Our Work

Empire helped a private client present an unforgettable weekend ofheadline concert performances for family and friends at an undisclosedlocation on the coast of Montenegro and aboard a mega-yacht docked in theAdriatic Sea.

The first night’s concert showcased global guitar sensations Rodrigo y Gabriella, whose riveting acoustic duo set was as captivating as itwas mesmerizing. The pair of guitar wizards, who were raised on thrash metal inMexico City and who have performed at the White House and the GlastonburyFestival, rocked the audience for over an hour and concluded with an intimatejam circle with the audience sitting just inches away. Set at a beachside café, the stage was positionedbeneath a climbing hillside of olive groves that Empire lit to create a magicalsetting for the concert.

The second night was a dance party featuring a German groupcalled The Baseballs. The full band with several vocalists, dressed inperfect 1950s rockabilly attire, performed a series of energetic covers of songslike Rihanna’s “Umbrella” in the 1950s rock n’ roll style.

On the final evening, the client presented The Tenors onthe rear deck of a 200 ft yacht moored off the Coast. The quartet of polished vocalists serenaded theaudience with a mix of opera and pop music covers that left themspellbound by the fusion of music and the spectacular sunset views of the Montenegromountain range.

For this project, Empire secured all performers, handling international logistics with artists traveling fromthe UK, Mexico, Amsterdam, Germany, Canada and the United States, and overcamesignificant technical challenges to stage three flawless shows on thewaterfront and at sea.

Empire is the world’s leading producer of headlineentertainment for intimate audiences and bespoke, private concertexperiences. With a track record ofproductions in over 90 countries with many of the world’s most celebratedartists, Empire delivers the capability, experience and adaptability to surpassclient expectations throughout the world.

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​Kid Witness News, KWN, is a global video education program sponsored by Panasonic. The KWN program uses video production to stimulate creativity, build communication skills, and encourage teamwork among children in elementary and secondary schools.

This year the Global Awards Ceremony was held in Singapore, the first ever in Southeast Asia and during its 50th year of Independence. To ensure a smooth and successful event, Panasonic chose Empire Japan to serve as executive producer. Empire's role included venue selection, working with local production vendors and directing the overall look and feel of the Award Ceremony.

For this year, there were seven finalist schools from seven different countries including China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. After a full day of exploring Singapore (Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Gardens by the Bay, The Merlion) the main event was be the Awards Ceremony.

To commemorate its new theme “Sports”, the Awards Ceremony began with presentations from its Special Guests. Mr. Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower of Singapore, Mr. Ng Ser Miang, Member of the International Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Finance Commission, Mr. Duane Kale, Governing Board Member of the International Paralympic Committee and Mr. Mark Wallace, the Chief Content Officer of the Olympic Broadcasting Services.

The Awards Ceremony included awards presented by the special guests wirh Managing Director of Panasonic Asia Pacific, Mr. Toru Nishida presenting the Grand Prix to Montfort College in Thailand for their work “Blind’s Diary".

The following day, the finalist schools participated in an exciting workshop seminar conducted by the Chief Content Officer of the Olympic Broadcasting Services, Mr. Mark Wallace. Students learned about the long preparation period, the various cameras and techniques used to smoothly broadcast the Olympics.

Empire Japan was thrilled to help Panasonic produce yet another successful KWN Global Awards Ceremony.

For more information about Kid Witness News, please visit http://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/kwn.html

In late summer 2015, Empire was called upon to recommend and contract some of the most interesting keynote speakers in the world for an insurance company's annual incentive program. The client wanted someone to headline the slate who would not have been seen by their attendees before. Empire was quick to recommend Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner who was singled out and shot by the Taliban for her belief that Afghan girls (and women around the world) are entitled to an education. In a conversation moderated by former White House correspondent Ann Compton (also recommended by Empire), Malala inspired the attendees with her incredible story of surviving the shooting and how it only strengthened her resolve to fight for equal rights for women worldwide.

While Malala was a very tough act to follow, the following morning Empire delivered futurist Ray Kurzweil to address the conference guests. Called “the restless genius” by The Wall Street Journal and “the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes, Kurzweil wowed the audience with his predictions about artificial intelligence and the possibility that humans may soon be immortal due to exponential advances in technology. And to follow Kurzweil's fantastic thoughts on the triumphs of the human brain, Empire brought in Nando Parrado to amaze the attendees with the triumph of the human spirit. One of the survivors of the plane crash chronicled in the book and movie "Alive", Parrado told his story of walking 150 miles out of the Andes to save himself and many of his rugby teammates more than two months after the accident occurred.

