Ranked by Forbes as one of the top five most inspiring conferences, PopTech recently convened its 23rd annual forum, bringing together brilliant minds from all corners of the world. Hosted by Moran Cerf, this year’s gathering featured a robust community of remarkable scientists, humanitarians, technologists, designers, artists, innovators, corporate and governmental leaders, academics, and those who defy easy categorization.

With an overall 2019 theme of “Shift”, PopTech 2019 demonstrated that we are designed to change, to push the limits of possibility, take bold action, lead by example, shape the future. The diversity and deep expertise of each speaker delivered a series of topic-defining presentations that allowed guests to explore future trends in business, innovation, creative expression, and social justice.

The campus-like setting at Point Lookout provided an immersive and enriching environment that facilitated experiential interaction and fostered authentic human connection. The multi-day program featured interactive sessions, shared meals, and a closing cocktail reception featuring locally sourced, sustainable oyster’s delivered by their farmers.  

Many of the highlights of the three-day weekend occurred during the carefully-orchestrated, yet spontaneous evening activities. These included hosted fireside chats, late night debates, stargazing, and collective jam sessions. Each element was designed to help guests discover how shared potential exceeds the reach of individual aspiration.

PopTech programming focused on many of the most pressing issues of our time and was co-curated by Leetha Filderman, President of PopTech, and former hacker, Moran Cerf, Professor of Neuroscience and Business at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, as well as PopTech’s Curatorial Advisors.

The programming line-up covered the topics of Climate Change, The Future of Food, Privacy and Surveillance, Disruption in Higher Education, Artistic Expression, Connectivity, Networks, and Mobility, among others.

A sampling of participants included Internet pioneer, Bob Metcalfe; Earthrise Alliance CEO, Lori Garver; Conservation X Labs Founder & CEO, Alex Dehgan; The Honorable Paul Martin, Former Prime Minister of Canada; Phillip Agnew, Co-Founder the Dream Defenders; Sinan Aral, MIT professor & Founding Partner of Manifest Capital; Nusrat Durrani, visionary media executive & MTV World Founder; Sarah Hurwitz, Head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama and Former Senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama; Pedro Alonzo, Adjunct Curator at Dallas Contemporary; Assaf Biderman, CEO, Superpedestrian; Chris Riley, geographer and author; Alex Kingsbury, The New York Times Senior Staff Editor; Yves-Alexandre De Montjoye; and many more.

Live performances by composer and electro-acoustic violist, Martha Mooke, Grammy-award winning beatboxer, Rahzel Brown, and singer-songwriter, Jill Sobule, had the audience captivated.

PopTech, founded by Bob Metcalfe and John Sculley, is a 23-year-old non-profit committed to showcasing the vanguard of emerging technology, science, exploration, and creative expression.

The organization is famous for stretching beyond passive idea sharing, as it has cultivated a community focused on robust exchange and a bias for action.

Empire has been proud to work with the PopTech team for several years to produce this extraordinary and inspirational event.

For more information, visit https://poptech.org/

The Global Security Forum is an annual international gathering bringing together a multi-disciplinary network of experts, practitioners, and policy-makers from government, security, academia, media, entertainment, international organizations, the humanitarian sector, the private sector, and beyond to discuss the world’s most pressing security issues. This invitation-only event provides a unique platform for international stakeholders to convene and offer solutions that address the international community’s leading security challenges.

The 2019 Global Security Forum took place at the St. Regis hotel in Doha, Qatar. The two-day conference explored the security challenges posed by the proliferation of modern disinformation and the serious implications this has on an increasingly interconnected world.

The nexus between disinformation and technological advances has produced an unprecedented threat landscape, which requires a whole-of-society approach. The global effects of disinformation–whether via organized campaigns that influence elections or policy decisions, or via misinformation given to individuals or groups engaging in violent acts of perceived retribution–have become common and persistent security threats. All nations are dealing with this phenomenon. Private and non-profit organizations are dealing with the effects as well. Relying solely on governments or the private sector alone to counter disinformation, however, will not work; it is imperative to convene an open dialogue in a multi-stakeholder environment to develop comprehensive solutions.

The 2019 Forum convened officials and experts from across the world, including government, technology platforms, media, advertising and marketing agencies, social media, academia, think tanks, and international organizations, among others. The program was opened by His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for the State of Qatar. Speakers included Defense Ministers, ambassadors, legal analysts, and news correspondents from over 40 countries.

