Founded in 1991 byJames Houghton, Signature Theatre is the first theater company to devote anentire season to the work of a single playwright. By championing in-depthexplorations of a living playwright’s body of work, the Company delivers anintimate and immersive journey into the playwright’s singular vision. Nownearly a quarter century old and housed in a spectacular Frank Gehry-designedtheatre on West 42nd Street, Signature is among the world’s mostinfluential theater organizations.

Signature onceagain called upon Empire to help produce their annual gala and create anext-level experience through elevated design, a compelling program andflawless execution, all while showcasing their beautiful venue.

This year’s gala paidtribute to playwright and director Tina Landau and philanthropists andlong-time donors John and Amy Griffin. The stage program’s presenters includedEdward Norton and Bill Irwin, ensuring that the presentation was not onlyimpactful and meaningful, but hilariously entertaining as well.

After guests checkedin at the theatre's main entrance on West 42nd Street and VIPs walked the redcarpet, they ascended the staircase to discover the lobby transformed into aformal affair.

Balancing the need topresent an elegant evening without challenging the existing design of thevenue, Empire used linens in a palate of mixed hues of blue and aubergine andcrisp white flowers, complementing the impressive woodpaneling abundant in the space. Thematic event lighting also helped transformthe space for this special night.

During twosimultaneous pre-dinner receptions, guests chatted and enjoyed an array ofcocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while live music provided by classical guitarist,Michael Sheridan, added to the experience. As dinner commenced, guests were guidedto their seats by an accordion performance and song, courtesy of Shaina Taub.

Executive DirectorErika Mallin and Founding Artistic Director James Houghton spoke, followed by amusical tribute in honor of Tina Landau, featuring a medley of compositions fromTina’s shows accompanied by composer Tom Kitt.

Edward Nortonintroduced John and Amy Griffin, citing their many philanthropic endeavors andcontributions to Signature Theatre. To demonstrate the impact of the Griffins’influence on children’s artistic development, child prodigy violinist ClaudiusAgrippa wowed the crowd with his performance of Vieuxtemps violin concerto No.5.

Empire is proud toserve Signature Theatre and to support a variety of leading arts organizationsas producers of their fundraising events.

For more informationon how to support the Signature Theatre, please visit: http://www.signaturetheatre.org/

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Social media has taken over the Internet, making it easierthan ever to share content with friends, family, fans and the general webuniverse. It has broken down the barriers to fame, leveling the playing fieldfor creative individuals to build remarkable audiences. The Shorty Awards honorthe best individuals and organizations on social media, recognizing thoseproducing remarkable content on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram,Vine, and the rest of the social web.

SNL’s Rachel Dratch hosted the 7^th Annual ShortyAwards this year when it returned to The TimesCenter on Monday, April 20. Theprogram kicked off with an opening video that followed Rachel’s pre-show preproutine culminating in a special visit to the master MC himself, Alec Baldwin.The Shortys uniquely gathers Hollywood and Internet celebrities alike withpresenters ranging from Bella Throne, Bill Nye, Emily Kinney and Lucy Devito,to Tyler Oakley, Thomas Sanders and Jimmy Tatro. Some of the night’s bigwinners included Taylor Swift, Hannibal Burress, Conan O’Brien, NASA, BrandonBowen, Jerome Jarre, Michelle Phan and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Following Wyclef Jean’s presentation of Best Band award to HAIM,he introduced a special performance by Panic! At The Disco. The band performedtheir hit “Miss Jackson” and debuted live their newest single “Hallelujah.”However, the best surprise of the night was the acceptance of Best Emoji of theYear by Poop himself! He even stuck around for selfies at the afterparty.

During the live-streamed ceremony, the program was simulcastto a separate viewing party downstairs where guests were able to network whileenjoying the delicious caterings of Cleaver and Co. Once again, Makers Mark andHeineken sponsored the bar and this year Baked by Melissa provided a unique andyummy Shorty branded cupcake whale tail installation. Throughout the event,brand and organization winners were welcome to accept their trophies on a speciallydesignated gallery stage where they were could record their acceptance speechesas well.