Empire also arranged for CNN National Security Commentator Mike Rogers to talk about ISIS and other threats to US national security, as well as a political-economic debate between conservative economist, television personality, and newspaper columnist Lawrence Kudlow, and American economist Austan Goolsbee who served as the youngest member of President Obama's cabinet.

Empire recommends and contracts keynote speakers for special events around the globe, and is honored to have presented and produced luminaries such as Bill Gates, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Robert Redford, Kevin Spacey, several US Presidents including Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Ralph Lauren, and hundreds of others.

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On August 26, Empire presented two hit-packed performances by nine time Grammy Winner, Sheryl Crow, for a corporate audience at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Approximately 5,000 guests of all ages packed the house for the private shows by the country rocker.

The audience was on their feet as Sheryl and her six-member band performed her greatest hits including, “All I Wanna Do", "A Change Would Do You Good", “Soak Up The Sun", “Everyday is a Winding Road", "Strong Enough", and an amazing encore of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll".

Empire was responsible for proposing, negotiating, contracting, and advancing all logistical elements for Sheryl Crow. Empire Entertainment is a leading provider of talent for corporate events and celebrations around the world.

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In our 21 years of producing events at Empire Entertainment, we have workedwith an amazing array of artists and creators who inspire, motivate, provokeand enlighten, as well as entertain. We are now proud to announce the launch ofour artist management division, “Empire Artists”.

Over time we have developed a special affinity for a number of talentedindividuals in diverse fields, who change the ways we perceive time, space, andperformance, extending our experience of the world we live in through their individualartistry, without conforming to any creative genre or box.

Unique artists in their own right, we created Empire Artists to support themand bring their talents and mesmerizing skills to a wider world. Combining ourmanagement, organization and promotional expertise with their individual talentand thirst to challenge and explore, we aim to generate appropriateopportunities to bring their amazing art, learning, communication, andentertainment to a larger stage.

The common theme of Empire Artists is their ability to communicate a messagein a different way. To think bigger, explore boundaries, alter perceptions, andpuncture long-held conventions, connecting, intriguing and wowing audiencesone-on-one through to arena crowds, by transforming and integrating experiencesbeyond the reach of ‘normal’ creativity.

Much more than entertainment, our artists channel fields as diverse asadvanced technology to traditional music, thriving on expanding what ispossible in their specialist fields, driven by their individual creativity andsense of wonder.

Enjoy exploring, and if you would like to know more about any of our EmpireArtists and the experiences they create, or feel we could represent you, pleaseget in touch.

artist@empireentertainment.com

www.empireartists.jp​

​On July 24th, Empire Entertainment Japan celebrated its 10th anniversary. Empire Entertainment Japan threw an incredible party to thank all their great clients, partners and friends for helping Empire reach such an important milestone.

Guests ate, drank, and danced the night away at Tokyo Tower Studios, located just under famous Tokyo Tower. The 10th anniversary party featured performances by Mico, enra, DJ Yummy, and also debuted a massive Kinect-enabled preview of the largest giga-pixel image of Tokyo ever taken, produced in conjunction with Empire partner Fancam. On display were a number of awards Empire Entertainment Japan has received over their first 10 years and a movie screen-sized presentation of past Empire projects.

At the anniversary party, Empire announced the formation of Empire’s artist management group “Empire Artists”. While still newly launched, Empire is proud to already be representing such great artists as Alexa Meade, Tom Black, Circus of Now, enra, Han Ahn Soon, Kurt Wenner, Marco Tempest and Mico. The event also marked another milestone: the launch of www.empireartists.jp

Empire’s subsidiary Iroco Design Japan supplied the designer furniture for the event. You can view their imaginative selection here: www.irocodesign.jp

Partnering with Empire to bring together this amazing event were Meguro Kogei, Heart-S, Grid, Kyoeisha, Set-Up and Daiwa Act.

Empire Entertainment Japan would like to thank everyone for their support and looks forward to further supplying award-winning events, entertainment, and artists for many years to come.

On July 2, 2015, Empire had the great pleasure andhonor of producing the Independence Day celebration for Ambassador CarolineKennedy at the Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo.

The 1,200 person guest list included governmentrepresentatives, military officials, business leaders andcelebrities from America, Japan, and other countries around the world. Theguests enjoyed the refined atmosphere and tasteful decor that featured a red,white and blue color scheme inspired by the American flag. Beautifully decorated tents were set up in the gardens outside the residence foreveryone to enjoy music and the best of American cuisine. Entertainment included the Marine Color Corps Guard march, performances by the Army Brass Band, and the Japanese and U.S. National Anthems sung by jammin' Zeb.

