfect vehicle for Crackle to showcase its content for the advertisers and media in attendance.

MediaBizBlogger’s, an online blog that cover the Upfronts and NewFronts each year, gave Crackle’s NewFront a 4.5 out of 5 “Jacks” adding that the NewFront had “great attitude, flow and fun.” Cynopsis’ NewFront Poll declared Crackle’s NewFront as the winner with 65% of readers polled saying that Crackle’s NewFront was the best of this year’s presentations.

Empire continues to set the industry standard for producing outstanding presentations for clients seeking to communicate their mission, motivations and value proposition to key customers. Empire is proud to have served SONY Pictures Television and Crackle for their Digital NewFront.

When The New Museum, one of the foremost institutions for New York City’s au courant modern art scene, sought talent for their private annual spring gala, they turned to Empire for a musical solution suitable for the city’s finest tastes. In search of a singer that would not only impress, but would lift the heels of guests of this coveted invitation, we engaged a chic international sensation: Swedish singer and songwriter Lykke Li.

With two albums successfully under her belt, as well as tracks on films The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Blue is the Warmest Color, and Rust and Bone, Lykke Li is the darling who is wooing the world with her unique fusion of indie, surrealist pop, and electronic music.

On the evening of Tuesday, April 1, Cipriani Wall Street buzzed with artists, dealers, curators, and editors. New York’s elite tastemakers were dressed in burgundy, cardinal, vermilion, and oxblood, befitting of the evening’s theme, “Red or Racy”. Luxury Italian sports car label Ferrari served as the evening’s sponsor, with two new models boldly parked on the sidewalk.

Following a live auction with Simon de Pury at the helm, the evening’s co-host, actress Greta Gerwig, announced that Lykke Li would take the stage by storm.

Her set included her hits “I Follow Rivers”, “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, and “Get Some”, as well as songs from her much anticipated new album, I Never Learn, dropping in May. After her hit show, the singer mingled with the crowd, including the evening’s co-host Stefano Tonchi of W magazine, Cindy Sherman, Derek Blasberg, and Jeffrey Deitch, as well as the museum’s director Lisa Phillips.

For this fantastic evening, we proudly served as entertainment producer, including securing and contracting talent and managing all talent logistics and stage management.

Whether it’s securing headline musical, comedy or variety talent, contracting or handling production or logistical needs, Empire is a leader in delivering the biggest names in entertainment for not for profit event performances.

On April 19, 2014 the independent horror comedy, Zombeavers, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. After the Zombeavers trailer was released online and went viral with millions of views the prior month, the Zombeavers premiere was a widely-anticipated event.

A sold out crowd showed up for the world premiere of the gory Summer thriller at Chelsea’s Bow Tie Cinemas. The film was directed by veteran standup comedian and writer, Jordan Rubin, and written by Al Kaplan, Jordan Rubin, and Jon Kaplan.

Immediately following the screening, guests were invited to join the filmmakers and cast at Trailer Park Lounge, located directly across the street from the theater for the film’s Official Premiere After Party.

Inside the eclectically decorated venue, guests were greeted by world-renowned DJ Mark Ronson, spinning his own mixed versions of hip hop classics for an intimate crowd of 150 guests. In addition to the cast & crew of Zombeavers, attendees include Judah Friedlander, Sean Lennon, Dave Attell, Bennett Miller, Fab Five Freddy, Matthew Lillard, Charlotte Ronson, and Josephine De La Baume.

Guests enjoyed an open bar and array of hand selected hors d’oeuvres, as an animatronic beaver that was actually used in the film provided attendees with a memorable photo opportunity. As guests departed, they were presented with gift bags full of ‘Zombeavers’ branded merchandise.

To see the trailer of this highly anticipated independent film, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7onFrBK_hKE

The location might have been TriBeCa, but the vibe was all Africa when the trustees of The Africa Center, in collaboration with Ben Bronfman, Taymour Grahne and Fab 5 Freddy, hosted the first in a series of monthly events in the lead-up to Africa Central, the Center's much-anticipated September pop-up. The eclectic crowd - including well-known figures from the worlds of art, film, fashion, finance and philanthropy - mingled easily against the backdrop of Moroccan-born photographer Hassan Hajjaj's sold-out show.

