Co-founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Project Everyone, the Goalkeepers event takes place during the annual United Nations General Assembly and brings together heads of state and international Sustainable Development Goals “Goalkeepers” (those spearheading various missions in their local communities) alike. This year’s Goalkeepers focused on the theme of power of youth.

The 2018 Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards were presented at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Participants included Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, UNICEF’s Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore, Bill and Melinda Gates, and British singer songwriter Ed Sheeran.

In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF, the Goalkeepers Awards program celebrated outstanding youth-focused work around the world that is directly linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs).

This year’s Campaign Award was presented to Amika George, Founder of #FreePeriods, a campaign that works to ensure no girl in the United Kingdom suffers from period poverty.

The Progress Award was presented to Dysmus Kisilu, Founder of Solar Freeze, which provides renewable energy solutions to small holder farmers in Kenya to increase agricultural productivity.

And the Changemaker Award was presented to Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman who advocates on behalf of her community and survivors of genocide. Just days after the Awards program, Nadia Murad was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Loyiso Madinga, stand-up comedian and South Africa correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” hosted the awards.

After the powerful program concluded, guests were invited in the Atrium space to enjoy cocktails and custom food bars. Guests explored and interacted with activations including an art installation/social media backdrop consisting of over 75,000 bottle tops, collected and painted by women in Salvador, Brazil, and an interactive photo booth that encouraged guests to select their favorite goal and overlay video data, to spread the word via social media.

To learn more about the Goalkeepers event, please visit: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/

Please see the full press release for additional details.

Additional information about the Sustainable Development Goals can be found here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

Empire had the privilege to serve as producer of the Barclays Center Cares’ gala Shining a Light on Brooklyn for the 2nd year.

Held again at The Liberty Warehouse, which is situated at Red Hook’s historic Pier 41, guests were treated to cocktails al fresco on the promenade with the New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and the downtown Manhattan skyline as their backdrop.

When it came time to signal guests to proceed to dinner, the Brooklyn United Drumline, comprised entirely of school kids, marched onto the promenade for a spirited performance before lining the stairs ascending to dinner.

FOX 5 NY’s Rosanna Scotto hosted the evening’s program, which included performances by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and Dmitry Razumov, Chairman of the Board of Directors for both the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center.

BSE Global CEO Brett Yormark honored Brooklyn community icons including Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming Showtime Networks, Inc.; Ben Lovett, Co-founder & CEO of Communion Music and band member of Mumford & Sons; Blue Marble Ice Cream; and National Grid, an electricity, natural gas & clean energy delivery company.

The evening ended with an afterparty DJ’ed by Jon Blak and featuring a green screen video flip book station and a Gif photo booth.

Barclays Center Cares connects all of the community efforts for the franchises affiliated with Barclays Center: the Brooklyn Nets, New York Islanders, Brooklyn Boxing, Brooklyn Hoops, Brooklyn Family, and Brooklyn Show. Its mission is to develop sustainable community programs to improve the lives of kids and families in the areas of culinary arts, sports, sustainability, and music education.

Barclays Center Cares supports more than 300 schools, food pantries, homeless shelters, health facilities, and non-profit organizations. Every dollar donated to Barclays Center Cares goes directly to support programs helping New Yorkers in need.

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

To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the storied Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) chose Empire as their partner to develop and execute a community Block Party for thousands of attendees across the massive 4 million square foot complex to commemorate the occasion.

Originally constructed to facilitate the movement of troops and material for World War I, the Brooklyn Army Terminal came into full use during World War II when more than 20,000 military and civilian personnel were employed there. The terminal was the headquarters for the New York Port of Embarkation, a region-wide operation covering more than a dozen facilities that moved 3.2 million troops and 37 million tons of military supplies to fronts across the globe. Arguably the most famous soldier to deploy from the Brooklyn Army Terminal was Elvis Presley. He greeted fans and dozens of photojournalists in September 1958 when he shipped off from Brooklyn to Germany. BAT was closed as an army base in the 1960s, and was reopened in 1986 under the management of NYCEDC for industrial businesses. Since then, NYCEDC has been transforming BAT into the premier, affordable hub for modern industrial businesses, entrepreneurs, and working families in NYC.

The first-ever BAT Block Party took place on September 15, 2018, a day filled with fun activities for attendees of all ages. The thousands of attendees enjoyed an array of activities including a yoga class by NYC Yoga; an art exhibit by ArtBuilt and ChaShaMa artists; product demos from BAT-based companies like Uncommon Goods and Lowercase NYC; family-friendly activities like kite making, crafts and book-making; an art installation by Harumi Ori; and an interactive and historic augmented reality experience from NYU Tandon and NYC Media Lab partners. There was also a rock-climbing wall with the NYPD and an FDNY fire truck for kids to look inside. BAT tenants, local food vendors, beer companies, and several food trucks from the NYC Food Truck Association provided food and beverages.