Empire was honored to be a part of the 4^th ofJuly celebrations, creating the atmosphere for the most important event of thiskind in Japan.

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To celebrate the conclusion of the 2015 Waste Expo in Las Vegas, theleading waste removal company in the tristate area, Action Environmental Group,invited their partners, clients, and friends to a luxurious evening inside theChairman’s Salon at the Wynn Hotel.

The newly renovated space offered the perfect setting for thiselegant, supper-club-inspired affair. Against a backdrop of jazz standardsperformed by the female-led Groovin’ High Orchestra, guests were served world- class food & beverages, entertained by sleight of hand magicians, and hadthe opportunity to sample some of the world’s finest cigars.

As the evening drew to a close, friends, family, and a select fewclients made their way to a private poolside bungalow at Surrender, the chicnightclub at the Wynn Encore. Guests sipped on champagne as they danced intothe wee hours of the morning to the popular EDM duo Major Lazer.

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In conjunction with the imminent premiere of Bravo’s first comedy series, Odd Mom Out—a scripted series about New York City’s Upper East Side—Empire was asked to produce a private screening to showcase its premiere episode. Taking place at the Florence Gould Theater in midtown Manhattan, the event hosted approximately 200 guests and included red carpet festivities and a cocktail hour prior to the screening's start.

Attendees of the screening included the Odd Mom Out cast, Bravo executives, industry influencers, and television stars, all gathering to celebrate Bravo's first development in the scripted comedy space.

After the screening, all guests were driven to the after-party, held at the chic and elegant Casa Lever. Here, attendees were able to enjoy a beautiful New York City evening within both the venue’s indoor and outdoor spaces, enjoy Odd Mom Out-themed cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres. In the outdoor garden, a massive #ODDMOMOUT lighting and foliage display served as the backdrop, making for the perfect photo opportunity to commemorate the evening’s festivities.

DJs Natasha Diggs and Ankia kept the party grooving through a variety of dance tracks old and new. The party was still going strong well past midnight — the mark of a truly successful event.

Odd Mom Out officially premiered to the public on June 8th and has received glowing reviews from critics and fans. The show can be viewed on Bravo Monday nights at 10:00pm EST.

Empire is proud to work with our partners at Bravo Media to create and produce innovative premieres, marketing stunts and Upfront events.

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

For over 100 years, Partnership with Children has worked to“strengthen the emotional, social and academic skills of at-risk children tohelp them succeed in school, society and life.” The organization works withover 17,000 of New York City’s public school students in over 40 schools acrossall five boroughs. Many of Partnership with Children’s students are at highrisk of academic failure and dropping out of school.

To celebrate the organization’scommitment to youth education and gain further support for their mission,Partnership with Children partnered with Empire to produce their annual SpringGala. Taking place at threesixty in New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood, theGala included a cocktail reception, seated dinner and stage program includingexecutive remarks, honorees, performances and a live auction. The event’s leadsponsors included Marty and David Hamamoto, NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.,MacAndrews & Forbes, Royalty Pharma and Verizon Foundation.

Upon entering the venue, guestswere greeted into the cocktail reception through the sounds of a live jazztrio. Within the cocktail area, Empire designed fully branded Partnership withChildren vinyl graphics placed across the walls, enabling guests to educatethemselves on the organization’s work, story and commitment to improving thelives of New York City’s youth.

During the dinner, Partnershipwith Children honored Mark Dowley – Chief Strategy Officer, MacAndrews &Forbes, Marianne Gambelli, Executive Vice President and Chief InvestmentOfficer, Horizon Media and Kenneth Mortenson, who received the Anne VanderbiltAward for Leadership. Interspersed with inspiring video content produced byReelWorks, further remarks were made by Partnership with Children’s Executive Director,Margaret Crotty.

Renowned auctioneer CK Swett then tookto the stage in an effort to raise funds for Partnership with Children’sprograms. During the auction, former Partnership with Children student RickySaunders spoke about his experience with the organization, and their ability tohelp him graduate high school and become the first male in his family to attendcollege.

By the end of the evening, over$100,000 was raised in just five minutes, with $1.16 million in total fundsraised. To close out the night; a live funk/soul performance was provided byNew York City natives Herve Alexandre and the S.F. crew with the accompanimentof a live dance troupe.

Empire is honored to work withinspiring organizations such as Partnership with Children, and is proud toserve as a production partner to help raise awareness and funds toward theirimportant cause.

