In 2012, Empire collaborated with Benchmarc360, Inc. to contract Sammy Hagar as a surprise performer for a direct marketing and distribution company's annual conference. When that same company wanted to keep things fresh for the 2013 event, Benchmarc360 asked Empire to bring in one of the biggest comedy stars in the world. After considering performers including Jerry Seinfeld and Ray Romano, Benchmarc360 Empire secure TV and movie star, Kevin James.The star of CBS' "The King of Queens" as well as major motion pictures including "Here Comes The Boom", "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", "Grown Ups", and many more was a huge hit with the 1,500 attendees. Knowing he was a surprise to the group, James started the show by apologizing "to anyone who was expecting Bon Jovi". From there, he performed a 45-minute set of non-stop laughs on topics ranging from the undeniable awesomeness of onion dip and his disdain for hot-tubs to his family life (he told the group that in spite of being told by friends that he would love all of his children the same, he found that he "really doesn't care as much for the second one"). James was happy to mention the client's name a few times during his set, and even worked their conference theme "Game On!" into one of his routines.

Following the set, Empire helped coordinate a meet and greet where Kevin James greeted a number of VIP's and took photos with each of them. Empire also arranged for Kevin to shoot a brief, impromptu video saying some kind words to one of the conference’s production team event who had fallen ill, and was unable to attend in person.

Empire is a leading source of comedic performers for corporate events and has secured many of the biggest names for our clients over the years including Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Dennis Miller, Ray Romano, Dana Carvey, Frank Caliendo and Ellen Degeneres among others.

When multinational information technology corporation Hewlett Packard (HP) wanted the support of a truly international production company to unite their most valued customers with partners from across the Asia-Pacific, they once again turned to Empire’s Japan office for assistance. Over 350 of HP’s most valued customers, channel partners, and staff were invited to converge at the Hilton Osaka hotel, where Empire’s team set about the task of creating and delivering a logistically flawless event.

Aspects under Empire’s scope of responsibility included staging, seating, coordination with the hotel, collateral materials and simultaneous. The summit focused on the theme of storage technology and included participation by several important partners such as the Intel Corporation. Over the course of two days, a series of keynote speeches and special breakout sessions, all participants were able to discover and discuss the latest ideas and systems in a comfortable, organized environment.

In addition to the keynotes and breakouts, Empire also designed and directed the build of an HP Technology Showcase area that facilitated learning about HP and its partners, as well as provided a place for guests to mingle and relax. The gala dinner that followed featured the live action and digital dance troop “Enra” performing in synchronization to a computer-generated projected background, custom prepared to highlight the summit’s ideas covered earlier in the day.

Empire is a leading global provider of services for corporate meetings and events with extensive experience in the technology industry. We are delighted to have successfully produced another important event for one of the most highly-regarded clients in the technology industry.

A week before the event, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York contacted Empire requesting headline talent for their 13th annual charity event, Casino Jazz Night. Empire was asked to identify singers who live locally in New York City with established name recognition. Within hours Empire secured Melanie Fiona, a two-time Grammy Award winning R&B artist who recently released a hit album called, THE MF LIFE. Melanie cooperated with the time constraint, in which she had only 30 minutes of rehearsal on the day event with the house band, Hank Lane Orchestra. After the scheduled program, honoring select members of the real estate industry for their philanthropic contributions, Melanie got on stage and performed 3 songs that blew away all the attendees. She sang two covers which were Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" and Sia's "Titanium" along with her original song, "Watch Me Work."

Empire is a leading resource for headline entertainment for not for profit events.

150 years ago, the United States stood at a crossroads. Deep in the heart of the Civil War, the Union and Confederate Armies met upon the rolling fields of Gettysburg, PA in the early days of July 1863 for what has become known as the turning point of the war. The Battle of Gettysburg not only changed the tide of the war in the Union’s favor, but it sent the country on the trajectory that led towards Civil Rights and our current state of freedom.

It was this relevance that the National Park Service (NPS) and The Gettysburg Foundation had wanted to convey to the dignitaries and general public attending the commemorative event on Sunday, June 30 entitled “Gettysburg 150: A New Birth of Freedom.” Empire worked closely with the NPS to produce a fitting tribute to the fallen soldiers and citizens of our nations past who were most directly affected by the battle.

