Panasonic’s solar project, described as “Filming the Sun, using the Sun” captured the 2012 solar eclipse and broadcast it live over the Internet using only solar power. Panasonic’s “HIT” solar panels efficiently produce energy which is then stored on high capacity portable rechargeable batteries, ready to power all the equipment needed for the broadcast.November 14th 2012 saw a total eclipse that would be visible from the north-east of Australia. Panasonic asked Empire to help plan and execute an attempt to capture that eclipse and broadcast it live to the world. Months of planning went into the project which depended on many factors coming together at just the right moment.By the early morning of November 14th, the Panasonic-branded stage had been set up on the beach at Port Douglas with a second location ready 75Km away at the windy summit of Fitzroy Island. Tension was high as the forecast was not in favor of clear weather, and rehearsals the previous day had taken place in conditions of cloud, wind and rain. However, on the day of the eclipse, Scott Mellish, announcer for the broadcast, was able to describe a beautiful sunrise. Although there were clouds in the sky, each location was able to capture beautiful scenes of the eclipse with Lumix GH2 cameras. Just before “totality” the Sun was actually obscured by clouds, however - as if by magic – they parted right on cue, allowing the eclipse crew, thousands of visitors at the beach and hundreds of thousands of viewers online to witness the incredible spectacle of the Sun being completely obscured such that everything was cast into a cold darkness for over 2 minutes.In addition to over 800,000 views on the dedicated Ustream channels, our stream was picked up by broadcasters across Australia and the world – and was even mistaken for NASA coverage! The response to the broadcast has been phenomenal with thousands of people leaving messages of thanks on the dedicated website (http://www.facebook.com/PanasonicEclipseLiveBySolarPower). We are proud to have been instrumental in bringing this spectacular celestial event to so many people around the world. This a perfect example of how Empire can provide Branded Entertainment to our corporate customers in terms of executing a genuinely exciting event that appeals to a large audience such that the supporting brand gains huge positive feedback.

A digest video of the project and broadcast can be seen HERE.

On November 1st, 2012, Omotesando Hills held a Christmas light up ceremony that celebrated the 110th Anniversary of Walt Disney. This year, the Christmas tree was entirely surrounded by 25,000 Swarovski crystals and the event was given the overall theme of “Love”.

Empire Entertainment Japan was responsible for the event’s entire production, casting child actress, Mana Ashida, as Cinderella.“Mana-Chan” - as she is affectionately known - ascended the stairs wearing a beautiful white fairy-tale dress, escorted by Prince Charming. The two stood beside the sparkling tree, admiring the Christmas illuminations while surrounded by an awestruck audience.

This event was one of the media highlights of the week in Japan, and having successfully delivered the Christmas spirit to Omotesando Hills, Empire is delighted with another fairy tale ending.

On November 7, 2012, Empire Entertainment once again served as producer of the Coalition for the Homeless’ 18th annual ARTWALK NY – New York's premier contemporary art auction event. More than 600 Coalition supporters, art collectors and enthusiasts, and celebrities came together in 82 Mercer for a night of festivities, including a live and silent auction. Artist Jack Pierson was honored for using his art to raise awareness of pressing social issues, and photographer Patrick McMullan was honored for his dedication and support of the Coalition.

The silent and live auction featured over 120 works of contemporary art donated by some of the world’s most celebrated artists including Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey, Wade Guyton and Ed Ruscha. All of the biggest names in the art world were represented and up for auction, all benefiting the Coalition’s efforts to end homelessness in New York City.The evening, generously sponsored by FENDI, began with hors d’oeuvres by Silkstone and cocktails graciously provided by Belvedere Vodka, and wines donated by Brancott Estate. Several of New York’s best restaurants, including The National, Macao Trading Company, Indochine, The Odeon, David Burke Kitchen, and Michael’sprovided tasting stations.In the live auction room, Sotheby’s Senior Vice President Aileen Agopian auctioned off original works by honorees Jack Pierson and Patrick McMullan as well as works by Andy Warhol, Wade Guyton, Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer, Kim McCarty, Louise Fishman, Barnaby Furnas, Adam Fuss, Roxy Paine and Cindy Sherman.

The rest of 82 Mercer's multi-room space served as a gallery for the silent auction. Throughout the night, guests bid on and purchased works from established and emerging artists like Yoko Ono, Leonard Rosenfeld, Olaf Breuning, and Swoon. The silent auction featured works ranging from paintings and photographs to sculptures and installation pieces.Working closely with Coalition for the Homeless’ events team, Empire Entertainment served as overall producer of the event and was responsible for aspects ranging from event design, layout, production and logistics to décor and restaurant coordination.ARTWALK NY raised over $900,000 for the Coalition for the Homeless. Empire Entertainment is honored to have worked in collaboration with the Coalition for the Homeless and its many supporters, to make this year’s ARTWALK NY event the most successful one yet.