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For the 3rd consecutive year, Empire served as The Fragrance Foundation’s producer of the Fragrance industry’s premier event, the Fragrance Foundation Awards.

Held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the perfect early summer evening began with guest arrivals and a cocktail reception in Alice Tully Hall’s outdoor sunken plaza and soaring glass atrium. Amidst a series of walls artistically printed with striking images of honeybees, guests mingled and sipped champagne while VIPs walked the red carpet and posed for the press photographers in a separate tent on West 65th Street.

Once seated in Alice Tully Hall, the evening’s host, critically-acclaimed actor, producer and comedian, Alec Baldwin, kicked off the star-studded award program with both humor and elegance.

Notable program participants this year included Hall of Fame winner and Group President of The Estée Lauder Companies, John Demsey, as well as Lifetime Achievement Perfumer, Firmenich Master Perfumer, Annie Buzantian.

Rock singer Bryan Adams graced the audience with a performance of “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman,” and closed with a spectacular rendition of “Summer of 69.” Guests let out exuberant cheers and left in awe of his fantastic vocals and charismatic stage presence.

This year’s celebrity presenters included Johnny Weir, Jasmine Tookes, Taylor Hill, Prabal Gurung, Hilary Rhoda, Russell James, Sophia Bush, Kendall Jenner, Zachary Quinto, Anja Rubik, Sally Hershberger, Alexandra Richards, Danielle Brooks, Victor Cruz, Kellan Lutz and Emma Willis.

The dinner after party was held in the Alice Tully Hall atrium and outdoor plaza, creating the perfect summer night cocktail experience.

The evening ended with a sweets truck provided by Sweetery NYC distributing aromatic coffee and Fragrance Foundation gift bags filled with luxurious cosmetics and perfume.

The Fragrance Foundation Awards brings together virtually every luxury and consumer brand in the fragrance industry including Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Victoria’s Secret, Michael Kors, Givenchy, Elizabeth Arden, LVMH, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermes, Lancome, Zegna, Clinique and Gucci among others.

Empire is a leading producer of events and programs for the luxury brand industry, as well as a leading producer of award shows.

Empire congratulates all of the 2015 Fragrance Foundation Award winners.

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After several years of hostinga traditional gala, Petra Nemcova and the Happy Hearts Fund team decided to puta spin on their annual event. In June 2015, they called on Empire to producethe first annual Fight for Education martial arts fight night, presented byGlory (an international kickboxing promotional company) benefiting the HappyHearts Fund. This year’s event focused on helping Nepalese children and schools.

The matches, hosted andcurated by Glory, took place in the renowned Hammerstein Ballroom in New YorkCity. A theme of dramatic black and gold was carried out throughout the spacewith VIP lounge suites, complementary screen graphics, and gold boxing gloves placedthroughout.

The action-packed show waskicked off by internationally-acclaimed tenor James Valenti singing theNational Anthem. After the moving performance, Brian Kilmeade, New York Times bestselling author andhost of Fox New’s Channel’s Fox andFriends, welcomed the crowd and invited Petra to the ring.

After Petra graciouslythanked guests for their attendance, it was time to fight!

Announcer Conor Hall andauctioneer Patrick Tully took turns introducing the action: six bouts offighting and six live auction lots, including a meet and greet with fightingchampion Manny Pacquiao. As a compelling finale to the event, the last boutconsisted of lightweight champion Robin van Roosmalen defeating Steve Moxon.

Continuing the elevated “fightnight” experience, over 300 guests were treated to bar snacks of truffleparmesan dusted popcorn and double toasted pretzel rods and heartier offeringsincluding cowboy style ribeye steaks, Dijon roasted chicken, and sweet potatosteak fries, rounded out by passed desserts for a sweet finish, all catered byAbigail Kirsch.

Empire was proud to be apart of this creative fundraising event and is a leading producer ofnot-for-profit events globally.

To learn more about theHappy Hearts Fund, please visit www.happyheartsfund.org.

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When Toshiba America sought to commemorate the milestone of its 50thanniversary in the United States, they turned to Empire to help them design andexecute the perfect celebration.

Held in the R Lounge of the Renaissance Hotel overlooking both TimesSquare and Toshiba’s massive Toshiba Vision LED billboard, which is viewed by millionsduring the annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, this intimate event hosted VIP customers and senior Toshiba leadership from across America.

Empire’s knowledge and experience serving Japanese clients through both itsNew York and Tokyo headquarters, along with our familiarity with presentingevents to C-level business audiences made us the perfect partner for thislaunch.