Vendors included City Saucery, Momo Dressing, Jamrock Jerk, and more. Attendees were able to sit along the waterfront and enjoy great food and drink and watch a Rooftop Film screening on a massive screen at the end of Pier 4.

In addition to developing the overall site plan for the event and working closely with EDC and BAT staff on logistical coordination for all of the participants, Empire provided turnkey production for a mobile concert stage. The stage provided a full afternoon of performances from local community dance groups, yoga groups, local community leaders, and other local personalities were on hand to help in the celebration.

The day built up to a fabulous evening of entertainment provided by Empire featuring an array of Brooklyn-born and based talent including DJ Natasha Diggs, rising R&B star, and Justine Skye, and culminating with a headline performance by Grammy-nominated rapper, Busta Rhymes.

Empire is proud to work with this New York organization. To learn more about BAT and its facilities visithttps://www.bklynarmyterminal.com

When Henry Street Settlement reached their 125th Anniversary, they chose Empire as their partner to mark this incredible milestone.

“Dinner on Henry Street” was held in Sol Lain Park, which is adjacent to the Settlement’s headquarters. This location was chosen to remain close to home and to serve as a reminder of the humble beginnings that led to the extraordinary legacy of this New York City institution.

The evening began in the cocktails tent, where guests marveled at the “Humans of Henry Street” wall installation, featuring personal stories from people whose lives have been affected and transformed by the Settlement’s remarkable work. During cocktails, guests were treated to the sounds of a jazz band that played music that reflected the cultures and immigrants that have left their mark on the Lower East Side over the past 125 years. Youths from The Chinese Free Masons Athletic Club led the way to the dinner tent with a traditional lion dance, engaging attendees and firing up excitement for the coming program. Guests moved inside a stunning tent and were seated to an elegant dinner beneath the stars. To start the dinner program, Henry Street’s Executive Director, David Garza, presented the Lillian Wald Legacy award to Richard Abrons and the Abrons Aranow Family, whose history with the Settlement dates back 122 of their 125 years. David Garza also presented the Heart of Henry Street Awards to longtime supporters Dale Jones Burch and Pilar Crespi Robert and Stephen Robert. The firehouse adjacent to the Settlement’s headquarters is slated to become the Dale Jones Burch Neighborhood Center at Henry Street in 2020.

Board Chairman Scott Swid presented the Heart of Henry Street Awards to corporate partners JPMorgan Chase & Co., Credit Suisse, UPS, The Clark Foundation, and Tiger Foundation. Representatives from each partner organization provided signatures to be etched on a Tiffany & Co. sterling silver tray—a replica of the silver tray that Lillian Wald received for her 70th birthday in 1937. The tray was etched with the signatures of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, other social reformers, and friends of Henry Street. The program featured performances by entertainers from the Abrons Arts Center such as the Voices of Henry Street intergenerational choir, Rajé & Rajé Reborn Dance Troops, and an excerpt from the critically-acclaimed production of Jack & The Beanstalk.

The final performance of the night was delivered by legendary actor, recording artist, and activist, Yasiin Bey. Bey closed out the evening with an intimate, yet energetic performance that left the tent buzzing with positivity and gratitude.

Working closely with Henry Street’s team for almost a year, Empire managed every detail of this momentous occasion, which included but was not limited to concept development, programming, permitting, tenting, budgeting, registration, technical production, catering, décor, stage management, and overall guest experience.

Empire is proud to have partnered with Henry Street Settlement to help them celebrate this extraordinary milestone.

To learn more about the Henry Street Settlement and their work, visit https://www.henrystreet.org

Bustle Digital Group held their inaugural RuleBreakers event outdoors in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, featuring performances by Janelle Monae, Sofi Tukker, DJ’s Va$htie, Samantha Ronson, and more. Empire produced the main stage and other entertainment elements at the all-day immersive festival, designed to celebrate women who push boundaries, ignore convention—and of course, break rules—to further women’s rights.

