Empire was happy to contribute to a surprise-filled retreat in California for over four hundred people. Attendees from the global law firm did not know the theme of the retreat, or who would speak or perform. La Quinta Resort in California served as a perfect venue for the outdoor concert where Empire delivered Grammy Award-winning world musicians, Gipsy Kings, to perform under the stars.

A stage was built in the breathtaking desert-setting on the tennis courts at La Quinta, and the energy in the air spoke to the theme of the retreat: INSPIRE ~ EVOLVE ~ THRIVE. Featuring original members, Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo, Gipsy Kings played an outstanding and lively 75-minute set made up of greatest hits including, “Bambaleo,” “Volare,” “Hotel California,” and “Baila Me,” moving the feet of everyone in attendance.

Attendees from the firm spanning twenty offices around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, were in attendance alongside their corporate and transactional partners.

Empire is a leading provider of celebrity talent and headline entertainment for corporate events.

Empire recently partnered with Reelworks.org again to produce their 2019 Gala, honoring the change-makers whose accomplishments help young film and media makers envision a future where their voices are heard, and their stories matter. Reel Works is one of the nation’s leading media and filmmaking not-for-profits, matching teens 1:1 with professional filmmaker-mentors to help them build vital skills of literacy, leadership, and self-confidence.

This year's gala celebrated the passionate and diverse individuals pioneering change in the industry by honoring four change-makers: comedian, actor, and television host of Netflix’s Patriot Act, Hasan Minhaj; Academy Award-winning costume designer for Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter; President of Will Packer Productions, James F. Lopez; and Worldwide CEO of Grey Group, Michael Houston. A special announcement also highlighted the support from Netflix and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment to create diverse training programs for Reel Works students.

The evening began with a guest reception in the historic Capitale, adorned with Corinthian columns, Venetian glass, marble mosaic floors, and 65-foot vaulted ceilings. After guests enjoyed cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres, they made their way into the ballroom for the program and dinner.

Empire managed the stage program working with Reel Works and the evening’s host, Nore Davis. Davis is a stand-up comedian and actor, who has appeared on Last Week Tonight, Conan, 2 Dope Queens, Inside Amy Schumer, and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. There were also moving testimonials by Reel Works students and presenters such as Prashanth Venkataramanujam, Emmy-nominated writer and Executive Producer and Co-creator of Patriot Act; Da’VineRandolph, Tony-nominated actress and singer; and Steve Pamon, President & COO of Parkwood Entertainment.

The enthusiastic Charles Antin took the stage as the live auctioneer, helping to raise more than $350,000. The evening wrapped with the F. John Outcalt Award for Outstanding Filmmaking, awarding Faith Mora and her film, My Coming Out Story, out of five outstanding young finalists.

Event sponsors included Empire, HBO, Viacom, Samsung, Will Packer Productions, Sloss Eckhouse Law, Netflix, Grey Advertising, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, among others.

Empire is proud of our continued partnership with the Reel Works organization.

If you are interested in learning more about Reel Works, or would like to explore engaging Reel Works Productions for a project, please visit: http://www.reelworks.org/​

For the 10th year, Empire was proud to serve once again as the producer of the TIME 100 Gala, which took place at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Each year, TIME publishes the TIME 100: a list of the world’s most influential people. To celebrate this highly-anticipated issue, TIME hosts an exclusive gala event in New York City attended by current and past TIME 100 honorees. With its extraordinary mix of world leaders, innovators, and celebrities, the TIME 100 Gala is globally recognized as one of the most prestigious annual events.

As in past years, the 2019 TIME 100 was attended by a who’s who of global icons from industry, culture, sports, fashion and politics. Participants and performers at this year’s Gala included Taylor Swift, Khalid, Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock”, Sandra Oh, Hasan Minhaj, Maria Ressa, and Fred Swaniker, as well as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of TIME, Edward Felsenthal, Mia Tramz, and Dan Macsai.