Following the event, all guests continued the celebrationheading to URBO for a wild after party. Congratulations to all the individualand industry winners this year!​

The quintessential backdrop of crystal blue waters and blond beaches of Aruba served as the backdrop to an incentive program rewarding an international top performing global sales team. The perfect headline entertainment for the island vibe: the 1.5 million album-selling, blockbuster movie-scoring, sold out worldwide-touring, White House performing, international sensation, Rodrigo y Gabriela.

On Saturday, April 18, a warm and breezy Caribbean night, attendees and their spouses mingled on the private lawn of Aruba’s Ritz Carlton to witness the dynamic duo. Once onstage, their music – an upbeat hybrid of rock, nuevo flamenco with a heavy metal flare – did not disappoint. While mostly original and instrumental, the dynamic performance included a few covers, like Radiohead’s Creep. Following the performance, Rodrigo y Gabriela graciously greeted and talked with VIPs, taking photos.

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 it’s 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 while SWIFT handled all technical production, as well as the spectacular Aruba venue selection and design.

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

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Empire is often asked what band we think is the "next big thing". When one of the world's leading technology companies asked us just that in 2014, we delivered Jason Derulo before he was a household name. As the followup in March 2015, Empire recommended and contracted Neon Trees, who had the crowd on their feet throughout their high-energy set. Hits such as "Sleeping With a Friend", "Everybody Talks", and "Animal" had the attendees screaming for more. And we predict there will be much more from this band, indeed.

Empire is one of the world's leading provider of headline talent for special events. Whether our clients need a classic artist or a current cutting-edge performer, we pride ourselves on being able to quickly identify the artists who fit your budget as well as your audience demographics.

On March 9th, Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton joined global and community leaders for the event entitled "Not There Yet: A Data Driven Analysis of Gender Equality," featuring the official release of the No Ceilings Full Participation Report and data visualization site NoCeilings.org. Empire acted as the overall event producer handling all technical, staging, scenic and signage aspects as well as the creative framing of the stage program. The event was also streamed live for viewers around the world.

Moderated by Chelsea Clinton, 20 years of global data from the report and NoCeilings.org were showcased through the compelling stories of leaders who are actively advancing the full and equal participation of women and girls in their nations and communities. Storytellers, speakers and validators promoted gender equality, making the point that more must be done both at home and abroad.

The event included participation by women leaders across various industries, including Her Excellency Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia; Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Co-Founder of the Malala Fund. For more information on the No Ceilings: Full Participation Project, please visit https://www.clintonfoundation.org/our-work/no-ceilings-full-participation-project.

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​The Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) is where technical experts from around the world, with Microsoft, come together to help educate, facilitate the exchange of ideas and give people a venue to share best practices and discuss future opportunities around Windows. Microsoft asked Empire to help with the production of this year’s Exposition and Reception Party.

WinHEC is a series of technical conferences and workshops that ran from 1992 to 2008, and was brought back in 2015 by Microsoft with the intention of holding multiple conferences throughout the year. For the recent kickoff event they looked to discuss advancements in the Windows platform as well as Microsoft’s growing investments in Shenzhen and China.

Working with the local agency Uniplan Guangzhou, Empire handled the secretariat duties for the Exposition partners which included a number of local Shenzhen IT companies. In all, 22 booths were created for the event, with Microsoft showcasing the latest in Cortana technology.

Empire also planned and produced the Reception Party held on the opening evening of the two day event. The restaurant at the Grand Hyatt was transformed into an amazing party venue featuring IROCO furniture. Wireless LED bracelets were given to guests, adding ambience to the event as they changed color in sync with the music. Beijing-based DJ Juliana entertained the crowd well into the evening.

Empire’s success in Shenzen showcases our ability to produce the highest quality events for the biggest brands anywhere in the world.

On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, Empire served as producer of a major event at New York's Manhattan Center to advance the global movement on women’s rights and gender equality.

Presented by UN Women and the United Nations Foundation, the evening was attended by over 2000 VIPs and featured participation by many global leaders including Secretary Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Melinda Gates, and many others.

The evening began with red carpet arrivals and a reception featuring installations by all female contemporary visual artists such as Swoon, Kara Walker, AM-NYC, Marilyn Minter, Olek and Ayana Jackson.

Once guests were seated, a powerhouse program of speakers galvanized the room. New York’s WABC news anchor Sade Baderinwa was the emcee for the evening and introduced a series of impactful appearances and speeches. Presenters included Mayor Bill De Blasio, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Melinda Gates, Transgender Rights Activist Geena Rocerro, and Academy Award winning Actress, Patricia Arquette who reinforced the importance of a gender equal society and immediate action.