The event was hosted by Sam Jones, who started the day by introducing The Big Quiet, a troupe that creates mass meditations for modern people. Attendees participated in a 30-minute meditation session, which ended with a performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus, a group of dozens of women who join together to sing protest songs celebrating collective joy and resistance. As DJ Va$htie spun, the Miss’ile roller skating dance team performed choreographed and super-fun roller skating dance routines, and guests were also treated to a surprise show by Brooklyn United, a marching band comprised of fifty or so boys and girls ranging in age from 6–17.  The troupe marched into the audience which quickly made space for them in front of the stage where the kids wowed spectators with their high-energy musicianship and dancing.

Empire provided the staging, audio, and lighting for the main stage and also coordinated and managed the various entertainment elements throughout the day.  We are proud to produce some of the most exciting consumer-facing events on the planet, including the Bustle RuleBreakers event.

As part of the 2018 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), UN Women presented their annual HeForShe IMPACT Summit in New York City which convened world leaders, global CEOs, activists and celebrities to introduce the latest groundbreaking solutions to achieve gender equality around the world.

Her Majesty Queen Rania, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson; President of Malawi Arthur Peter Mutharika; President of Finland Sauli Niinistö; award-winning actress and UN Women’s Global Goodwill Ambassador, Anne Hathaway; and actor and activist, Winston Duke, were among those participants who issued a global call to action for gender equality during the daytime program. Musical Artist MILCK also performed.

During this fourth annual event, hosted by Under-Secretary-General of the UN and the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and emceed by Senior Advisor to the Under-Secretary-General & Executive Director of UN Women Elizabeth Nyamayaro, HeForShe focused on three distinct initiatives based on the work of its HeForShe Champions:

• The HeForShe Proven Solution on How to Achieve Parity in Global Leadership: Emerging from the work of HeForShe IMPACT Champion PwC Network, which has moved from 18% female representation on its Global Leadership team to 47% in just 15 months, the solution sets out a roadmap for other organizations to follow.

• The HeForShe Emerging Solutions for Gender Equality Report, containing 34 emerging solutions on how to achieve gender equality. These concrete solutions address a wide range of issues, including closing the gender pay gap, ending gender-based and sexual violence, and achieving parity across society.

• The HeForShe Male Allies Guide for Gender Equality–Tips for Understanding and Managing Your Emotions, built on a program pioneered by the Government of Finland, a HeForShe IMPACT Champion, to enlist army conscripts to prevent violence against women.

One of the highlights of the event was the official announcement of the newest HeForShe Champions, including Chief Executive Standard Bank Group, Sim Tshabalala, and Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Ahmad Alhendawi.  

In the lead-up to the event, HeForShe launched #MorePowerfulTogether, inviting landmarks around the world to turn off half their lights to demonstrate the power lost when women are underrepresented. The IMPACT Summit underlined this message by bringing together champions from all corners of society to demonstrate that we are truly more powerful together.

Empire was once again proud to serve as the overall event producer overseeing and handling the event venue, guest experience, event layout, video and audio, livestreaming, staging, scenic aspects, and stage management of the program.

Created by UN Women in 2014, the HeForShe solidarity movement has so far mobilized 1.7 million men as advocates for gender equality.

For more information and to view the livestream visit http://heforshe.org

UBER announced in the Uber Elevate Asia Pacific Expo on 30th August that Japan is one of the five markets being considered for the launch of a very exciting form of urban transportation in the foreseeable future–Flying Taxi, in 2023.

By 2023, UBER will be testing the on-demand platform for flying cars!

Empire Japan was proud to be produced the two-day summit and Expo, partnering with Uber's in-house creative team which outlined exciting plans involving policy makers in and outside Japan, business partners, and media from Asia Pacific area.

The meeting was kickstarted by Mr. Barney Harford, COO of UBER, and continued with participation from the Tokyo Governor, Ms. Yuriko Koike. She expressed her excitement with cars crossing the sky soon becoming a reality. Back-to-back presentations were then provided by the Uber Elevate team. There were also various exhibitions demonstrating the newest ideas and products available, one of them being a virtual flying taxi simulator, shown by VR glass and provided by Jaunt.

The evening was wrapped up with a cocktail reception and VIP dinner. Empire is involved in the planning, construction, AV, show calling, registration management, operational staff management, photography, as well as video documenting this future milestone of urban transportation history.

Empire was recently engaged to deliver a very special musical performance for a private anniversary celebration in the rooftop ballroom at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.

For this intimate event for approximately 100 guests, Empire secured Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Diana Ross to perform a 50-minute set of her greatest hits to track with three backing vocalists.  

From the first song, "Coming Out", guests were on their feet and spent the entire performance dancing to hits like “Ease on Down the Road,” “Do You Know,” “Upside Down,” “Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop”.

With her voice and performance in perfect form, the hosts and guests were delighted with the performance and Ms. Ross even welcomed the hosts onstage at the end for a unique musical photo opportunity.

