Empire was honored to serve as the producers of the star-studded, 16th annual Samsung Annual Charity Gala, which took place at Skylight Clarkson Sq in New York City. The annual charity gala is Samsung’s principal cause-marketing event dedicated to supporting a variety of charitable organizations focused on children’s health, education, and sustainability.

For the first time in the gala’s history, the event took place in a completely raw venue, which was transformed to allow guests to experience different environments throughout the evening.

Guests arrived and were met with a giant neon welcome sign and entered through a heart-shaped neon tunnel. At the cocktail reception they were treated to music courtesy of 10-year-old prodigy, DJ Livia, and live art by Shantell Martin on a gigantic mural wall. As guests enjoyed interactive catering displays, they explored various installations including LED light chandeliers, monumental walls of real flowers, kinetic glitter bars, and a large LED digital silent auction display.

Celebrity attendees including Goldie Hawn, Nicky Hilton, Camila Alves, Victor Cruz, Rita Ora, and Rob and Marisol Thomas. The red carpet also featured a non-traditional step & repeat, with the benefiting charity logos represented on the wall.

Following cocktails, guests made their way through a gold shimmery tunnel, featuring tube lights, and a mirrored wall at the end displaying the #SamsungGives hashtag before they turned into the dining hall.

As they stepped through the doors, guests were amazed to see two 55’ walls covered in real roses, along with two walls showing almost 300’ of animated digital projection content, which took them on a visual journey throughout the evening. Stage programming included remarks by Victor Cruz, Camila Alves, Deputy Head of Samsung North America, YH Eom, President and CEO of Samsung North America, Tim Baxter, and Goldie Hawn, along with speakers from several of the charities and a live auction and appeal led by Lucas Hunt. In addition, guests were treated to live performances by Jon Bon Jovi and Hunter Hayes.

After dinner, guests were ushered into the evening’s final environment, a mirrored and digital wonderland, for desserts and a concert by DJ Kronik and Flo Rida, who had guests dancing until the end of the night.

The Samsung Gala raised an all-time record of more than $3 million for its Charity Partners, who included Big Dreams For Kids; The Boomer Esiason Foundation; Boys and Girls Clubs of America; The Brees Dream Foundation; Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation; Comfort Zone Camp; CMA Foundation; GLSEN; Habitat for Humanity; The Hawn Foundation; Henrik Lundqvist Foundation; Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation; Just Keep Livin Foundation; LOLLIPOP; Mark Messier Foundation; Sidewalk; Angels Foundation; Tackle Kids Cancer; Turn 2 Foundation; and the Victor Cruz Foundation.

Empire was proud to work closely with the Samsung team to design and deliver a flawless and memorable evening benefiting these worthy causes. For more information, please visit Samsung.com.

The Coalition for the Homeless hosted the 23^rd annual ARTWALK NY bringing together more than 700 art lovers, celebrities, artists, collectors, and Coalition supporters at Spring Studios for a night filled with over 100 pieces of contemporary art in a silent and live auction.

The Coalition for the Homeless has been developing and implementing cost-effective strategies to end mass homelessness in New York City for close to four decades. The Coalition works tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of more than 3,500 men, women, and children each day by providing emergency food and clothing, housing, crisis services, job training, and programs for homeless youth.

Empire was proud to serve as overall producer for ARTWALK NY for the eighth consecutive year. The evening was generously presented by Italian fashion house Max Mara. This year, artist Louise Fishman was honored for her contribution to contemporary art, and Vincent and Shelly Fremont were honored for their continued philanthropic support of the Coalition throughout the years. Debbie Harry presented the Philanthropic Honoree award to the Fremonts.

Aileen Agopian auctioned off a spectacular selection of art pieces courtesy of some of the world’s most renowned artists, including Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, Alex Katz, Ed Ruscha, and the night’s honoree, Louise Fishman.