Empire’s design team transformed the R Lounge space into a ToshibaAmerica branded environment. Guests were welcomed by a series of hostesses whogreeted guests, checked them in on Toshiba tablets and led them to aphoto receiving line with senior Toshiba America executives.

Inside the reception, the VIP guests enjoyed premium sake, wine andcocktails and passed delicacies while interacting with displays showcasing thebreadth and scope of Toshiba’s products, including a solar-powered hydrogengenerator which creates clean energy to power homes and businesses. Allof the showcases demonstrated Toshiba’s Leading Innovation under the banner of“Human Smart Community”— a concept that speaks to technological advance whilemaintaining commitment to human values and sustainability.

A 60-second countdown played on Toshiba Vision LED billboard and monitorsthroughout the space indicating it was time for guests to move into the R Loungeoverlooking a busy Times Square at sunset. Cyber Illusionist Marco Tempest tookthe stage as the evening’s emcee and welcomed a series of speakersincluding Masaaki Osumi, Chairman & CEO, Toshiba America, TaizoNishimuro, Adviser to the Board Toshiba Corporation, Richard Parsons, SeniorAdvisor Providence Equity, Scott Maccabe, President of Toshiba America BusinessSolutions and His Excellency, Reiichiro Takahashi, Ambassador & ConsulGeneral of Japan to the United States.

At the conclusion of remarks, Marco took the stage and performed aseries of illusions entitled “Anniversary” in which he used augmented realityand other technologies to make magic for the audience. As a finalé to the stageprogram, Marco invited two audience members to join him onstage. Next he calledout to the audience to shout out their own lucky numbers, which he then wroteonto a board for all to see. The audience volunteers then added up the numberson Marco’s board and read the number aloud: 201563. When Marco asked if thatnumber had any special meaning, he then inserted a comma showing that the numberwas actually the day’s date: June 3, 2015 and the date of Toshiba’s 50th Anniversary.The audience was even more amazed when Marco gestured to theToshiba Vision Billboard, displaying the same number in agrand reveal moment.

Following the performance, guests remained in the glass-enclosed RLounge and enjoyed cocktails while watching their candid photos appear on theToshiba Vision billboard overlooking Times Square.

Empire is proud to serve Toshiba America on this occasion of its 50thAnniversary. Empire has had presence in Japan and Asia and for over two decadesand we opened our Tokyo office over 10 years ago, allowing us to serve bothAsia-based clients around the world as well as to support global businesseswith their events and projects throughout Asia.

Empire recently partneredwith Radical Media to produce a sensorial exhibit for a luxury fragrance brand.From May 5-17, the exhibit, located in New York City’s Meatpacking District,brought visitors on a journey through the creation, cultivation, composition,abstraction and revelation of the renowned fragrance.

Throughout its two-weeklong lifespan, the experience hosted over 13,000 visitors and became a trendingtopic across numerous social media channels, press outlets and among fashion,retail and luxury brand industry influencers.

Approaching the venuefrom the street, guests came face-to-face with a massive LED wall that wrappedaround the venue’s busy corner at 10thAvenue& 14thStreet. Once inside, guests were greeted by impeccably dressed hostswho informed them about the brand’s history and the immersive experience ahead.

Guests interacted with aseries of experiences representing five chapters of the fragrance: Creation,Cultivation, Composition, Abstraction and Revelation. These five chapters wererepresented by a series of beautiful mosaics, reflecting pools of water atopLED video surfaces, interactive soundscapes, an anamorphic, touch sensitivelight sculpture and a scent experience.

Upon completing theexperience, guests were ushered into the Social Lounge, where they couldcustomize and mail their own postcards and sample a variety of fragrances.

Empire was responsiblefor managing guest experience and all front of house logistics throughout theevent, ensuring that each and every guest’s experience met the brand’s highstandards. Empire also hired, trained and managed the staff of hosts torepresent the brand for the entirety of the exhibit.

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Screenvision is the nation’s leading seller ofin-theater advertising, providing marketers and brands the opportunity topresent their message on motion picture screens across America. During the 2015Upfront season, Screenvision sought to differentiate its value proposition tokey advertisers with a memorable experience that communicated a simple message:that the ideal atmosphere of movie theaters, coupled with superior audiencedemographics yield maximum impact for advertisers.

Working with Empire, Screenvision’s Upfront event, entitled “Lights!Camera! Impact!” took the company’s annual presentation out of theexpected movie theatre setting and into a transformed Skylight at Moynihan Station.