Empire is one of the world’s leading sources of headline entertainment for private events and celebrations.

TBA has formed a strategic alliance with Empire. This strategic alliance fuses the strengths and resources of TBA and Empire, creating a powerful synergistic offering for brands seeking to activate brand strategies in Japan and around the world, with particular emphasis on opportunities relating to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The alliance takes TBA’s rich sports mega-event activation experience, renowned logistics abilities, and the resources and network of the Pico Group, and combines them with Empire’s deep expertise in live and broadcast events, experience design, creative-driven activations, talent management, and innovative event technologies. This alliance will offer customers the collective strengths of these highly successful organizations.

TBA and Empire will collaborate closely to create, design, and deliver exceptional inbound and outbound brand activations in Japan, China, the U.S., and other international markets. The alliance will apply a focused approach to experience design which will be based on seven core fields of expertise: activations, interactive, spaces, social, film, entertainment, and hospitality. Additionally it will enable alliance clients to deliver outstanding brand experiences through powerful storytelling, creating broader and deeper engagements and memorable brand interactions with their customers.

From early in the bid process, the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) stated that their aim was to use the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a showcase for Japanese technology, with many sponsors investing in innovation in the lead up to 2020. The TBA-Empire alliance is poised to help Olympic-related sponsors and corporations realize this aim through the combined power of its unique, sophisticated, and exciting hospitality-and technology-based services, which will include recognition technologies and data intelligence. These will deliver customized content experiences and post-games engagement.

Gregory Crandall, Director of Brand Engagement, Pico+ and TBA Hong Kong commented, “Since 2000, at eight Olympic Games, Pico has provided infrastructure, sponsorship and hospitality, torch relay logistics and other event management services. Working closely with Empire will allow us to deliver optimal services for both Japanese clients and clients seeking to activate in Japan through Empire’s deep understanding of Japanese culture, intimate local knowledge, and access to locations and resources.”

Ted Miller, President and CEO, Empire Japan, said: “Tokyo has already eclipsed all previous Olympic Games in terms of sponsor support, with reports of almost USD three billion committed and more partners expected. The people, expertise and resources of the Empire-TBA alliance position us to support Olympic sponsors, from Worldwide Partners to Local Official Supporters; helping them to make the most of their investments during the Olympic Games and beyond as they ride the wave of interest in the Games with engaging and memorable brand experiences.”

About TBA

TBA is part of the Pico Group. A Pico+ company, this full-service creative brand activation agency specializes in below-the-line engagements for events, exhibitions, and experiential marketing, delivering results from strategy through to execution. TBA uses an insight-based approach to inspire their clients’ target audiences, create interest in brands, and deliver innovative solutions to maximize returns.

Pico+ addresses the challenges arising from a constantly shifting marketing landscape. Through integrated engagement methodologies, Pico+ seamlessly blends digital, mobile, gaming, social media, and other technology-based modes of engagement with real-life experiences to deliver impressive ROI.

www.pico-plus.com

http://www.tbacreative.net

About Pico

Pico is a global leader in Total Brand Activation specializing in engaging people, creating experiences and activating brands. Innovative, insightful, and inspired, Pico brings brands to life and creates experiences–from strategy to execution. Leveraging a track record in experience design that spans half a century, Pico creates immersive audience engagements which harness the power of technology, content, and many production services, delivering extraordinary experiences to millions of people around the world.

The Pico Group was named Asia Pacific’s Best Event Agency at the 2018 CEI Readers’ Choice Awards. The Pico Group won the Bronze award in the B2B Agency category and Bronze in the Event Agency category at Marketing Magazine’s Agency of the Year Awards 2018 in Hong Kong. The Group was the Best Marketing Website winner at the WebAwards 2017, organized by the US-based Web Marketing Association. In North America, the Pico Group has been listed as one of Special Events magazine’s 50 Top Event Companies since 2012.

Pico Far East Holdings Limited has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1992 (HKEx Stock Code: 752). Our associate company, Pico (Thailand) Public Company Limited was listed on Thailand’s MAI in 2004 (Stock Code: PICO).

www.pico.com

​When the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans decided to bring together their community of scholars for the 20th anniversary, their leadership and Board of Trustees called on Empire to serve as their production partner for this important milestone.