The two days included moderated panel discussions, workshops, keynote presentations, and fireside chats. Empire was responsible for all production support, speaker logistics, speaker, staff and attendee travel and accommodations, food and beverage, credentialing, press support, and graphics. The entire conference was webcast on MSNBC and Al Jazeera with over 10 news agencies sharing the press platform.

Empire also produced a gala dinner on the first night of the conference. The dinner was sponsored by Qatar Airways, with His Excellency, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, in attendance. The evening began with a reception that included an Oud player, calligrapher, henna tattoo artist, and live falcon. The dinner was a formal three-course plated dinner with a live local jazz band.

Empire is a leading producer of international conferences and has worked extensively throughout the Middle East and Gulf Region.

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The Hult Prize’s $1 million check is the largest sum awarded to the winners of any social good innovation competition. This is because the solutions the Hult Prize funds are both effective, and especially urgent. The competition, which is open to students around the world, encourages and energizes young entrepreneurs to build for-profit startups that focus on critical social challenges. To date, the Hult Prize has engaged over one million students and deployed over $50 million in capital to winning projects.

Each year, the Hult Prize directs applicants, of which there may be as many as 50,000, to focus on a single, specific issue. In 2017, participants designed innovations to improve the lives of at least 1 million refugees over the next five years, and the winning proposal was an initiative to bring community transit hubs to refugee settlements, solving for the significant mobility gap that migrants face.

The Hult Prize main event takes place inside the United Nations Headquarters, with the presentations by the final six teams occurring in the ECOSOC chamber in the afternoon. Once the presentations are complete, all the participants go upstairs to a reception in the Delegate Dining Room, both inside and on the patio that overlooks the East river while the judges are given 45 minutes to deliberate and select a winner. As in years past, President Bill Clinton has joined them for a final briefing and then he announces the winner from the stage. President Clinton will also announce the next year’s challenge.

Empire’s team was responsible for all production support for the presentation and reception, venue management, food and beverage, accommodations, credentialing, press support, set design, and graphics. We also coordinated with the UN broadcast office to have the proceedings webcast.

To learn more about the Hult Prize, please visithttp://www.hultprize.org​

Following the immensely successful launch events and 12-city U.S. tour for Dartmouth College’s $3 billion capital campaign, The Call to Lead, Dartmouth’s leadership and Board of Trustees once again engaged Empire as their creative and production partner to take Dartmouth’s message worldwide with a series of Global Summits.

Alumni, family, and friends from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), gathered for Dartmouth’s first-ever Global Summit in London–a platform on which to claim Dartmouth’s pride of place in the global higher education landscape through increased brand awareness and institutional competitiveness, fostered by a highly enthusiastic, highly supportive international communities, including undergraduate alumni, graduate alumni, and parents.​

The Global Summit weekend included three distinct events filled with learning, fun, and inspiration to celebrate Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary. Friday’s Welcome Reception showed that the “Big Green” had arrived in London. Held at The Shard, London’s tallest tower, the venue offered guests 360° views of the city and the iconic London landmarks, The Tower of London and the London Eye, which were lit in green light for the evening. At The Shard, guest enjoyed networking, cocktails, and rekindled connections to Dartmouth’s five schools.

Saturday morning’s programming sessions brought guests “back-to-class” at the Institute of Technology & Engineering (IET Savoy) and fully immersed them in Dartmouth’s bold strategy and vision for its big bets on discovery. The lunch networking hour featured hosted table conversations and allowed for participatory engagement by all in attendance. Gail’s Bakery, owned by a recognized Dartmouth alumus, provided guests the opportunity to taste the best that London has to offer with a local connection to their alma mater.

The crowning jewel of the weekend was a spectacular celebration in one of London’s most historic venues, Guild Hall, that fused Dartmouth’s rich history with forward-looking plans for its next 250 years. Students and faculty shared stories of collaboration that have led to world-changing impact spanning disciplines, generations, and geographies. The evening included a surprise musical performance by the Dartmouth Idols paired with acapella group Anuna performing a 900 year-old Irish vocal tradition. The evening included stunning announcements of substantial support and donations by many generous alumni.

Between stage segments, meals were served with precision timing as guests were treated to a visual extravaganza of high resolution footage and imagery of the Dartmouth campus through the seasons.  