The evening began with guests entering through a movietheater “lobby,” complete with animated movie posters on screens supplied byChristie Digital and a concession stand with branded popcorn boxes and soda. Nextthey were escorted into a re-creation of a movie theater for a presentationgiven on the best advertiser medium available: a large, immersive movie screen. After compelling remarksby Screenvision executives, EVP of National Sales, Katy Loria, and SVP of SalesChristine Martino, Loria closed by telling guests that “now it’s YOUR chance toget into the movies.” At that exact moment, drapes were pulled back by ushersto reveal a full working soundstage behind the screen with three busymovie sets, complete with actors, directors and crew, costumes, props andscripts.

To demonstrate the impact that only cinema advertising can deliver, Screenvision invited audience members to physically become a part of themovies with guests choosing from three sets: the western-themed Perfect Posse, a superhero-themed Maximum Impact and the last representingthe sci-fi genre with Ultimate Atmosphere.The next day, guests were emailed their final “movies” which had been editedovernight to include an opening title sequence and sound effects.

Working closely with Screenvision's marketingand creative team, Empire conceived of this innovative way to tell Screenvision’sstory and to provide an immersive experience. To keep the Upfront messagingcohesive and on brand, the three themes were represented throughout the event,including in the movie trailers, posters, photo booth green screen backdrops, sets,drink menus, food stations, and all supporting graphics.

Empire was responsible for all event details including conceptideation, venue acquisition, layout and set design, staging, sound, lighting, graphics,furnishings, carpet, catering, technical production, casting, costuming, andmovie script development.

Empire is a leading producer of innovative Upfronts,Newfronts, and other mission critical business-to-business events.

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The Cannes Film Festival is considered the most prestigious filmfestival in the world. Held annually in Cannes, France, it celebrates thefinest works of film and has been a catalyst in launching the careers of someof the greatest artists of our generation.

At the Cannes Film Festival 2015, movie fans saw Dheepan takehome the Palme d’Or, but attendees and those watchingat home also caught a glimpse of the Empire produced performance group enraperforming their new piece “FILMS” during the closing ceremony. The Japan-based group created the piece specifically forthe Cannes Film Festival and worked diligently crafting their performance for theevent, which became a muchtalked about attraction at the festival.

Empire was honored to be a part of the Cannes Film Festivalduring its 2015 closingceremony, producing enra’s new piece that was performed infront of some of film’s greatest talents including the Coenbrothers and Guillermo delToro.

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Every other year, the New Museum, Manhattan's museum solely dedicated to contemporary art, celebrates a meeting of the cultural and urban minds with their IDEAS CITY Festival. This year's theme, "The Invisible City", was inspired by the Italo Calvino novel Invisible Cities and included a series of thought-provoking talks, solutions, and unique ideas in the quest to bring light to the otherwise unseen.

On the first day of the festival, the IDEAS CITY Conference included world-renowned visionaries' takes on the theme through a series of keynotes, panels, in-depth discussions, and screenings at Cooper Union's Great Hall. Speakers included political activist Lawrence Lessig, Micah White of Occupy Wall Street fame, and a mayoral panel with Annise Parker (Houston), Carmen Yulín Cruz (San Juan), and Svante Myrick (Ithaca) to name a few. The Conference concluded with a keynote from Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Honorable Julián Castro.

Day two utilized NoLIta's Old St. Patrick's Cathedral Basilica and Aula (aka "the old gym"). In the Basilica, the Municipal Art Society, Architizer: Pitching the City presented five original projects representing the next big idea for cities, followed by a late-night screening of The Dent by Basim Magdy. In the Aula, a Performative Conference in Nine Acts ensued with an unforgettable opening by Jordi Enrich Jorba wherein guests entered through a repurposed hot-air balloon. The night commenced with Bob Holman emceeing an evening of spoken word by artists like Penny Arcade, dance battles by Battlefest, and immersive video and sound installations by Ursula Scherrer.

Empire was honored to partner in the Museum's third year of the Conference and first-ever Performative Conference. Empire's support included technical and stage management of both the Cooper Union's Great Hall and St. Patrick's Cathedral, oversight of set design and construction, sound, lighting, video playback and technical direction. Empire also managed talent logistics for Friday's event and creative support.

IDEAS CITY is a showcase example of Empire's capability to act as a partner on all types and sizes of programs, including multiple-day festivals.

For more information on IDEAS CITY, visit www.ideas-city.org.