To learn more about the Coalition for the Homeless or to get involved and donate, visit www.coalitionforthehomeless.org

In Fall 2012, Bravo’s Consumer Marketing team turned to Empire Entertainment to open a 5-week, limited run restaurant in NYC for the Emmy Award and James Beard Award-winning television series Top Chef. The ambitious undertaking of designing, building and running a fully operational restaurant, aptly named Top Chef Kitchen, was a first for Bravo and Empire.The process began with scouting for the ideal space in Manhattan. Requirements for the space included that it be in an upscale and accessible neighborhood, have a large functional kitchen and a main dining room that could be completely remodeled in the Top Chef aesthetic as well as accommodate 100 diners per seating. Through Empire’s contacts with real estate brokers and local restaurateurs, Empire was able to find the perfect location -- a restaurant with 15-ft high windows in a landmark building nestled in one of Manhattan's trendiest neighborhoods - TriBeCa.

Next up, Empire and Bravo were tasked with designing and building the restaurant in just 10 weeks -- an unheard-of feat in the restaurant industry. Bravo’s consumer marketing team and Empire's production team worked quickly with m-USE, a trusted architect partner, to interpret the Top Chef brand in a contemporary Manhattan restaurant setting. The extensive demolition involved stripping down the interior to a clean box and opening up the kitchen so diners could watch the chef’testants in action. Renovations transformed the bare space into a sleek and sexy dining room featuring Top Chef’s bright orange accents playing against steel grey and dark walnut. The updated "open kitchen" featured gleaming white tiles and shining steel equipment. Above the heads of guests in the dining room, an ethereal “cloud” of white string was hung as a focal design element. Each and every detail, from furniture, lighting and bathroom fixtures to each piece of china or glass, was scrutinized and selected specially for Top Chef Kitchen’s 5-week limited duration. Brand new custom tables, chairs and upholstered banquettes filled the room just days before the grand opening.

The Top Chef Kitchen experience would also have to faithfully reflect the experience of the popular Bravo series during its 5-week, sold out run: Ten Top Chef alumni, including Richard Blais, Mike Isabella, Antonia Lofaso and recent Top Chef: Texas winner Paul Qui, were paired off to helm the kitchen and execute their own four-course dinner menu. Guests could choose to order one chef’s menu or mix and match courses from that evening's competing chefs. A curated wine list and Top Chef-inspired cocktails, including the very popular and spicy “Padmarita,” rounded out the dining experience. In addition to managing the overall design and production of the restaurant, Empire helped engage Distilled NY, the front-of-house and kitchen management team.The Bravo Top Chef Kitchen completely booked its entire five-week run within an hour of going live on OpenTable.com and is one of the first examples of an innovative brand leveraging its intellectual property to create an event marketing experience that consumers would not only attend and amplify through social media but that they would also pay for.

Empire has pioneered this revolutionary trend in event marketing and is the leading producer that helps brand marketers generate cash flow for their marketing activities.

On November 2, 2012, EBONY Magazine presented the Inaugural EBONY Power 100 Gala, honoring the nation’s most influential African-Americans. The invitation-only affair took place in New York City and Empire was honored to serve as event producer. The gala took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Allen Room, and was hosted by the magazine’s Chairman Linda Johnson Rice and CEO Desirée Rogers of Johnson Publishing Company. The red carpet saw the likes of A-listers George Lucas, "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe, Vivica A. Fox, ROHA & The New Normal's Nene Leakes, celebrity stylist June Ambrose, Glee's Amber Riley and Quvenzhané Wallis of Beasts of the Southern Wild, as well poet Tracy K. Smith and the Reverend Al Sharpton. The dinner program was emceed by stars Sherri Shepherd and AJ Calloway, who introduced a wide range of talent from The Black Monks of Mississippi and the 100-member Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir, to 16-year old classical violinist virtuoso Brendon Elliott, as well as a lively and colorful number from the cast of the Broadway musical Fela! A thirty-minute set by the Grammy Award-winning The Roots rounded out the evening. Honorees were designated in categories including “The Powerbrokers”, “The Thought Leaders” and “The Young Gifted & Black”. President Barack Obama, American novelist Toni Morrison, gold medal Olympian Gabrielle Douglas, American Express executive Ken Chenault, and philanthropist Marjorie Harvey were just a few of the 100 luminaries honored at the fête.

Afterwards, guests filed into the Atrium where they were treated to an after-party, with a sponsored lounge by Nationwide Insurance, and music by celebrity DJ D-Nice. Empire’s role started with early planning and ran through the very last clink of cocktail glasses filled with Hennessey libations concocted special for the event. Empire responsibilities ranged from securing performing talent, overall design & décor, coordinating with the venue and catering (provided by Great Performances), branding and sponsor fulfillment, step & repeat, staging, sound, lighting, video projection, video documentation, talent and presenter coordination, stage management, staffing, and security. Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of high-profile events and is proud to have been chosen to support this remarkable program for EBONY Magazine and The Johnson Publishing Company.