Among the notable attendees this year were Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Glenn Close, Brie Larson, Rami Malek, Emilia Clarke, Gayle King, Naomi Campbell, Ryan Murphy, Alex Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Adam Rippon, Trevor Noah, Julianne Moore, Martha Stewart, Arianna Huffington, Martha Hunt, Jane Goodall, Janet Mock, Lee Daniels, Tarana Burke, Yalitza Aparicio, Lynn Nottage, and Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The Gala featured an extensive red carpet on two floors, an elegant cocktail reception featuring music by Peter and the Master Keys (over which was flown a ‘photo chandelier’ of Time 100 honorees), a seated dinner and program that combined remarks, musical performances, and toasts by some of the evening’s honorees, and an afterparty with Questlove. This year’s Gala was sponsored by Cadillac, Citi, JaneWalker by Johnnie Walker, Amazon Alexa, and United Airlines.  

The TIME 100 drew extensive global media coverage including NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, FOX, Entertainment Tonight, E! News, and Access Hollywood. Additionally, the TIME 100 generates extraordinary digital reach through TIME.com, online bloggers, and social media sharing by the attendees.

With the world watching, the production of the TIME 100 requires the highest caliber of precision planning and flawless execution. Empire was proud to work closely with the TIME team to once again deliver a flawless and extraordinary evening.

As Producer, Empire’s responsibilities include event design, talent booking and coordination, staging and technical production, venue and catering logistics coordination (catering provided by Great Performances), broadcast and media facilities, stage management, staffing, front of house logistics, security and sponsor activations.

Empire is proud to continue our 10-year history with the TIME 100 Gala.  

http://time.com/5573035/time-100-2019-gala/

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Empire was honored to produce ArtBall, which raised funds for Amref Health Africa, the largest Africa-based and African-led healthcare organization, at A/D/O in Brooklyn. This year’s ArtBall honored Zanele Muholi, a South African artist and visual activist focused on the LGBTQ+ community.

Upon arrival, guests entered through a curated gallery featuring over 30 artworks by artists from across the African continent that were up for auction. Each piece was available on Artsy prior and during the event, and 100% of the proceeds went to Amref. The VIP portion of the program included passed hors d’oeuvres and a special discussion with Zanele Muholi, moderated by Kimberly Drew. Among the many noteworthy guests were honorary host and artist, Shantell Martin, and Broadway's Féla star Adesola Osakalumi.  

After the VIP event, the party kicked into full-swing as over 600 general admission guests arrived in their impressive African attire. Open bars flowed with Hendricks, Tito’s, Espolon, and other spirits while guests enjoyed African diaspora-inspired snacks provided by Brownsville Community Culinary Center.

The centerpiece of the evening was an educational activation—a replication of a classroom structure designed in the spirit of the Wamba Girls’ School in Kenya. The classroom was staged with a chalkboard, desks, and “Dignity Kits” stuffed with school supplies, hygiene products, and more, with each item laid out out as an example of what a small donation could provide for a child. The wooden walls were lined with facts and photos from Amref’s work. A polaroid station was set up just outside the structure so attendees could write notes and send their photos to the girls from the Wamba Girls’ School in Kenya. Docents led guests through a guided tour of the classroom to fully explain Amref’s important work.

Global CEO of Amref, Dr. Githinji Gitahi, delivered a moving speech about celebrating life, noting that some come for the “art", while others come for the “ball", encouraging all to have fun and celebrate while being mindful of the cause for which the audience were gathered.

The night was led by emcee Young Prince, and an amazing mix of Afro beats and other dance music was provided by DJ Tao, Rich Medina, and Juls. Guests spent the night getting down on the dance floor until the very last second of the event.

Empire was proud to design and produce a successful fundraising gala for Amref Health Africa, supporting the inspiring initiatives they achieve.

Amref Health Africa provides health care solutions that are for Africans, by Africans. To learn more please visit https://www.amrefusa.org

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Empire was thrilled to to work once again with Samsung on their annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. The nationwide competition motivates students to use S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to approach solutions to real-world issues impacting their communities. Participating students from the Top 10 schools flew to New York City from all over the country to pitch their ideas to a panel of carefully selected judges.