Hajjaj, whose work features in permanent collections on both sides of the Atlantic, including LACMA and The V&A, is set to design the cafe for Africa Central. Architect David Adjaye, art dealer and curator Jeffrey Deitch, fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, and African Film Festival founder Mahen Bonetti have committed to Africa Central's 10-day program and will be collaborating to produce various events.

The event drew over 400 guests to the Taymour Grahne Gallery, and DJ Rich Medina spun a set of Afro-Pop while guests sipped rum drums generously donated by Starr African Rum.

When it formally opens in 2015, The Africa Center will be the world’s leading hub for contemporary and traditional African art, culture, policy and business. Through world-class programming and a global network of partner institutions, The Africa Center will shape U.S. - Africa engagement, transform how Africa is understood in the United States, and provide a new cultural landmark in New York City.

The Africa Center is committed to to exploring a broad range of issues affecting the African continent, from education and the environment to economics and governance, while maintaining a core commitment to art and culture.

Africa Central, a cultural pop-up event, will open in The Africa Center's unfinished space at One Museum Mile in September 2014 as a temporary pop-up experience. Visitors to Africa Central will have the opportunity to participate in a various events, from performance and visual arts, to fashion and food, educational outreach and more.

To learn more about Africa Central and the Africa Center visit www.theafricacenter.org

Subaru made an appearance at the 84th Annual Geneva International Auto Show in Geneva Switzerland to unveil three new vehicles including a futuristic concept car, the “Subaru VIZIV 2 Concept” and the latest “WRX STi”. The Japanese auto manufacturer wanted to include something a little unexpected to help showcase their new concept at the Subaru Press Conference to better feature Subaru’s unique character and craftsmanship.

With the help of our Tokyo office, Subaru was able to present their new auto concepts in an innovative way by integrating famed Japanese tap dancer, Hideboh in the unveiling. Hideboh is best known for his famed dance sequence in Zatoichi, a movie directed by Takeshi Kitano.

Working under the direction of our Tokyo team, Hideboh worked with the tap dancing group LiBLAZE to create a custom performance designed for maximum impact. The performance integrated various energetic dance elements characterizing the new Subaru concept car, “VIZIV 2.”

The unconventional press conference was a big hit for Subaru, garnering media attention from all over the world.

To learn more about the new vehicles showcased and see Hideboh in action at the Subaru Press Conference, please visit: http://youtu.be/Gp50YLAzO5Y.

Empire is a leading supplier of creative talent solutions for international product launches, trade shows and exhibits.

In 2013, Empire worked with AMC to create what would become one of the most innovative and talked-about events of the year for AMC’s first-ever Upfront.

In April 2014, AMC raised the bar again, challenging us to deliver an event that would wow their guests in a completely new way and deliver on AMC’s tag line of ‘Something More’. Working together with AMC over the course of many months, we reimagined the upfront as an epic, seated dinner that would allow the guests to experience the power of AMC’s programming in a group setting. The results were, in the words of advertising media, “eye-popping” and “an imaginative bar-raiser and sure-fire candidate for best event of 2014".

The evening began with guests boarding a series of luxury coaches to transport guests from their midtown offices to the downtown venue. Upon arriving at Pier 36, guests checked in quickly and passed through a sleek reception area and into a cocktail lounge while listening to remarks by AMC’s engaging President, Charlie Collier. As Collier wrapped up his remarks, a giant wall of curtains unexpectedly parted to reveal a stunningly beautiful 100' dining room with banquet tables and over 100 waiters in formal attire lining the aisles.

Guests were awestruck by the screens lining the perimeter of the room and were in for an even bigger surprise as they were seated next to the stars and creators of AMC’s shows. Among the celebrity attendees were Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks and January Jones of Mad Men; Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, and Lauren Cohan of The Walking Dead; Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks of the highly-anticipated Better Call Saul.