The IAB MIXX Conference & Expo, the Official Interactive Event of Advertising Week, is a key program for marketing and agency professionals—and the publishers and technology firms who help drive their efforts. This year, the cornerstone of the conference was a conversation with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Netscape founder Marc Andreesen. And when IAB needed an interviewer with the gravitas to lead the dialogue, they selected Empire to secure acclaimed broadcast journalist, Charlie Rose.Mr. Rose led the discussion at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in NYC with insightful questions about Facebook's IPO, as well as privacy issues that face the marketing industry in general as technology becomes more pervasive, and perhaps, more invasive as well. When Rose asked Sandberg to explain the evolution of online advertising in relation to Facebook, she responded that Facebook is "the largest and most engaged community of people anywhere in the world and that gives businesses an opportunity to transform their relationships. Rather than just talk at large groups of anonymous people, businesses can relate to a consumer and establish an ongoing relationship." The interview and lively discussion had an intimate feel, and included moments of humor as well as incredible insights and predictions relating to the future of online marketing and advertising from some of the world's most knowledgable minds.

For two decades Empire has been a leading resource for keynote speakers as well as hosts, moderators, panelists and discussion participants. Some of the hosts and moderators that Empire has presented include Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Charlie Rose, Barbara Walters, Kelly Ripa, Lisa Ling, Lou Dobbs, Linda Ellerbee, Walter Cronkite, and Tom Brokaw.Some of the keynote speakers Empire has delivered include President Barack Obama, his Holiness XIV Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, President Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Deepak Chopra, Steven Speilberg, Magic Johnson, George Lucas, Ralph Lauren, Malcolm Gladwell, and many more.

Empire was chosen by US software company Microsoft to launch the latest incarnation of its world-leading operating system.The client’s brief was focused on the need to communicate the excitement of Japan welcoming the new software at the stroke of midnight. Empire’s project team worked tirelessly to put together a plan that would create an irresistible buzz around the launch.

This launch plan included venue search, design and build, awareness building activity planning, and casting at the main venue in the heart of Tokyo’s internationally famous “Electric Town”, Akihabara.

Empire cast Crystal Kay as the main performer for the evening with Fukazawa Rina as MC. Other special guests included the enormously popular all-girl band SCANDAL, commentator Dave Spector, and parkour artist Zen Shimada, all who kept the ever growing audience thoroughly entertained. Akihabara was jumping as Crystal Kay and her dancers lit up the night with a fantastically energetic performance.

Working with Japan’s largest advertising agency, Empire was able to execute to perfection, delivering an exciting and visually stunning launch event for this global brand.

SIBOS is an annual banking and financial conference organized by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication in various cities around the world. It has been held in Amsterdam, Sydney, Copenhagen, Boston, Berlin, Helsinki and other cities.

This year Empire was asked to produce the conference reception for a major British multinational banking and financial services company.

Held at The Hyatt Regency Osaka, Empire was responsible for all aspects of production from design and layout, to lighting and catering, making sure that the high standards of the bank were met and an enjoyable evening was had by all

Showcase of Traditional Performing Arts at Haneda Airport, Japan. The Haneda Airport International Passenger Terminal played host to a "Short Trip" to the world of Japanese traditional performing arts in which visitors at the terminal could enjoy an informal taste of some of Japan's unique performing art forms.

Traditional Japanese song and dance was performed on an open stage, including a spectacular lion dance, “shamisen” and “koto” playing, with "Shinnai" ballad singing by strolling musicians. Visitors could also take part in a Japanese tea ceremony, or watch and even try the skills of Japanese musical instrument-making craftsmen.

Empire Entertainment Japan was comprehensively responsible for planning, managing and manning the event which gave those leaving and entering the airport terminal a highly authentic, yet delightful taste of Japanese culture.

In connection with the Microsoft Windows 8 worldwide launch, PC giant, ASUS Computer International, turned to Empire Entertainment to produce the launch of their highly anticipated Windows 8 lineup of products.Held at the elegant and modern Espace venue in Midtown Manhattan, the event was attended by 200 of the New York’s top technology media outlets.

The event featured a carefully-scripted onstage presentation that combined the company Chairman's enthusiastic presentation of the products with performances by the world-renowned techno-illusionist Marco Tempest, who wowed the crowd with his interactive virtual magic.

The main focal point of the presentation was a massive LED screen, which displayed the precise custom video content was created for the presentation. The Chairman and Marco interacted heavily with this screen throughout the presentation as they introduced the new products using the large LED wall as their canvas.

As a surprise finale to the show a closing recap video of all of the products, each combined with an onstage illusion by Marco, led to a reveal moment where two huge kabuki curtains flanking the left and right of the stage were suddenly dropped revealing long sleek display tables featuring all of the products just introduced. The media were on their feet and using the products just moments after the presentation ended as wait staff appeared to serve celebratory glasses of champagne.Working closely with the client's talented design team in Taiwan, Empire created all elements of the event including highly-finished stage design, furnishings and demo tables all consistent with the design excellence of ASUS. These elements included a custom LED trimmed stage, demo stations and two 8’ wide ASUS logos that were lit from within with LED lighting.

Empire is the leading producer of cutting-edge product launches that utilize state-of-the-art design and technology and is a strong partner for international brands looking to launch their products in the world's most important media market“ New York City.