Global hospitality leader Airbnb unveiled the “Akiya DesignProject” in Tokyo—a creative collaboration with Kiko Mizuhara and Rola. The initiative aims to address Japan’s growing vacant house issue while preserving traditional architecture, passing on cultural heritage, and revitalizing local communities.

Set in a 150-year-old former ryotei, the PR event made full use of the historic space to reflect the project’s spirit. Joining Kiko and Rola on stage was Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, who introduced Airbnb’s newly launched service and shared his personal hopes and vision for the project.

Our team led the overall production of the event, handling venue sourcing, design, direction, and staging.

The 29th Annual Webby Awards brought together the best of the internet for a night that was bold, funny, poignant, and unapologetically online. Produced by our team for the 21st consecutive year, the show celebrated digital culture’s biggest voices—from global stars to social advocates to viral icons. Hosted by comedian, actress, and internet favorite Ilana Glazer, the event delivered the Webbys’ signature wit, style, and renowned five-word speeches on a stage custom-designed by acclaimed creative director David Korins.

Winners included Snoop Dogg, actor Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Questlove, British host Amelia Dimoldenberg (Chicken Shop Date), SNL’s Marcello Hernández, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, and designer Norman Teague—honored with a special award in Creative AI, presented in partnership with Adobe. Appearances from stars including Justin Theroux, Hot Ones host Sean Evans, SNL’s Kenan Thompson, and NAACP President Derrick Johnson added to the star power.

Beyond the main show, Empire oversaw every facet of the experience: a high-energy red carpet, a branded media lounge for interviews and portraits, and seamless stage production. The night wrapped with a packed afterparty at Rumi, where Questlove took over the DJ booth and kept the celebration going late into the night.

Having produced every live Webby Awards since 2005, our two-decade partnership with the Webby team is built on creativity, trust, and shared vision. After 29 years, “The Internet’s Biggest Night” shows no signs of slowing down and we are excited to collaborate with the Webby team to create something even more spectacular for the 30th Annual Webby Awards.

The 2025 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards marked a bold new chapter for one of the world’s most prestigious celebrations of ocean conservation. Held at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD—and timed to the 50th anniversary of Jaws—the event honored the enduring legacy of Peter Benchley while celebrating today's most influential ocean advocates.

More than 300 leaders from science, policy, business, and storytelling gathered to recognize this year’s honorees: actor and activist Jason Momoa (Ocean Hero), SC Johnson CEO Dr. Fisk Johnson (Sustainable Business Solutions), and Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (Policy). Led by our team, programming included heartfelt tributes and powerful calls to action by advocates, including Sylvia Earle. The evening emphasized bringing together diverse voices to protect our ocean future.

Our team collaborated with Wendy Benchley and the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, ensuring the event served as a rallying point for the global ocean community—spotlighting urgent issues, elevating impactful solutions, and fostering cross-sector collaboration.

Over 400 media buyers, advertisers, and entertainment insiders convened for the Samsung Ads NewFront, an exclusive showcase unveiling the next evolution of Samsung’s connected TV ecosystem at the IAC Building in New York City. The event debuted Samsung Television Network (STN)—a FAST channel featuring a curated mix of Samsung TV Plus’ programming, A-list talent, and live events, offering advertisers innovative audience engagement opportunities.

For this NewFront, we crafted an immersive theater and reception space that embodied Samsung Ads’ innovative spirit and dual value proposition. Produced end-to-end by our team, we managed every detail—from guest experience and talent coordination to creative direction and program execution—delivering a cohesive, high-energy experience.

The program included a fireside chat with David Letterman and Samsung EVP Sang Kim, celebrating the success of Letterman TV, and ended with a surprise appearance by The Jonas Brothers to announce their 20th-anniversary tour’s exclusive live broadcast on Samsung TV Plus, showcasing Samsung’s dedication to entertainment and innovation. 

From the star-studded reveals to the electric atmosphere, our production in collaboration with Samsung ignited a new era for Samsung Ads, leaving the industry buzzing about the future of connected TV.

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Photography credit: Samsung Newsroom / Agaton Storm

The 2025 Village Fête at Pioneer Works was a vibrant celebration of art, community, and the 50^th birthday of PW Founder Dustin Yellin. This fundraiser rallied over 350 guests, including David Byrne, Maggie Rogers, Moses Sumney, Claire Danes, and Darren Aronofsky to fuel Pioneer Works’ mission of uplifting local artists and the broader community. With our programming team leading the charge, the stage program popped with creativity, heart, and flawless delivery, and helped PW raise over $1.4 million for the arts. 

Auctioneer Lucas Hunt sparked lively bidding, showcasing hot items like a Prada handbag with an exclusive VIP experience, a two-night stay at Caldera House, a Pioneer Works studio space rental, and bold artworks by Dustin Yellin, Nate Lewis, and Derrick Adams. The auction was integrated into a larger program featuring speakers including Pioneer Works founding members, board members, former artists in residence, friends, and family. These speeches were bookended by performances by Annie and the Caldwells and headliner David Byrne.

From the PW garden to the dance floor, the afterparty—co-hosted by CULTURED Mag—featured DJ sets by Fauzia and Chances with Wolves, unique installations, and vibrant activations that filled the space. CBD gummies, multiple open bars, and late-night bites kept the crowd buzzing.

Reflecting the unique, creative spirit of Pioneer Works’ Red Hook art space, we delivered a program that felt authentic, quirky, yet polished. In collaboration with PW, we ensured a seamless, engaging experience—leaving every guest connected to the venue’s vibrant energy and the mission’s lasting impact. To learn more, read CULTURED Mag’s exclusive story on the night here.

Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go’s electrified an exclusive private party. The 80s icon had attendees dancing and singing to solo hits like “Mad About You” and “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” alongside Go-Go’s classics including “Vacation,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” and “We Got the Beat.” Our team’s expertise in booking and managing top-tier talent ensured a seamless experience, delivering the client’s vision of a show-stopping night that left the crowd buzzing with unforgettable memories.

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AXA hosted a talk show titled “Café de l’Art de Vivre – Connecting Love, Art and Culture” at the France Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. As a Gold Partner of the France Pavilion, AXA collaborated with our team for full production—concept development, construction, direction, and casting.

Moderated by renowned broadcaster Christel Takigawa, the event featured AXA Holdings Japan President & CEO Seiji Yasubuchi, calligraphy artist Maaya Wakasugi, and Clara Blin, Account Director at monopo Tokyo.

The audience included a distinguished guest list of models, ballet dancers, influencers, and cultural figures, adding to the vibrant atmosphere. The two-hour freeform talk session fostered lively exchanges between the speakers and audience, exploring cultural contrasts and shared passions for art and lifestyle in both Japan and France.

CyberArk is the global leader in identity security, trusted by organizations around the world to secure human and machine identities in the modern enterprise. IMPACT 2025, their dynamic, three-day hosted conference at the Omni Hotel in Boston’s Seaport District, brought together 1,800 cybersecurity leaders and practitioners to tackle the most pressing identity-related threats in the digital world. This immersive experience fostered collaboration and innovation, focusing on the future of identity security.

Empire’s creative design and execution elevated the attendee experience at every turn. A technology-immersive tunnel began the attendee journey into the heart of the event: the CYBR Arena, an interactive space featuring product demos, a genius bar, sponsor booths, and an array of activations including a custom hat bar, a robot sketch artist, the “CYBR Bark” puppy therapy zone, and a robot-activated Identi-TEA café. Attendees participated in over 100 breakout sessions, hands-on labs, earned CPE credits, and gained exclusive insight into CyberArk’s innovative solutions.

The event featured seven keynotes from distinguished speakers including CyberArk CEO, Matt Cohen, Founder & Executive Chairman, Udi Mokady, and former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly. Our program producers developed and executed the creative content and design for the keynote conversations focused on the future of identity security and the urgent need for a new, security-first framework to combat identity-based threats—now the leading attack vector globally. 

In addition to the core programming, our team curated five standout ancillary events—including CyberArk’s Partner Day—as well as two offsite parties. These events included the high-energy CYBR Bloc Welcome Party, centered around the culture of Boston and the CYBR Soirée at the Boston Aquarium, offering a unique and immersive setting for an unforgettable evening.

With identity now the #1 attack vector in organizations, CyberArk IMPACT 2025 cemented its role as a vital forum for advancing a security-first identity model. Backed by major sponsors and tech leaders like AWS, Accenture, Wiz, and Proofpoint, the event stood out as a forward-looking experience designed to inform, connect, and empower the identity security community. 

When Star Wars Celebration returned to Japan for the first time since 2008, Disney Consumer Products enlisted Empire to design and deliver a five-day series of immersive experiences for 50 select media and creators. From intimate dinners to dynamic city explorations, the journey highlighted the creative breadth of the Star Wars franchise and its deep cultural resonance.

A standout moment included a Star Wars-themed gala dinner in a studio transformed into the bridge of a Star Destroyer. Immersive visuals gave guests the sensation of gazing into space, while si_oux performed a live DJ set that blended house and bass music with iconic Star Wars themes. Appearances from Anthony Daniels, Ashley Eckstein, and Ahmed Best—alongside a high-energy lightsaber performance from KAMUI—brought the saga vividly to life. The evening also featured a collector’s gallery curated by our team, with rare and imaginative merchandise from partners like LEGO, Hasbro, Hot Toys, CASETiFY, Her Universe, Suntory, and more.

Another core element of the program invited participants to explore Tokyo through a Grogu-themed scavenger hunt in Harajuku. Guided by Hot Toys figures, guests completed playful missions—ranging from purikura photo booth snapshots to capsule toy challenges—blending the whimsy of Japanese pop culture with the charm of Star Wars. The journey continued with visits to retail partners like Disney Store and Uniqlo to discover exclusive collaborations, and a hands-on LEGO Grogu-building activity that encouraged creativity and interaction.

At Star Wars Celebration itself—hosted at Makuhari Messe with over 100,000 fans from 125+ countries—Empire created a branded Content Suite for invited guests. This hospitality lounge offered a place to recharge, connect, and interact with Star Wars characters like R2-D2 in a relaxed, personal setting.

From concept through execution, we orchestrated every detail of this multi-day journey, bringing together storytelling, fan engagement, and cultural connection to celebrate the global legacy of Star Wars in Japan.

Pop legend Gwen Stefani ignited the iconic Chicago Theatre with an electrifying performance for a global corporation’s incentive trip, delivering a once-in-a-lifetime reward for top sales performers and their guests.

The evening featured Gwen Stefani performing a 75 minute set of hit after hit with her full band, vibrant dancers, stunning stage production, and electrifying theatrics that had the crowd roaring and dancing. Between songs, Stefani’s warm and thoughtful remarks created a festive atmosphere that made everyone feel like one family. Guests savored premium seating and open bar service, while VIPs and executives mingled with Stefani at an exclusive pre-show meet-and-greet, taking home signed vinyl and commemorative photos.

From securing the artist and venue to managing every detail of production and logistics, we helped orchestrate a seamless, unforgettable experience for all.