The evening culminated with Laurel Richie, Board of Trustees Chair, recapping Dartmouth’s strategic priorities and energizing the crowd to act and answer The Call to Lead. At the conclusion of Richie’s remarks, guests moved into the afterparty, where  Dartmouth’s Baker Tower, recreated with its spire glowing green, served as the centerpiece of the space. This striking scenic piece was surrounded by a variety of themed activities including a London phone box (recreated in green) and other social media activations.

Empire worked closely with several Dartmouth departments and teams, as well as faculty, students, and volunteers, to plan and execute the first of these international events. Empire’s roles included concept and program development, venue acquisition, budgeting, registration, scripting, screen content production, technical production, catering, permitting, security, scenic, décor, staffing, and guest logistics and experience.  

Empire is a leading international producer of high-level events, both on and off campus, for many of the world’s leading educational institutions.

For more information on Dartmouth’s Campaign, visit https://calltolead.dartmouth.edu/about/dartmouth-250-global-summit

VIDEO CREDIT: Dartmouth MPG Team

The inaugural New York City VenuesNow Conference was held at the Conrad Hotel downtown for over 600 attendees. Oak View Group’s Media & Conferences division annually hosts the conference which provides a forum for leaders in the live entertainment industry to discuss important trends and topics appearing in the VenuesNow magazine published by OVG. After two years in Los Angeles, the flagship event has moved to New York City.

The first day of the VenuesNow Conference took place in the Gallery Ballroom and featured opening remarks by OVG Founders, Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff. Soon after, the all-star lineup of speakers would discuss key topics from Capital Ideas to Esports. James Dolan sat down with Irving Azoff to discuss business and MSG Co. and the program included panel discussions featuring NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

Other notable speakers included Executive Vice President of MSG Live, Darren Pfeffer, President of San Francisco 49ers and Co-Managing Partner of Elevate Sports Ventures, Al Guido, Director of Strategy for AT&T, Dave Macdonald, and many more. The first day of conferences concluded with another opening night cocktail reception in the Gallery Prefunction space and Northeast Gallery featuring DJ Monopoli.

The final day of the conference took place on 9/11, 18 years after the devastating tragedy. A beautiful floral installation honored those affected by the events on 9/11 with a graphic wall featuring silhouettes of the twin towers built out using white roses.

The opening topic, “Never Forget: How Sept. 11, 2001 Forever Changed Public Assembly,” featured a highly qualified panel of safety experts who discussed exactly how public safety in this business has changed post-9/11. Light discussions followed throughout the final day and attendees were encouraged to take roses provided to the 9/11 Memorial, just a short walk from the venue.

The VenuesNow Conference connects leaders, influencers, and visionaries in a variety of discussions and networking opportunities, highlighting comprehensive topics and the future of the industry. Empire was proud to serve as the overall producer for this event.​

Co-founded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Project Everyone, the Goalkeepers event takes place during the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York City and brings together Heads of State and international Sustainable Development Goals “Goalkeepers” (those spearheading various missions in their local communities). Among other themes, this year’s Goalkeepers focused on the challenge of fighting global inequality.

Kicking off the two-day event, the 2019 Goalkeepers GlobalGoals Awards were presented at the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Awards program opened with an energetic dance number by “This is America” choreographer, Sherrie Silver, performed by a group of young dancers synchronized to original screen content.

Host Tumelo Mothotoane kept the program flowing as global change-makers were honored for their work. Award winners included African Union Youth Envoy, Aya Chebbi; Child Rights advocate, Payal Jangid; mPharma Founder, Gregory Rockson; and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who was honored for his progressive sanitation work in India.

Award presenters included Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, and Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Henrietta Fore. Simultaneous translation was utilized to translate between Hindi and English to ensure the audience could enjoy the entire program.

After the Goalkeepers Awards program, guests entered the Atrium space overlooking Central Park to enjoy cocktails and custom food bars. Guests interacted with custom activations including an art installation made of over 75,000 bottle tops, collected and painted by women in Salvador, Brazil, and an impressive 68’-long custom mirror wall, encouraging social sharing by the guests to spread the word about their favorite goals.

The next morning, over 400 guests were welcomed back to the main Goalkeepers event by a stunning multimedia vocal performance by Ogi Ifediora, performing to looped tracks of herself and screen content by renowned TreatmentStudios. Once inside the Appel Room, programming began with keynote remarks by New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden, and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, followed by a seated conversation with both Prime Ministers along with Bill & Melinda Gates.