The evening began with hors d’oeuvres by Spring Place and cocktails graciously provided by VDKA 6100, Brooklyn Brewery, Bird in Hand Winery, and Ilegal Mezcal. Tasting stations were provided by a selection of New York City’s best restaurants, including ACME, Celestine, Il Buco, Mission Chinese, The Odeon, Dizengoff, Fairfax, Houseman, Samesa, and Wildair. Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery offered mini pastries and Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream offered several of their delectable unique flavors as well as an affogato in collaboration with Counter Culture, which served espressos and lattes.

Throughout the night, guests bid on and purchased works from established and emerging artists while listening to upbeat tunes spun by DJ Mia Moretti and DJElle Dee.

Working closely with the Coalition for the Homeless’ events team and title sponsor Max Mara, Empire served as executive producer of the event and was responsible for event design, production and logistic, décor and restaurant coordination.

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

​Empire partnered with Endeavor.org to celebrate their success over the past 20 years leading the high-impact entrepreneurship movement. The gala highlighted Endeavor’s powerful global network of game-changing entrepreneurs and international industry leaders from 30 markets for over 600 attendees.

The evening kicked off at Spring Studios with a cocktail reception overlooking the heart of New York City's trendy TriBeCa neighborhood. Guests enjoyed hors d'ouevres and cocktails provided by Pinch Food design while they circulated among exhibits showcasing some of the entrepreneurial ventures their work has facilitated.

Following cocktails, all guests were invited to a seated dinner in the massive, minimalist Studio 3/4. The dinner program included remarks by Board chair, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., and CEO of General Atlantic, William E. Ford, who was honored as an exemplary supporter of high-impact entrepreneurs worldwide. At the conclusion of dinner, guests were treated to a performance by Warner Music artist, NIIA, an American singer, pianist, and songwriter.

Following the dinner program, guests enjoyed an afterparty at Endeavor's Scale Up night in the cocktail space now transformed into a nightclub, featuring DJ Hannah Bronfman.

Empire collaborated with the Endeavor team to plan and execute a carefully-orchestrated event, for which every aspect of the design showcased the organization's mission and success stories. Designs included Empire custom exhibits, a timeline wall, furniture fabrications and custom installations that visually represented various Entrepreneurs' inventions and business models.

Empire is proud to support an organization that has transformed local economies through innovation, job creation, and mentorship. Endeavor works with over 1,500 entrepreneurs who have created nearly 700,000 jobs across 30 growth markets since founding in 1997. Empire continues to be a leading producer of innovative not-for-profit galas.

To learn more about Endeavor, please visit https://endeavor.org/.

When it comes to recognizing a feat as enormous as Harper’s BAZAAR’s 150 years in the United States, one celebration simply is not enough. Early this year, Harper’s BAZAAR celebrated its 150th Anniversary, “BAZAAR ICONS BY CARINE ROITFELD”, in New York City, and to continue this celebration with the help of Empire Japan, the 150th Anniversary celebration Tokyo Edition was held.

Held at the exceptional Joel Robuchon restaurant in Ebisu, top celebrities walked the black carpet while the Harper’s BAZAAR logo was beautifully displayed on the face of the building. Following the arrivals and to officially start the celebration was a toast by the BAZAAR ICONS organizer, the fashion world`s very own Carine Roitfeld. The highlight of the evening was a special performance from world-acclaimed musician MIYAVI.

Empire was honored to be involved in the successful planning and casting of this celebration, once again proving its expertise in producing high-profile events around the world.​

Official Photos by Tsukasa Nakagawa & Yuji Nakama

On Halloween eve, Empire produced the Lowline Anti-Gala for the 5th consecutive year. The annual fundraiser plays a crucial role in the organization’s plan to convert an underground trolley terminal into the world’s first solar-powered subterranean park on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. This year, the welcomed guests to the historical Stanford White-designed Capitale near the Lowline site for a Forces of Nature-themed costume party.

Guests were welcomed into a vibrant cocktail reception referencing strong undertones of the elements of water and air. Dinner was served in the grand ballroom, in which over 20 live trees, which had been graciously donated by John Mini, created an ambiance for a moonlit dinner in a forest to symbolize the earth.