To bring current and upcoming programs to life, custom-created wide screen trailers of AMC’s shows were shown on the surrounding screens while shock-and-awe theatrical experiences complemented each sequence. While guests enjoyed their amuse bouche, highlights of Mad Men ran on the screen to conclude with a reveal of the entire cast standing in spotlights at their tables. Next up, a series of live and projected legal incidents advertised the law practice and new series of the ever-scheming Saul Goodman of Better Call Saul. During the main course, a panoramic animation sequence turned the clock back on Manhattan from the present day to 1776. As the trailer for AMC’s newest series entitled Turn concluded, guests witnessed a full-scale Revolutionary War battle fought in the aisles by over 50 soldiers in costume amidst smoke effects and cannon and musket fire. A revolutionary war fife and drum corps conclude the battles sequence and provided a nice segue to a lone fiddle player whose music transported guests back to the old West of Hell on Wheels as expansive imagery of trains rolling across the Great Plains spread over the screens. In the final sequence, AMC executives’ closing remarks were cut short by a Walking Dead Zombie attack as over 40 authentic walkers invaded the dinner space and chased guests back into the reception area that had been transformed into an ‘80s-themed after party portraying Halt and Catch Fire - a new series about the birth of the personal computer.

MediaBizBlogger Simon Applebaum wrote that AMC’s Upfront was “An imaginative bar-raiser and sure-fire candidate for best event of 2014.” Another media executive quoted in Broadcasting & Cable was quoted as saying “Other companies will be hard pressed to beat this. They’ve raised the bar.”

For over 16 years, world-renowned event designer Colin Cowie and Empire have enjoyed a very special partnership creating experiences that define the very best moments in people’s lives. This partnership combines Colin Cowie’s unparalleled ability to design bespoke environments and celebrations, and Empire’s ability to animate those visions through top-tier talent acquisition, precision technical management and live event production of the highest caliber. The results of this partnership have been experienced first hand by a long list of royalty, heads of state, billionaires, and many of the leading celebrities of our age, at events across the globe from Dubai to Mexico, Monaco to the Bahamas. Our most recent collaboration brought our teams to the spectacular Bacara Resort in picturesque Santa Barbara. The occasion? A very special birthday party, hosted by the incomparable Oprah Winfrey, for one of her dearest friends. Working closely together, Colin and Oprah imagined a spectacular environment: a vision of red velvet, cut crystal, black sequins, a dozen giant mirror balls, 100’ of video walls, hidden lounges, a branded dance floor, and LED curtains, all together taking the form of a ballroom within the ballroom. The fabulous evening included an elegant cocktail reception featuring a live-electric violinist playing along with a pre-recorded electro track. When guests entered the ballroom, they gasped at the beauty of the room, and the elegant band on stage. Throughout the dinner, there were seamless transitions between the course service, live toasts, and musical accompaniment by the New York City-based Ikonix Band, led by Troy Curtis. Following dinner, Ms. Winfrey welcomed world-renowned Grammy Award-winning performer, Patti LaBelle to the stage to perform hits including: “You are my Friend,” “New Attitude,” Lady Marmalade” and “Over the Rainbow.” Immediately following her set, a huge birthday cake was rolled onto the dance floor, and Ms. LaBelle led the room full of well-wishers to sing “Happy Birthday.”When it was time to get the dance party started, giant curtains opened, revealing previously-hidden glittering lounge areas, as Ikonix and DJ Neza performed several musical mash ups punctuated by a series of special effects. The guests danced until the early hours of the morning, fueled by Espresso-laced shots and late-night snacks. The following morning, guests reappeared in the ballroom, which had been transformed overnight into a gorgeous theater for a very special Gospel performance curated by the great Bebe Winans. The Gospel performance featured a children’s choir from The Adderley School for the Performing Arts, some of the Los Angeles area’s best gospel soloists, and a rousing set by Bebe Winans, who got the entire audience on their feet and even managed to get guest Rob Lowe up to dance and sing along. Empire was honored to once again be chosen by Colin Cowie to join his team to create another extraordinary experience for one of the highest stature clients in the world.

On February 7, 2014, the Swatch Group Japan held an important event celebrating the 160th anniversary of Tissot Watches. The event entitled “TISSOT: INNOVATORS BY TRADITION” was presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo for an audience of VIPs, celebrities and top customers. As part of the celebration, Empire Entertainment Japan commissioned U.S.-based dance company “Le Ombré” to create an original performance to celebrate the company’s rich history. Swatch Group Executive Board member, Francois Thiébaud, together with Swatch Group Japan President, Christophe Savioz, gave the celebratory toast and opened the curtain on Le Ombré’s acrobatic silhouette performance, designed to reflect the spirit of challenge carried over Tissot’s 160 year history. The client described Le Ombré’s performance and the evening as “Unforgettable.” Empire is a leading producer of high-end events for luxury brands throughout the world.