After months of hard work, problem-solving, and preparation, the finalists kicked off the trip pitching at Samsung 837. After welcoming remarks, the students began presenting their ideas and prototypes in front of the panel of esteemed judges. Their youthful genius was revealed through a variety of innovative solutions developed using S.T.E.M. disciplines, all of which displayed qualities of empathy, safety, forethought, and kindness.

The next day was filled with buzzing energy as the students experienced New York City from a personalized bus tour and had lunch and a milkshake at Mom’s kitchen before heading over to the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum, where the students, along with SFT alumni, teachers, and partners presented onstage, and at tables in Hangar 3 as part of the first Solve For Tomorrow STEMFair.

The day was full of interviews with the finalists, presentations by former contestants, and interactive displays of each prototype. A break in the program allowed students and teachers to explore the museum on private tours. When the group returned to the Hangar, the space had transitioned into a reception and awards ceremony, where, after dinner, the three winning schools were announced. Each of the ten national finalist schools were awarded $50,000 in Samsung technology, and the top three winners each won a total of $100,000 in Samsung technology.

In addition to the student programs, this year marked the premiere of the first-ever Teacher’s Academy programming. These programs demonstrate the ways teachers can ignite a passion for S.T.E.M. in their classrooms through fun, educational, hands-on projects like the Hot Air Balloon experiment demonstrated by previous teacher contestants. A panel discussion took place to further explore ways to engage youth in S.T.E.M. education. Programs for the teachers were held at Samsung 837 and on the beautiful campus of Columbia University.

Empire was humbled to again collaborate with Samsung Solve for Tomorrow to produce the final events at Samsung 837, Columbia University, and the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum.

To see more of the students’ work, click the link below:

https://www.samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/

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Target once again called on Empire to produce their 2019 Financial Community Meeting. Target reported on their 2018 earnings and growth as well as their plans for the remainder of 2019 and beyond.

Doors were opened to guests an hour prior to the start of the meeting, giving them time to dine on a catered breakfast and mingle with their peers. Opening remarks were briefly given by John Hulbert, Target’s EVP of Investor Relations. John was followed by Target CEO, Brian Cornell, who spoke on the company’s successes and growth from the past year, as well as where he would be driving Target in the future. Brian was followed by CFO Cathy Smith and COO John Mulligan, who spoke on the investments Target has made and will make, ongoing innovations that build on the durable model they have created over the past two years, and improvements that have been made and will continue to be made to their guest fulfillment services. The presentation was brought to a close with Brian Cornell, once again, taking the stage to sum up what they had spoken on that morning and to reaffirm Target’s goals for the future.

Immediately following remarks by Cornell, Hulbert, Smith, and Mulligan, CNN tweeted a link to an article that commented ‘Target had its best year [in 2018] since 2005', which truly captured the feeling in the room.

After the presentation, Cornell remained onstage for a Q&A segment where guests were given the opportunity to personally interact with Cornell and all of the other Target Leadership Team.

Following the general attendee Q&A session, select media personnel were invited to enjoy a casual lunch spread followed by a more intimate on-the-record Q&A session between the media & Cornell.

In addition to the remarks given by the Target Leadership Team, Cornell participated in one-on-one interviews with CNBC, Bloomberg, and Yahoo! Finance to further discuss their successes.

Empire worked closely with the Target Creative team to bring the brand to life in a very sleek and modern aesthetic. Guests were seated in white chairs at white tables with a Target-red agenda for the meeting, adding a splash of color to the room. Empire also fabricated a custom-built, 5-foot high by 20-foot long frosted plexiglass stage scape with a white Target bullseye to act as the backdrop onstage.

In addition to the room and stage design, Empire managed all technical aspects of the program, as well as catering, venue logistics, and permitting.

Empire is proud to once again collaborate with Target, a Fortune 50 company, to create and execute this top-tier business communication event. ​

When BALMUDA, Japan’s award-winning appliance and computer accessories manufacturer, wanted to find ways to increase their awareness to the general public, Empire was called upon to deliver.