The dinner program was hosted by Dan Barasch, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Lowline, and board member Marquise Stillwell. The program honored longtime Lower East Side resident and famed actor, Alan Cumming. Dressed as Spiderman, Alan gave gracious remarks about the Lowline’s development and his experience living in New York City. Marquise and Dan also honored Veronica Vasquez, a member of the Lowline Young Ambassadors Program.

After dinner, Marquise, Dan, and Alan led the pledge drive to a festive Monster Mash. Energy in the room was high as guests raised over $20,000 for The Lowline in addition to $250,000 in sponsorships and table sales, taking the project one step closer to the goal of opening by 2021.

DJ Lina provided music for the party that kept guests on the dance floor in the fiery-themed afterparty. New York City’s famed fire performer, Flambeaux, and his fire dancers lit the room with excitement and awe as costumed guests danced into the late hours of the night.

Empire has been honored to serve as Lowline’s event producers since 2013 and are proud to support the creation of the world’s first cutting-edge underground park.

To learn more about the Lowline, visit thelowline.org

Empire recently worked with Barclays Center to produce the venue’s first-ever Barclays Center Cares Gala: Shining a Light on Brooklyn.

Held at The Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook on the shores of New York Harbor in Brooklyn, the event celebrated the venue’s charity arm and five years of partnership with the Brooklyn community since Barclays Center opened its doors.

The evening included red carpet arrivals, a cocktail hour and silent auction, a seated dinner and an afterparty. The gala was hosted by FOX’s Rosanna Scotto and featured performances by Grammy Award-nominated classic soul artist Leon Bridges and DJ Chromeo.

Barclays Center CEO, Brett Yormark, recognized many Brooklyn community icons including Sustainability Award honoree, Scot Medbury, President of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Culinary Leader Award honorees, Levy CEO Andy Lansing, and Alan Rosen, owner of Junior’s. Community Champion Award honorees included Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of the Brooklyn Nets, and Anders Lee of the New York Islanders.

Proud Brooklyn native, actress Rosie Perez, presented the final Community Champions award to professional boxers Daniel Jacobs and Heather Hardy, and Bruce Silverglade, Owner and President of Gleason’s Gym.

The final award of the night, The Vanguard Award, went to Scooter Braun, best known for managing Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

The evening ended with an afterparty and dessert reception featuring a dance set by electro-funk duo Chromeo.

Empire was proud to be selected by Barclays Center to support their work in the Brooklyn Community. To learn more about Barclays Center Cares, visit http://www.barclayscenter.com/bccares

Presenting Japan’s top CEOs, Forbes Japan announced their third annual CEO Ranking. This year's CEO Conference, the award ceremony for the winners, was held October 10th at the Palace Hotel Tokyo.

For this year's conference, special panel sessions were held in addition to the award ceremony and winners’ remarks.

Empire Japan was responsible for overall event planning, production, coordination, and management. In addition, Empire also produced an interview video of Dr. Gill Pratt of the Toyota Research Institute.

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Once again, Empire's Tokyo office had the opportunity to produce the leading Japanese IT event for the fifth year in a row. Salesforce.com continues to bring together the brightest businesses and technology leaders who are focused on expanding in the cloud-based and mobile computing realms. This exciting event gathers leaders from around Japan to Tokyo for two full days of sessions, expos, and events.

Salesforce.com this year hosted over 8,200 attendees over the course of two days at the Prince Park Tower and Tokyo Prince Hotel in Tokyo.

This year’s keynote speakers included Keith Block (President and COO Salesforce), Shinichi Koide (Chairman, President and CEO Salesforce Japan), Akito Mizuno (President Mizuno Corporation), Tsutomu Isobe (President Amada Holdings Co. Ltd.), Haruki Mukai (Cabinet Secretariat Councilor), with a special performance by Japan’s famous singer, Crystal Kay. This year the Fortune CEO Series was held to highlight experts from various fields, bringing many exciting speakers to the stage. The Fortune CEO Trailblazer Panel kicked off the first day’s activities, followed by a keynote in the afternoon with a Fortune CEO Fireside Chat.