The program began with the Presentation of Colors by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, accompanied by Country Music superstar Trace Adkins singing the national anthem a capella. As guests took their seats, the Superintendent of the park welcomed everyone along with remarks from the foundation’s President and the Director of the National Park Service.“This is one of America’s sacred places in terms of the ferocity of what occurred here, in terms of the sheer drama,” said John Jarvis, director of the National Park Service. “Gettysburg is one of the touchstones of the American experience.”Former ABC journalist Charles Gibson served as the evening’s master of ceremonies, introducing the keynote address by presidential historian and Pulitzer prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin. Following her remarks, the United States Army Band kicked off the music for the theatrical “Voices Program” led by LTC Jim Keene and composed by SGM Douglas Richard (both from USMA West Point).

Nearly 8,000 guests enjoyed this original theatrical production created across multiple stages, which was directed by Empire CEO J.B. Miller. Empire designed, scripted and created this stunning program with the help of Donna Lawrence Productions that not only entertained the guests but drew media coverage from 50 outlets representing both national and local media. In it’s coverage of the event, The Patriot-News wrote, "[The program's] star being the dramatic readings of the writings of those entrenched in the great and terrible battle that was Gettysburg. The story was told through different forms of media like re-enacted videos and drawings straight from 1863, but the most gripping, no doubt, was the readings of those people whose lives were either taken, or changed forever…” Empire brought on Donna Lawrence Productions to help with the scripting and media creation. The evening culminated with a candlelit vigil, underscored by the thunderous sounds of The Old Guard’s 21 Gun Salute.

Over 100 credentialed media representatives from outlets reaching a worldwide audience covered the event and A&E partnered with NPS and Gettysburg Foundation to webcast the event live on History.com- which can be viewed via C-SPAN's coverage HERE.

Empire served as overall producer and was responsible for all elements of the event including content and creative direction, staging, set design, sound, lighting, video, technical production, casting, script development, music composition and coordinating between the various entities involved.

Empire is honored to be have been given the opportunity to work on this historic and momentous occasion commemorating an important moment in our Nation’s history.

BizBash Magazine, the leading and most respected publication in the event industry, recently named President and CEO of Empire Entertainment, J.B. Miller, as one of "The Top 50 Innovative Event Professional of 2013. Heralded for Empire's use of cutting edge technology and immersive event design, Miller was cited as "An event innovator and groundbreaker—joining an elite group that proves the value of face-to-face events, empowers their peers to consider the unconventional, and reveals a redefined image of what the industry is today."

BizBash executive editor Anna Sekula wrote "We’re excited about this creative group of innovators, the folks that keep the industry looking–and moving–forward. J. B. Miller took risks and experimented with new ideas without losing sight of goals, which is the reason we decided to highlight him and the other 2013 Innovators and and their work.”The article, “50 Most Innovative Event Professionals” is featured in the BizBash summer issue, the Innovation Issue.The full list of innovative people and brands can also be found at: http://bizbash.com/innovators-2013

J. B. Miller's profile can be viewed at: http://www.bizbash.com/jb-miller/new-york/story/26276#sthash.2osTm9lr.dpbs

In the past few months, Empire's New York, Asia and Latin America divisions have successfully produced dozens of major events, spanning the globe. Empire will proudly celebrating its 20th year anniversary this coming September.

The Fragrance Foundation Awards are, simply put, the Academy Awards of the fragrance industry. Each year, the Awards recognize leading perfumers, perfumes and outstanding achievement in the field of fragrance. This year, Fragrance Foundation President Elizabeth Musmanno tapped Empire Entertainment to produce the awards show on June 12, 2013.

The celebration was held at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and was hosted by¨“Saturday Night Live’s” Dana Carvey. The program began with a cocktail reception in the Alice Tully Hall atrium among a gallery of large, printed floral walls that surrounded lounge seating. A press tent outside also displayed a similar floral pattern step & repeat in front of which all of the attending celebrities and presenters were photographed.Following a brief cocktail reception, guests made their way into Alice Tully Hall for the Awards presentation. Carvey kept things moving with his lively humor and fragrance industry material. In his opening monologue, Carvey talked about some of the fragrances that didn't make the cut this year including Governor Chris Christie's Ravenous, Breathalyzer by Reese Witherspoon, Hans & Franz Pump, On the Scent by Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Satan's Scent by The Church Lady. Following remarks by Elizabeth Musmanno and Fragrance Foundation Board Chair Jill Belasco, Carvey began the awards section of the program and presented the first of several categories. Among the highlights of the show was the Fragrance Celebrity of the Year Award presented to Taylor Swift, who wore a stunning white Emilio Pucci gown as she delivered her acceptance remarks. Other presenters that evening included André Leon Talley, Dita von Teese, Connie Britton, Sky Ferreira, Australian twin models Jason & Zac Stenmark, and Public School design duo, Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow. The program also included a live reading of an original work of poetry by Obama Inaugural Poet, Richard Blanco.