Throughout the day, other speakers delivered impactful messages, including Stanford Professor and bias expert, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, Lydia Murithi, Dr. Joia Crear Perry (all in conversation with Melinda Gates discussing bias), Aliko Dangote and Zouera Youssoufou (in conversation with Bill Gates discussing ways to change the odds instead of evening the odds for today’s less fortunate, especially children), as well as Richard Curtis, who spoke regarding the 2020 call to action.

Session moderators included Journalist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, James Chau (Bill Gates’s session), and British journalist and broadcaster, Tulip Mazumdar (Melinda Gates’s session).

Providing even more of an audience reach this year, a segment of the program was filmed for the BBC World Debate. Moderated by Zeinab Bedawi, this segment featured Mo Ibrahim, Sigrid Kaag, Kay James, and John Fugelsang, who discussed inequality throughout the world. This segment was broadcast the following weekend on BBC.

Between and after content sessions and as breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch were enjoyed, guests were invited to experience activations in the Atrium including the “Goalkeeper’s Library”, where the titles from the Goalkeepers community were available for the guests to take. In addition to the Library, guests were able to select a #togetherband, allowing them to showcase their favorite goal in a fashionable way.

Empire was proud to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Project Everyone, and many other partners to present Goalkeepers 2019.

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

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

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Empire was honored to serve once again as Samsung’s producer of the 18th annual Samsung Gives Charity Gala, which raises funds for a variety of social and charitable programs focused on helping youth build brighter futures. This year’s Gala took place in the Hammerstein & Grand Ballrooms of the Manhattan Center in New York City.

Upon arrival, guests entered the foyer, which had been transformed into an elegant registration space with deep blue drapes and chandeliers adorned with twinkling lights, crystals, and flowers hanging to the floor, along with a moving digital step & repeat of charity logos, utilizing Samsung’s new product, “The Wall.”  Guests then proceeded to the Promenade in the Hammerstein Ballroom and upstairs to the Grand Ballroom to enjoy cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres, surrounded by large-scale floral installations.  

After cocktails, guests made their way into the historic Hammerstein Ballroom, which was transformed into a scintillating banquet hall. An attention-grabbing LED set design showcased animated content and logos of Samsung’s donors and charity partners. Throughout the event, the LED panels were used for to provide visual complement to each musical performance.

The evening’s program included live “Voice of God” announcements by celebrities DJ Irie, Jessie Decker, and Mark Messier; a lively opening performance by DJ Irie, Wyclef Jean, and The Young People’s Chorus of NYC (under the direction of Francisco Nunez); special guests Ryan Seacrest and Mark Consuelos; and remarks by Good+Foundation Founder & President, Jessica Seinfeld, and Eric LeGrand among others. From Samsung, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics America, Joe Stinziano, and President & CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, YH Eom, both addressed the audience. This year’s “Champion of Hope” award was presented to NBA Champion and philanthropist Dwayne Wade by his sister, Tragil Wade. The evening also featured a mid-show performance by Portugal. The Man who played their hits, “Feel it Still,” and “Live in the Moment.”

The evening’s finale was a performance by legendary hip hop group, The Roots, who delivered a non-stop high-energy set that featured a surprise performance by Ciara who, along with her dancers, had the entire crowd on their feet through her hits including, “Goodies,”“Tootsie Roll,” “1, 2 Step, and "Level Up.“

The Samsung Gives Charity Gala raised more than $2.4 million for its Charity Partners, who included The Ryan Seacrest Foundation; Good+Foundation; The Irie Foundation; Boomer Esiason Foundation; CAPA Foundation; The Eric and Jessie Decker Foundation; Farm Team; Joyful Heart Foundation; Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; New York City Ballet; New York Public Library; New Victory Theater; Team LeGrand; The Mark Messier Foundation; Victor Cruz Foundation; Why Not You Foundation; Young People's Chorus of New York City; and The Wade Family Foundation. Each charity was represented by a celebrity in the audience, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Ali Wentworth, Mariska Hargitay, Peter Herman, Yolanda Hadid, Ali Wentworth, and more.

For the 5^th year, Empire was proud to work closely with the Samsung team to design and deliver an incredibly memorable evening benefitting these worthy causes.