Held at the Daikanyama T-site Gallery, Empire created an intimate pop-up shop offering curious customers the opportunity to experience BALMUDA products. This included special announcements, workshops, and live talk-shows. The three-day pop-up attracted around 3,000 people.

Empire is a proven leader of executing innovative, consumer-facing brand marketing projects across the world.​

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Known as Asia’s largest global sports media property, ONE Championship, with the help of Empire, produced the “Nielsen Presents: A New Era of Sports in Japan” conference in Tokyo.

Held at the beautiful Palace Hotel, this invitation-only conference featured exclusive data and insights about the market from Nielsen, as well as a series of engaging keynotes and panel discussions on how top sports rights holders, media, technology, and brand executives are working to usher in a new era of sports to Japan. With Japan playing host to some of the world’s largest sporting events over the next couple of years, all eyes are on Japan as it takes front and center of the global sports stage.

After the conference, the venue was transformed to a gala dinner, bringing in World Champions athletes, celebrities, and VIP guests.

Empire is proud to produce business conferences for some of the world’s leading global sports media property worldwide.

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After a 10-year hiatus, Project Runway will return to Bravo revamped and better than ever with a new host, mentor, and judges. Airing it’s 17^th season premiere, this culturally iconic television show features 16 designers showcasing their talent for fashion design in a nail-biting reality experience not to be missed. Bravo Media called on Empire to produce a highly glamorous bash to welcome the show back to its originating network.  

The momentous premiere was celebrated by the show’s judges Karlie Kloss, Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, Elaine Welteroth, and Nina Garcia at Vandal in New York City. Drawing inspiration from the venue’s decor featuring world-renowned street artists, Empire designed five rooms with creative and bold activations for the 250 guests to explore. Upon entry, guests were immersed in a funhouse-inspired checkered room with Bravo’s Project Runway logo stretching across the wall in black and white. Once inside, a hallway of dress forms inspired by those used in the show drew guests into the main event spaces.

Red carpet festivities and guest arrivals were accompanied by custom stenciled cocktails and passed hors d’ouevres. A velvet curtain entrance to the next room revealed a runway with an eye-catching LED arch and floor-to-ceiling images of the judges. Among the activations were two live art performances; The Bumby’s anonymous “Fair and Honest Appraisal of Your Appearance,” and Once Upon a Laurén & Jen Mussari live-painted custom, branded make-up pouches.

Another room installation featured a full-size bar cart adorned in florals and foliage, the perfect backdrop for a celebrity and influencer photo op. The cart, surrounded by accessory walls filled with metallic heels, boxes, and notions, transported guests to the work room familiarly seen on the program.

In the main party room, guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres and food stations inspired by street food from Chile and Barcelona. DJ Hannah Bronfman kept the crowd dancing all night long, especially the contestants!

Before screening the never-before-seen clip of Season 17, NBC Universal Lifestyle Networks’ President, Frances Berwick, and new Project Runway host, Karlie Kloss, gave brief remarks about the show while guests continued the fun until the end of the night.

For more on Empire’s past work with Bravo Media, please click here.

Empire is a leading producer of premieres for television, motion picture, and other media and entertainment clients.

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When adidas Japan wanted to make a statement at Atmos Con, one of Japan’s largest sneaker conventions, they call upon Empire Japan to help design and execute the perfect booth experience.

Held at Hikarie Hall Shibuya, Atmos Con brought out thousands of sneakerheads for a multi-brand retail experience featuring some of the globes most coveted kicks. This included Nike Sportswear, Asics, Manhattan Portage, Fila, Puma, and Reebok Classics.

Using one of the brands most intriguing and exciting products, the “4D”, an installation was created featuring three separate sections of the product all divided by a mesmerizing LED glass partition. The three sections included the latest ZX4000 4D, Alphahedge 4D, and some of the previously released 4D models.

Empire Japan handled all aspects of production, producing yet another successful event with adidas Japan.