In addition to Taylor Swift and a multitude of fragrances, this year’s winners included Allure’s Linda Wells and Perfumer of the Year Lifetime Achievement winner, Alberto Morillas. The after-party was held in the Alice Tully Hall atrium where a lighting change and sleek furniture transformed the room into a luxurious late-night lounge. DJ Donna D'Cruz spun a mix of sexy international songs that perfectly suited the perfumed atmosphere of the evening, as guests drank cocktails and sat outside on lounge furniture in the sunken plaza on Broadway, masked privately by large floral-printed walls. For this production, Empire served as overall producer, coordinating all talent, technical production, stage design, room design (with Buero NY and set designer Philipp Haemmerle), talent, and stage management to ensure an efficient experience.

Empire is a leading producer of events and programs for the luxury brand industry, as well as a leading producer of award shows. Empire congratulates all of the 2013 Fragrance Foundation Award winners.

Open since 1888, Katz’s Delicatessen has been a beloved New York City institution through 23 presidencies, two World Wars, three depressions and many generations of food lovers. More than a century later, Katz’s sits on the same lower East Side corner — serving up heaping piles of pastrami to hungry throngs of New Yorkers, tourists and celebrities. When this iconic delicatessen turned 125 years old, they called on Empire Entertainment to produce their unique three day celebration.Kicking off the festivities Empire produced a 200 person Shabbat dinner, closing the restaurant to the public for one of the very few times in its history. Guests dined under the neon lights while enjoying a four course tasting menu of tribute dishes prepared by some of New York City’s hottest celebrity chefs including Joey Campanaro of the Little Owl, Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese, Bill Telepan of Telepan, and pastry chef Sarabeth Levine. Each chef took Katz's signature ingredients and put their own spin on their notable dishes. Between courses, host Gilbert Gottfried joked with the crowd and shared his own experiences. Katz’s owners Alan and Jake Dell also spoke and provided anecdotes of some of the best Katz's moments over the decades.

All proceeds from the Shabbat dinner benefited Henry Street Settlement, another lower East Side institution celebrating its own 120th anniversary this year (www.henrystreet.org). Among the many notable guests in attendance were Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, NYC Comptroller John Liu, mayoral candidates Joseph Lhota and Adolfo Carrion, Jr., entertainers Marilyn Michaels and Jackie Hoffman, Chef Wiley Dufresne (WD-50, Adler), Chef Marcus Samuelson (Red Rooster), and Chef Daniel Holzman and Chef Michael Chernow (The Meatball Shop) among others.The celebrations continued throughout the weekend with a first-ever main stage that Empire built inside Katz’s to entertain guests with a constant stream of bands, Vaudeville and Catskills performers and talent hosted by American Idol's Devyn Rush.

Capping off the momentous weekend was a full day of activities on Sunday, June 2, which was proclaimed ‘Katz's Delicatessen Day’ by Mayor Bloomberg. In addition to twelve straight hours of live music and entertainment on the in-store stage, the first ever Katz's Delicatessen World Pastrami Eating Contest was held on an outdoor stage at the Lower East Side BID DayLife Festival. Hundreds of members of the media and spectators turned out to watch ten ranked professional competitive eaters consume over 140 half sandwiches in 10 minutes. Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, the top ranked competitive eater in the world, won the golden pastrami sandwich trophy after consuming a whopping 13 sandwiches. He was absolutely a crowd favorite with all chanting his name.As the weekend wound down, the celebration did not! The restaurant lighting was turned off and the neon signs blazed as Katz’s Deli transformed into a night club where patrons danced to live music and DJs until midnight.Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer, developing the program for the weeken's activities, coordinating all logistics, dinner registration and seating, décor, celebrity chef procurement & talent booking, technical production, and onsite management for the three day series.

Empire is a leading producer of food-related events and is proud to be the producer-of-choice for a variety of New York Institutions.