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Empire produced the Architizer A+Awards at Highline Stages in NYC on Thursday, May 14, 2015. Now in its third year, The Architizer A+Awards are the definitive global architectural award program with more than 90 categories and over 300 judges. The gala event in New York City is the signature architectural event during the city’s design week, NYCxDesign, and right before the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). Comprising diverse and innovative global projects from starchitects to emerging firms, this year’s winners represent the best new architecture, interiors, and products. A highly-esteemed jury of industry leaders including Yves Béhar, Paola Antonelli, Liz Diller, Joseph Altuzarra, David Rockwell, Rem D. Koolhaas, and Ian Schrager selected the five finalists in each category.

The ceremony was hosted with charisma and charm by John Gidding from HGTV's "Curb Appeal: The Block", and kicked off with a phenomenal and impassioned speech about the Architecture industry by Architizer CEO Marc Kushner. This year's biggest winner was Reiulf Ramstad Arkiitekter, which was named Firm of the Year, and other special achievement awards were presented to SsD, LEGO, 14+ Foundation, and August, among others. Guests entered the spectacular, industrial-style space to a red carpet and step & repeat welcome, where event sponsor Cadillac showed off one of its spectacular new models, the 2016 CT6. Once inside the main space, guests enjoyed cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres while enjoying the ambient music played by DJ Javier Peral. Prior to the awards ceremony, attendees also enjoyed watching an extraordinary demonstration of the superb artistry and technical mastery of a watchmaker from Audemars Piguet Luxury Watches.

Empire is a premier producer of some of the world's most prestigious award ceremonies, including The Webby Awards, The Gotham Awards, The Fragrance Foundation Awards, and was honored to be chosen as Architizer's production partner for the 2015 Architizer A+Awards.

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Empire produced 19th Annual Webby Awards on May 18, 2015. This marked the 11th consecutive year Empire has partnered with Recognition Media on the annual event, which celebrates excellence on the Internet and famously limits winners to acceptance speeches of just five words.

"This is the only awards show where the descriptions of the awards are longer than the speeches," said comedian and host Hannibal Buress.

As usual, the show included some funny and irreverent moments, such as when Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper accepted for Best Actress and used her five words to say, "So excited. Live-streaming my pants." Or when Chelsea Peretti, accepting for Outsanding Comedic Performance quipped, "The Internet must be stopped."

The ceremony had its more serious touches as well. "Create change, like a girl," said account executive Shaina Holtz, accepting the Agency of the Year award on behalf of Leo Burnett Toronto. And in a heartfelt tribute to the late New York Times media columnist David Carr, CNN's Brian Stelter closed with: "David, thank you for the spice."

But the standing ovation on this evening was reserved for Pat Quinn, ALS patient and co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Quinn, who was introduced by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, accepted the Special Achievement Award and proved once again that five words can be enough to bring the house down when he said: "Every August until a cure."

Empire is honored to be the production partner for The Webby Awards for more than a decade running, and enjoys producing other award ceremonies including the Fragrance Foundation Awards and The Architizer A+ Awards.

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Empire had the honor of producing the 8th annual Internet Week New York Festival once again, which featured an array of events around New York City from May 18-21, 2015. Event headquarters was positioned at the Metropolitan Pavilion for the third consecutive year.

With more than 10,000 visitors over the week and dozens of companies represented, the space was organized to create separate, yet still cohesive, spaces in which to provide concurrent content. Two stages were sponsored by yp.com and USA Today / Gannett, a classroom was sponsored by The Trade Desk, and a lounge was furnished by official design partner, Design Within Reach.

Empire oversaw the Festival headquarters from conception to completion, coordinating registration for the thousands of guests, stage management and producing all of the presentations in the theater and on both HQ stages, and managing all event sponsors from the design of their spaces to all of their needs from load in to load out.

Empire is a leading producer of trade events, expos and event marketing / presence marketing installations with extensive experience in the technology industry.

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One recent Saturday evening, Empire produced what we've named “The Night of 3 Ls”: three separate events in one evening featuring Lenny Kravitz in Boca Raton, Lionel Richie in Miami, and Ludacris in New York City.

At the Boca Raton Resort & Club, Lenny Kravitz took the stage with his band in front of a corporate audience of more than 1,200 and performed an hour-long set that included hits such as “American Woman,” “Fly Away,” “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over” and “Let Love Rule". The highlight of the show came when the entire audience, wearing RFID bracelets that lit up in time to the music, danced with their arms in the air.

At the same time at the Miami Epic Hotel, one of our clients was delivering a heartfelt toast to his wife on the occasion of her birthday in front of a gathered group of friends and family. At the end of his toast he turned to reveal the evening’s biggest surprise— a private concert by Lionel Richie and his trio with his hits including “Hello", “Easy”, ”Brick House”, “All Night Long” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” The audience danced the entire set and joined Lionel for a meet & greet after the show.

