When one the world's largest internet brands needed to entertain and meet with their key advertising clients in the middle of summer, Empire helped them plan and execute a flawless weekend in the desirable east end of Long Island. Working closely with the client, Empire helped to develop an agenda to met the client's objectives to combine meeting and networking along with family time and socializing. Meeting in the Hamptons on Shelter Island, known for it's the quiet and remote feel, while being just minutes away from the social happenings in Sag Harbor, Empire was able to create an atmosphere of relaxation on the island and excitement in Sag Harbor. Accommodations and meeting events were at the posh Sunset Beach Hotel and Restaurant.

Activities included a luncheon cruise around the island, family time at the beach and early morning yoga on the sand. The weekend was capped off with a sophisticated dinner at B. Smith's in Sag Harbor and an evening at a famous Hamptons club. All elements of the weekend were planned and executed with the clients needs coming first. Empire managed all the housing, meeting needs, food and beverage, hospitality, staffing, transportation and negotiations easily. Empire provided the onsite staff to help make all arrangements flow smoothly. The event exceeded the expectations of the client and their guests.

Empire is an effective, full service and creative production company whose services include traditional meeting planning services such as site selection & contracting, agenda development, air, room & ground transportation arrangements, destinatin management, theme parties, ticket acquisition, activities, amenities and gift items and onsite hospitality management.

When Seattle-based Maverick Productions contacted Empire Entertainment for secure a well-known television figure to appear in an industrial video for a major technology firm, Empire worked swiftly to deliver "Frasier" co-Star John Mahoney. The purpose of the video was to introduce one of the presenting executives. The talent needed to be widely recognized by the audience, had to work within the context of the creative script developed by Maverick, and had to be an experienced actor capable of some degree of improvisation and flexibility in accomplishing the creative vision. Actor John Mahoney, who plays Mr. Crane on "Frasier", performed an originally scripted role in the very humorous video and was able to schedule the one day shoot within 72 hours of confirmation of the engagement. Empire worked to ensure compliance with Mahoney's existing agreements with the producers of "Frasier" as well as proper contracting of replay rights and payment of union dues and benefits with the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA unions.

Empire is a leading provider of talent for industrial videos, infomercials and commercial projects.

When a global pharmaceutical company sought to match a contemporary headline rock act with their young sales force, they turned to Empire Entertainment who delivered one of today's biggest Canadian Rock acts, the Barenaked Ladies. With less than a month between initial direction and the show date, Empire worked switfly to identify entertainment options that targeted the specific demographic needs of the client's audience. Empire's unrivaled talent database enables us to quickly identify all appropriate candidates for any set of demographic parameters.Once the selection of top choice was made, Empire leveraged it's high level contacts in the ever changing world of contemporary music and managed to quickly secure the Barneked Ladies to perform a 90 minute, greatest hits concert. On show day, the Barneked Ladies rocked the audience with over 100 minutes of high energy pop rock including their biggest hit, "If I Had a Million Dollars." The band also participated in a meet & greet with client VIPs and even agreed to sign 100 CDs as gifts for attendees. Other talent that was booked by Empire and featured at this meeting included comedian Greg Giraldo, speaker Lizzy Simon, Bluegrass band The Suggins Brothers, and members of the DeKalb Marching Band who were featured in the motion picture "Drum Line."

Empire continues to be the industry leader in booking and presenting contemporary talent for corporate meetings and events.

For the all night party of a global technology company, Empire booked and coordinated a performance by rockabilly legend and Stray Cats leader, Brian Setzer and his Orchestra. For this performance at the Louisiana Super Dome for almost 14,000 attendees, Empire provided a high-energy headline concert that perfectly suited the audience, the setting and the House of Blues-style rock and roll party atmosphere that the client wished to achieve. Brian Setzer and his Orchestra performed Stray Cats hits like "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town" as well as rock and swing covers like "Mack the Knife" and "Brand New Cadillac." Dressed in leopard print jackets, the orchestra featured two female backing vocalists and moved in tightly choreographed routines that kept the action going. Brian Setzer's rocking guitar work and vocals won over the multinational audience. Empire works regularly on large, complex programs in close collaboration with travel management companies, production and staging companies, decor vendors and venues to ensure smoothly run events. Empire is expert at tailoring it's approach in each of these situations to create the most efficient and positive experience for our clients.

For the 2003 MacWorld convention at the Jacob Javits Center, Empire was contacted by West Coast events company Milligan Events to provide suitable actors to play the role of MSN Butterflies to assist Microsoft in their event marketing efforts for this online service. Empire was able to quickly cast, costume, brief and direct three terrific, New York-based actors experienced in playing 'Brand Ambassador' roles. The client was thrilled with their enthusiasm, professionalism and can-do attitude.

Empire is a leading resource to communications firms in the casting, costuming, directing and deployment of brand ambassadors for street marketing campaigns.

For a private client in the Hamptons, Empire worked in collaboration with designer Colin Cowie to create an extraordinary evening's entertainment. Empire provided vocalist Patti Austin with her trio to perform at a dinner in a beautiful tented site in the Hamptons for approximately 250 guests. Following the dinner, Empire produced an intimate, greatest hits concert with rock and roll legend Rod Stewart who customized his show and included interstitial song introductions that related to the birthday host. One challenge that Empire was able to overcome was to arrange for rehearsal space at the last minute for Rod and his band that had not performed together for some time. Empire was able to accomplish this on very short notice.

Empire has many years of experience producing extremely high-end events in the Hamptons.