When a private client sought to celebrate an important birthday party with a unique event in his home, he turned to Empire Entertainment to help him plan a most memorable affair. Working closely with his staff, Empire was able to negotiate and secure the services of Keith Urban, one of the most dynamic performers and all around professionals, we’ve had the pleasure to work with at Empire. Over a period of six months, Empire worked closely with the client and the event’s designer to develop a tented solution in the beautiful waterfront backyard to accommodate the evening’s events.

When the day arrived, the weather was perfect. Guests arrived down a stately gravel driveway, flanked by 10-foot high hedges, and pulled up in front of a cocktail tent overlooking the water in which Empire had programmed light and client’s preferred background music. Guests then moved into a tent to be seated for a dinner followed by remarks and a tribute video. But it was not until the guests moved into the entertainment tent that the full scope of the party’s plan was revealed. Inside this large tent built with a sunken pickled birch wood dance floor and cowhide banquettes, the production and design team had created the perfect environment for an entertainment presentation and after party.

One of the client’s family members performed a 20-minute set with a seven-piece band at the top of the show, wowing the audience. Immediately afterwards, a birthday cake was presented to the sounds of Stevie Wonder's “Happy Birthday”, after which, the main event commenced

Keith Urban took the stage with his full band and played a 90-minute set that included all of his hits, including several covers by artists such as Billy Joel and AC/DC. The audience danced the entire set and Keith Urban even brought some of the guests up on stage to sing with him. At one point, Urban went into the crowd, played a guitar solo, signed the guitar, and gave it to one of the stunned attendees. Towards the end of the set, Urban invited the man of the hour onstage to sing with him to Steve Miller Band’s "The Joker," and ended the show with a special guitar version of "Happy Birthday." After his final encore, Keith Urban left the stage and the evening transitioned into a dance party led by a DJ, spinning tunes until the last guests left at 1:30 AM.

For this ambitious private client project, Empire served as overall entertainment producer. Empire worked closely with the client’s office to secure and contract all performing talent and entertainment, provide all technical production, including a custom lighting rig built to conform to the shape of the tent, and Empire provided all talent logistics, stage management, and onsite production management.

From parties in remote New York locations, to the South of France, Buzios and Bodrum, Empire is the leading producer of private celebrations and events and the world's leading provider of headline entertainment for private events.

When a private client wanted to surprise his mother with a very special 80th birthday performance, Empire Entertainment helped produce “EGOT” (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) Award-winning performer Liza Minnelli, and her trio for the occasion.Taking place at their home in Woodstock, Vermont, outside with the gorgeous scenery of Summertime Vermont, the intimate birthday celebration called for a classy and entertaining show, that the guests ranging in ages from their teens to their 80’s could enjoy.

Following dinner, Liza Minnelli took to the stage, as the birthday girl cheered along in surprise. Sitting on blankets and cocktail tables directly in front of the stage, guests clapped and sang along as Liza performed a 60-minute set of her hits including “Liza With A Z,” “Cabaret,” “Ring Them Bells,” and a very energetic performance of “New York, New York.”

The show culminated with Liza inviting the lovely and musically talented guest of honor to the stage, where she got to join in a duet of Liza’s encore, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

Immediately following the song, a 15-minute firework display was set off, ending an incredible night. For this event Empire was responsible for advancing all technical and logistical details, including driving a truck stage and Steinway piano onto a very narrow private road, and producing all elements in a very remote location. Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of private events and family celebrations in the U.S. and around the world.

One of Empire's private clients recently reached out for help seeking headline talent for his daughter's Sweet 16. Empire was able to immediately secure the birthday girl's favorite band and up-and-coming stars, Timeflies, for this special occasion. The birthday party was held at a popular lounge in Stamford, CT . Although it was not a typical performance venue, Empire worked with the venue and the band to install a stage with professional sound and lighting that could create a concert experience for the guests and have the band shine like their large venue shows. On the night of the party, DJ L, who was also recommended and booked by Empire, opened up the party and then a couple hours later, Timeflies showed up from the back and completely surprised the birthday girl and her 100 friends with an hour long concert of their hits.

Due to complete secrecy in planning, the birthday girl didn't have a clue that Timeflies would be appearing until the moment they were introduced. The band went above and beyond in their performance, inviting her onstage and letting her stay on stage throughout the entire show. All the guests were thrilled to see Timeflies rock the stage. The party ended with a friendly meet & greet and photo shoot with all the guests. Empire is a leading resource for headline talent for all types of private and family celebrations and we have delivered artists that include the Jonas Brothers, Pharrell Williams and Timeflies for Sweet 16 events.