For more information onSamsung’s charitable initiatives, please visit https://www.samsung.com/us/careers/giving-back/

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Expanding the #CreatorUnite conversation—“unifying the powers of sports”—adidas Japan, the New Zealand National Rugby Association, and Empire launched the “CreatorsUnite Art Exhibition”.

With the theme “ALL BLACKS” (New Zealand Men’s Rugby Union), famed Japanese artist, Noritake Kinashi, including 17 other Japanese creators from various fields of modern art, illustration, calligraphy, and graffiti created artwork that unites athletes and creators.

Each art piece was released online from September 14th, and was displayed in the adidas store in Shibuya Japan.

Empire created and managed the exhibit, handling the media kick-off and fan event, producing yet another successful event with Adidas Japan.

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Bustle Digital Group held their 2^nd Annual Rule Breakers event in Brooklyn, featuring performances by Lizzo, Betty Who, Jessie Jo Stark, Abir, and more. Empire produced the main stage and other 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 day began with attendees engaging in a 45-minute meditation session and then moved on to roller skating in the rink that's part of the LeFrak Center in Prospect Park. DJ’s Natasha Diggs and Rashida spun the tunes that kept the guests dancing and the festival vibe building.

The audience was then 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.

The first headline performances of the day came from Abir and Jessie Jo Stark, both of whom delivered fantastic shows. The buzz built as Betty Who took the stage later in the day, with the 6’ 2” singer bringing tremendous charisma to her performance of hits such as “Mama Say” and “Somebody Loves You”.

After Betty Who’s performance ended, the 6,000+ crowd was clearly buzzing and moving closer to the stage for the headline performance of Lizzo, which came just minutes after a rousing speech about women’s rights by politician Stacey Abrams. Lizzo took the stage to a roar from the crowd which she wowed with her sense of humor, incredible vocals, choreography (along with her “Big Girl Dancers”), and her messages of love and acceptance. Songs like “Truth Hurts”, “Juice”, “Good As Hell” and more had the audience singing along to every word and dancing under a perfect sunset in Prospect Park.

Lizzo’s concert ended at 9PM, at which point Empire had 15 hours to flip the venue to be ready for doors for the client’s Camp Romper event starting at noon the following day. The Camp Romper event was a family-friendly program, highlighted by performances by Rock & Roll Playhouse, an organization which prides itself on providing kids and parents a place to inspire creativity through music across the country. And they certainly did so for the many families who came out to the Camp Romper event. The families enjoyed the fun music and activities that the bands provided, along with activations scattered throughout the event space where the kids could have their faces painted, watch bubble artistry, and much more.

Empire provided the staging, audio, and lighting for the main stage and also coordinated and managed other various entertainment elements throughout both days. We are proud to produce some of the most exciting consumer-facing events on the planet, including the Bustle Rule Breakers and Camp Romper events.

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One of the world’s leading automotive companies tasked Empire with securing two fantastic nights of concert entertainment for their Dealer Meeting in Chicago, and Empire delivered with Train and Imagine Dragons.

On the first night, the 2,400 auto dealers and their spouses got to see firsthand why Train is one of the best bands available for corporate events. Lead singer Pat Monahan always works the crowd with his incredible vocals, great songs, and sense of humor. When the band wasn’t performing their own smash hits, like the Grammy-winning “Drops Of Jupiter” and “Hey Soul Sister”, they delivered widely-known cover songs like “Under Pressure” and “Reeling In The Years”. And as usual, Pat invited attendees to join him onstage to help sing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” which is always a highlight of Train’s shows.

Word among the guests was that the Train performance would be difficult to top. But Imagine Dragons hit the stage on night two, and from the opening notes of their blockbuster “Believer”, it was obvious the crowd was in for another great night. Between hits like “Demons”, “Thunder”, and “On Top Of the World”, lead singer Dan Reynolds spoke about the importance of equality, loving yourself for who you are, and the urgency of getting therapy for young people suffering from depression. And when the band closed the show with their #1 smash “Radioactive”, punctuated with pyrotechnics, confetti cannons, and streamers, it was an over-the-top ending for two incredible evenings.

Empire has been securing headline entertainment for special events since 1993. From classic artists such as Elton John and Stevie Wonder, to the hitmakers of today like Train and Imagine Dragons, we are honored to provide the best in musical and comedic entertainment for our clients worldwide.​