This year’s exhibition hall also highlighted the growth of Salesforce with an increase to over 80 companies, significantly more than last year. The Tokyo Prince Hotel, located next to the Prince Park Tower, was rebranded the Trailblazer Zone and was the main hub for developer experts and a wide range of technology sessions.

Empire’s Tokyo-based Asia division was responsible for all event design, production and management, including technical production, and coordination.

Empire is a leading producer of global conferences and events in the Asian region and serves as the partner of choice for some of the world’s most sophisticated technology companies to produce their premier business events.

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UN Women hosted their third annual HeForShe event, a global solidarity movement in support of women’s rights and full equality between women and men.

The HeForShe 10x10x10 Gender Parity Report took place at the beautiful Cipriani 42nd St. and brought together Heads of State, CEO’s of global corporations, and leaders of the world’s top universities to review the impact the #HeForShe campaign has made in each of these sectors internationally for the gender equality.

Empire acted as the overall event producer handling the audio, video, staging, scenic aspects, and stage management of the program.

Hosted by Under-Secretary-General of the UN and the Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and MC’ed by Senior Advisor to the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Elizabeth Nyamayaro, the event featured each of the IMPACT and Thematic Champion’s strategies for effective change.

A highlight of the morning was His Excellency Peter Mathurika, President of Malawi’s moving speech and accompanying video of his nation’s work to end early childhood marriages. Other notable speakers included the CEO of Barclay’s, Jes Staley, Chairman of Price Waterhouse, Cooper Bob Mortiz, His Excellency Sauli Niinstö, President of Finland, His Excellency Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, CEO of Vodafone, Vittorio Colao, and John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University.

The event served not only as a reflection of the progress made, but pointed to the future of the initiative as six new champions were named to move the cause of gender equality forward in each of their specific sectors.

Some of the new champions include Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, Bruce Cleaver, CEO of De Beers, Giles York, and Chief Constable of the Sussex Police. These new champions have committed to making gender equality an “institutional priority”, agreeing to monitor the commitments annually. For more information on UN Women and the HeForShe initiative, go to http://heforshe.org

Casper (the sleep company) goes to Casper (the city in Wyoming) for the Eclipse!

On August 21st, 2017, the earth crossed the shadow of the moon, creating a total solar eclipse that travelled across the entire USA – and one of the best places to view this astronomical event was Casper, WY. So Casper (the sleep company) hit the road to create a once-in-a-lifetime luxury camping experience for 50 lucky customers and fans.

Partnering with Under Canvas, Alamo Draft House, and Outdoor Voices, Casper set up a pop-up campground 15 miles outside of town at the Trout On Inn, a picturesque venue along the shores of the North Platte River.

Upon arrival, guests were checked in to luxurious Safari tents provided each outfitted with two twin beds featuring Casper mattresses and bedding. Lunch was served out of Casper, WY’s own Mad Flatters food truck, and outdoor apparel company Outdoor Voices organized float trips down the river and yoga in the fields. As afternoon activities came to an end, guests were treated to a sunset BBQ.

Following dinner, expert astronomer and Director of the Center for Astronomy and Physics Education Research, Stephanie Slater, in town herself for the eclipse, stopped by and offered her insights into the cosmic coincidence and its effects on the human race throughout history.

The evening closed with a screening under the stars of Close Encounters of the Third Kind presented by Alamo Draft House on their renowned inflatable screen set in the horse corral.

A cowboy breakfast was set in the morning where guests enjoyed pancakes and coffee in eager anticipation of the coming eclipse. As the path of the moon’s shadow passed through the country, and total darkness eclipsed broad daylight guests looked up to marvel at the sight.

A farewell lunch was served by Impossible Burger.