The 20 Year Reunion would host over 500 Fellows, family members, and trustees, and was strategically designed as a multi-day retreat consisting of social, educational, and conversational sessions and activities. Its goals included recognizing and honoring the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States, paying tribute to the founders, Paul and Daisy Soros, and fostering the sense of community and direct connections between fellows. Creating this sense of community would be a challenge given the attendees separation by class year, schools attended, geographical residency distribution, national background and areas of professional interest. To accomplish this cohesion, event programming was built around common themes of immigration, leadership, innovation, and excellence, and targeted to sophisticated guests across multiple cohorts and disciplines within various age ranges and professions.

After an expansive search across the U.S., The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs was chosen as the venue. The Broadmoor provided a central U. S. location that made travel accessible for each guest, a location free of outside distractions and an abundance of facilities to achieve the objectives of the program.

In the middle of Immigrant Heritage Month, the weekend kicked off on Friday with Fellow arrivals and registration, followed by a welcome reception and dinner.  The reception took place at Cheyenne Lodge, a remote mountainside location with a warm ambiance and breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains and City of Colorado Springs. This quintessential Colorado environment allowed guests to be fully immersed in their surroundings and partake in an interactive dinner experience with intimate “campfire” conversations on the cozy outdoor patio surrounding fire pits. The setting provided guests the opportunity to truly enjoy a retreat away from their everyday lives and even provided an ideal platform for a drone-shot class photo at sunset.

Saturday began with morning elective activities including yoga, a nature walk, and a guided run through The Broadmoor’s impeccable property.  Guests enjoyed breakfast prior to attending the opening keynote session by Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American novelist, followed by a discussion with 2007 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow, Michelle Kuo. The keynote session was followed by a series of programmed breakout sessions led by members of the Fellowship community; topics covered academic, social, scientific, and political topics, and more. In the afternoon, guests enjoyed some free time and took advantage of the reunion’s awe-inspiring location by engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking and excursions to iconic Colorado Springs landmarks.

Saturday evening’s highly-anticipated recognition dinner honored the founders, Paul and Daisy Soros, The Soros Family, and celebrated the legacy of the Fellowship community. The cocktail reception was dedicated to the Directors Emeritus of the organization, Warren Ilchman and Stanley Heginbotham, where guests sipped specialty cocktails such as the ‘Stanhattan’ and the ‘Warren Sparkler’.  The dinner tribute program was hosted by Alex Iftimie (2009 Fellow) and Dena Simmons (2010 Fellow) and featured a 20th Anniversary Highlight video, musical performances by David Adewumi (2017 Fellow), Paul Kwak (2006 Fellow), and Elizabeth Joy Roe (2005 Fellow). The pinnacle of the evening was the closing remarks given by Mrs. Daisy M. Soros, whose heartfelt remarks created the shared moment for the Fellowship and instilled its legacy in each attendee. The evening closed with an epic dance party with cocktails, a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship photo booth, and live performance by Flare Band.

To complete the weekend, Sunday offered a causal brunch and closing remarks and a weekend highlights video produced in collaboration between Empire and HutchNYC. After brunch, Fellows engaged in Sunday morning’s ‘unconference sessions’.  These sessions allowed Fellows to generate and lead discussions on the topics of their choosing like ‘How to be an Instagram Expert’ prior to guests departing on Sunday afternoon.

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans 20th Anniversary Reunion was a celebration of diverse cultures and the incredible achievements of the past 20 years and the event was a touchstone to the approximately 625 Fellows that make up the growing Fellowship community.  

Paul and Daisy Soros Fellows themselves played a large role to ensure the reunion’s events were engaging and open to all Fellows and spouses. The event featured a stand-alone app (Attendify) that allowed guests to view the event schedule and served as a social media platform for attendees to share moments, post photos, and directly communicate with each other throughout the weekend.  

Empire worked closely with the Soros family, The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships team, the Fellows, and the various departments at The Broadmoor, for almost a year to plan and execute each component of the weekend and its individual events and components. Empire managed every detail of this momentous occasion, which included concept development, programming, venue acquisition, budgeting, registration, script writing, screen content production, technical production, catering, décor, guest travel and accommodations, and overall guest experience. In addition to the live events, Empire and Hutch NYC partnered to create the 20th Anniversary video and weekend highlights video to promote engagement by the Fellowship community in extending the brand value of the Fellowship.

Empire is proud to have partnered with The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans to produce their 20 Year Reunion to celebrate the Fellows, the tremendous accomplishments of these New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields, and to partake of the American dream. Empire is also honored to have had the opportunity to recognize the legacy of Mr. Paul Soros, Mrs. Daisy Soros, and their family.

Empire is a leading producer of high-level events for many of the world’s leading educational institutions, associations, and foundations.

To learn more about the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans visit https://www.pdsoros.org.