Working with travel management firm, Crossing Boundaries, Empire Entertainment designed and executed a complete entertainment program and provided all production in connection with three evenings of entertainment for a Midwestern insurance company's top incentive award program. The Diamond Club program was held for approximately 150 independent insurance brokers and their spouses. On the first night of the program, Empire provided production support for Michigan dance music ensemble, The Persuasion Band. On second night of the program, guests traveled to the Bay Harbor Yacht Club via ferryboat where they were treated to a dinner in a beautiful tented setting and a sunset concert by one of the Irish Tenors, Ronan Tynan, backed by a 41 piece local orchestra. For this performance, Empire secured Ronan Tynan, the 41 piece Interlochen Orchestra and provided all production including staging, sound, lighting and logistical management.

One of the challenges of this event was how to provide generator power to the tented setting in a way that the noise of the generator would not interfere with the peaceful lakefront setting or the incredible vocals of this world-class tenor. Empire's solution was to build a separate tent around the generator and treat the insides with sound absorbing materials. The result was a perfect performance with several standing ovations. On the final night of this program, Empire put together a surprise disco show featuring DJ / Emcee D Brown, four dancers in hot pants & afro wigs and headline performances by disco diva Gloria Gaynor ("I Will Survive"), Sister Sledge ("We Are Family") featuring all 4 original sister singers Kathi, Debbie, Joni and Kim, and The Village People ("YMCA," "Macho Man," and "In The Navy"). The performance kept the guests dancing and was the pinnacle of this incentive program. One of the challenges of this performance was how to mount a show on an island where all staging, sound and lighting had to be shipped by ferry and then carried up to the hotel by horse cart. Empire managed these challenges and produced a show the likes of which the 216-year old Grand Hotel has never seen.

For the 2003 worldwide incentive program awards dinner of a top global beverage company, Empire again worked to provide this longtime client with compelling interstitial entertainment with global appeal to break up sections of the awards presentations. In an enormous tent on the grounds of the company's worldwide corporate headquarters, Empire presented the modern circus ensemble Cirque to perform a series of dynamic segments that inspired and entertained the audience and perfectly suited the global themes. Performances included 3 female contortionists, a tandem balancing act called Rolla Bolla and the Tower Strength trio, a stunning hand balancing/strength performance. Extraordinary set & lighting design by Kaleidoscope Productions and decor by Bardin & Palomo combined with the performances to create an atmosphere of pure fantasy. Following the awards program, Empire again delivered top funk & R&B dance band Eturnity to rock the audience and keep them dancing until the end of the night.

For the 2003 Tribeca Film festival, Empire Entertainment was again engaged to produce the festival's largest single component, the Family Festival, which drew an estimated 300,000 visitors over the course of the one day event. This year's family festival encompassed more than 10 blocks of TriBeCa and incorporated a series of large sponsored pavilions and many smaller vendor tents, outdoor stages and activities. Empire Entertainment managed the entire event and provided virtually all services including tenting, permitting and street closure, community relations, integration with city agencies, security, electrical power distribution, decor, staging, sound, lighting, labor, bathrooms, street cleanup, video and A/V, event design and layout, stage management, etc. The key features of this year's event were a reading room and library by Scholastic which again featured storytelling by Whoopi Goldberg and others, a Bloomberg pavillion, a DJ station where children could learn to scratch and mix music, a Starbucks Coffee House pavillion which featured a full afternoon of live talent, a General Motors pavillion which featured an exhibit on hydrogen fuel cell technology and a futuristic hydrogen vehicle, an American Express pavillion where children created crafts, an additional arts & crafts pavillion where children could draw, paint and assemble collages and sculpt, and a Puppetville world which included a series of puppet performances. There were also approximately 50 tents for local merchants, restaurants and crafts people. Another feature of the event included a Tennis area by the USTA, a basketball area operated by the New York Knicks, a fencing area, giant street chess, sidewalk chalk painting, a public art mural, a face painting area, a kite making workshop, jewelry making, and dozens of other activities. There was also a main stage and 5 satellite stages where performances happened throughout the day as well as more than 100 street performers who entertained children and families continuosly throughout the event.

Empire is a leading producer of sponsored events and is proud to be part of the innovative team that presents the TriBeCa Film festival.

For the 3rd year in a row, Empire again produced the annual client conference for one of the world's largest financial companies. For this 4 day / 3 evening event, Empire booked and produced all entertainment and provided keynote and topical speakers including authors Ken & Maddy Dychtwald, Neil Howe & Bill Strauss, Jeri Sedlar and Dr. Bruce Pfau.The opening evening featured world-renowned mentalist, Michael Weber, who stunned the audience with his client-approved, custom mind-reading show. The second evening was an Italian-themed dinner, set in the beautiful hotel gardens, and featured festive décor by McNabb-Roick Events and the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas. Empire complimented this décor and setting by booking classical Italian stringed soloists. Following the dinner, guests walked through the gardens to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge where a beautiful stage was set for concert headline entertainer, Chris Isaak.

For this evening, Empire provided stage & set design, which seamlessly conformed to the bridge architecture and outside surroundings and color schemes, lighting design, sound and all production. Isaak's 90-minute, audience interactive performance was the perfect entertainment for this warm desert night.The third night was a night out on the Las Vegas strip, for which Empire secured 100 tickets for the 'O' performance at the Bellagio. Finally, Empire also designed, built and installed the conference's Resource Center in which a dozen client participants / partners were provided custom-designed spaces to showcase their latest materials to the conferences 300 attendees. This space also served as a place where attendees could relax, network and check email between general sessions. Empire completely transformed a 100' X 50' ballroom space into a stately athletic club environment with custom-made wood desks, backdrops, bookcases, and custom-produced & framed artwork. These elements were complimented with a combination of rentals of leather furniture, beautiful props, floor lamps, trophies, newspaper racks, antique desks and a library area.

An email bank was custom-built in the form of a library study carral. The client indicated how pleased they were with the work that Empire had done for them with an onstage moment of recognition by the company's COO who stated, "Each year, Empire raises the bar…"