“Twenty years ago, declaring that women’s rights are human rights was considered ground-breaking – thankfully it’s now routine,” said former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I see a future where we unlock the vast potential for women. To realize this vision we’ll have to step it up – step up our commitment to finishing this, the great unfinished business of the 21st century.”

After the program and call to action, followed a series of high-energy musical performances by UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Farhan Aktar from India, Grammy nominated artists, Les Nubians, Melanie Fiona and Jill Scott. Musical performances were backed by an extraordinary live band led by Musical Director Onree Gill.

A confetti blast in United Nations colors of blue and white marked the finalé of the celebration as the women gathered onstage to sing “I’m Every Woman,” together in unity.​

Pink Ball bringstogether those in the community who share a commitment to fighting breastcancer in Japan, and Empire once again supported the "Run For The Cure" Foundation by producing this year's event.

Pink Ball is ablack-tie gala bringing together those in the community who share a commitmentto fighting breast cancer in Japan, and spearheading greater awareness,diagnosis and treatment among Japanese women of all ages.

The funds raisedthrough Pink Ball go toward the “Run For The Cure” Foundation’s communityoutreach programs that include the “Lemon Project” seminars and publicationof PiNK magazine, a vital media tool for bringing the latest informationabout breast cancer treatments and health-related topics to women living inJapan.

In recent years,Empire Entertainment has been responsible for the overall production of PinkBall, and we continued this worthy tradition for its 12th Anniversary event in 2015. This year's event, themed “The Fruits of Life” featured powerfulJapanese Taiko drumming from Tenrin, flash mob singing by Give 6 and cuisine created by internationally-renowned guest chef Kevin Paul Connell.

Over the courseof the evening, a raffle, silent auction and live auction all raised money for“Run For The Cure” and its important work. Empire is proud to be anintegral part of this event and its valuable contributions.

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On March 25, 2015, Empire presented The Fray for a private event at Tryst in Las Vegas. While the club is designed primarily for DJ performances, we were able to have the band work with far smaller stage dimensions than they usually require. The club atmosphere and the close-knit group on stage added to the incredible energy in the room as the band thrilled the crowd with their hits including "How To Save A Life" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)".

Empire presents headline concert artists for special events worldwide. We take pride in our ability to work with performers and tour managers to determine their flexibility in order to deliver shows like this one.

​AMC Networks recently called on Empire to produce an ultimate ‘fan boy’ experience in celebration of television’s highest rated series, The Walking Dead.

From the moment guests arrived they were wowed by Highline Ballroom’s electric and clubby décor, complete with the spectacle of themed arcade games, bite-sized snacks and made to order sushi. Nearly 400 ad sales execs partook in skee-ball, ping-pong, and air hockey, printed their very own The Walking Dead T-shirts and made social media photo booth GIFs, all curated by AMC and Empire.

Whilst noshing on truffle Mac & cheese eggs rolls and chicken & waffle bites, AMC presented an energetic stage program hosted by comedian Pete Holmes, with introductory remarks by AMC and SundanceTV President and General Manager Charlie Collier.

Throughout the stage program, AMC’s next generation programming was presented by show-runners and network stars, unveiling exclusive looks of the network’s forthcoming programs. These included Dave Erickson and Cliff Curtis of Fear The Walking Dead; Jonathan Brackley, Gemma Chan and Sam Vincent of Humans; Al Gough, Miles Millar and Daniel Wu of Into The Badlands; and Evan Goldberg of Preacher. The Preacher segment was accompanied by a pre-recorded video message by the show’s Co-Executive Producer, Seth Rogen.

To conclude the stage program, Pete Holmes introduced AMC fan favorites, The Walking Dead’s Executive Producer Greg Nicotero and actor Norman Reedus. After some playful banter about their experiences on the show, the two stars introduced the teaser of the scintillating The Walking Dead Season 5-finale episode, leaving all the guests ripe with anticipation for the season’s conclusion.

After the stage program, guests danced to the sounds of Twin DJs AndrewAndrew, played games and made their own ice cream sundaes.

Empire was proud to once again support AMC and to help the network celebrate the most successful show on television, The Walking Dead, as well as premiere future AMC programming.