Finally, back in NYC, Empire delivered an extremely special, private concert with Screen Actors Guild, Critic's Choice, MTV, and Grammy Award winner, Ludacris. As soon as the kabuki curtain dropped, and the special guest was revealed and the birthday girl was treated to the concert of her life. As the show began, guests flocked to the front of the stage where Ludacris, performed a 45-minute greatest hits set including “Pimpin’ All Over the World,” “Move B*tch,” “What’s Your Fantasy,” “Get Back,” “Money Maker,” and “Stand Up.” At the end of the performance, Ludacris led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" as the cake was brought out. Following the show, Ludacris took part in a meet & greet with the family and the guest-of-honor’s closest friends.

Empire’s robust team of headline entertainment producers and global technical production capabilities made it possible to present all three of these demanding concert events flawlessly to very satisfied clients.

Empire is the world's leading producer of headline musical entertainment for private and corporate events.

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SONY Pictures’ digital entertainment network, Crackle, once again partnered with Empire to produce their 2015 TV Upfront— an annual presentation to advertisers and media. With an exciting lineup of both new, original programming and returning series, Crackle had much to talk about.

The Upfront took place at the beautiful Hudson Theater in the heart of Times Square, and opened with welcome remarks by SONY Pictures Television’s President of Worldwide Networks, Andy Kaplan.

Next up, an opening video featuring Michael Richards as Dick Corcoran, a fictitious Crackle executive, led to a surprise reveal of comedian Jerry Seinfeld who took the stage to talk about his Crackle series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee".With over 100 million streams on Crackle, the Emmy Award-nominated series’ sixth season will feature a star-studded cast including Bill Maher, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Steve Harvey, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah (the newly named “Daily Show” host) and Jim Carrey.

SONY Picture’s Television’s EVP of Digital Networks, Eric Berger, then took the stage, emphasizing that “Crackle is a smart complement to TV buying that offers you a valuable new audience, a groundbreaking TV-like experience and ad solutions you cannot find anywhere but here.”

Crackle Senior Vice President of Digital Media Sales, James Smith, also appeared on the program stating “With TV reimagined, we’ve overhauled

the old online metrics for engagement. The fact is, most people don’t click on ads, so why use this as the standard for streaming TV? We believe attention and viewbility are much better measures for TV advertising.”

Eric Berger then presented Crackle’s programming slate accompanied by many of Crackle’s biggest stars and show runners including Seth Green, Dennis Quaid and Kate Bosworth.

Among the many announcements of the day, Crackle also announced that it had produced the first ever made-for-digital sequel to a major motion picture and David Spade and Brittany Daniels came on stage to introduce “Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser.”

To close the star-studded event, country hip hop star ‘Colt Ford’ took the stage to perform the hit ‘Diggin’ which is featured on the Joe Dirt 2 soundtrack, in front of a giant projection screen running scenes from the film.

In addition to securing the venue, designing the spaces, managing event logistics, catering and stage managing the complex program, Empire provided all staging and technical production support.

Empire continues to set the industry standard for producing outstanding presentations for clients seeking to communicate their mission, motivations and value proposition to key customers. Empire is proud to have served SONY Pictures Television and Crackle for their Upfront.

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Founded in 1991 byJames Houghton, Signature Theatre is the first theater company to devote anentire season to the work of a single playwright. By championing in-depthexplorations of a living playwright’s body of work, the Company delivers anintimate and immersive journey into the playwright’s singular vision. Nownearly a quarter century old and housed in a spectacular Frank Gehry-designedtheatre on West 42nd Street, Signature is among the world’s mostinfluential theater organizations.

Signature onceagain called upon Empire to help produce their annual gala and create anext-level experience through elevated design, a compelling program andflawless execution, all while showcasing their beautiful venue.

This year’s gala paidtribute to playwright and director Tina Landau and philanthropists andlong-time donors John and Amy Griffin. The stage program’s presenters includedEdward Norton and Bill Irwin, ensuring that the presentation was not onlyimpactful and meaningful, but hilariously entertaining as well.

After guests checkedin at the theatre's main entrance on West 42nd Street and VIPs walked the redcarpet, they ascended the staircase to discover the lobby transformed into aformal affair.

Balancing the need topresent an elegant evening without challenging the existing design of thevenue, Empire used linens in a palate of mixed hues of blue and aubergine andcrisp white flowers, complementing the impressive woodpaneling abundant in the space. Thematic event lighting also helped transformthe space for this special night.

During twosimultaneous pre-dinner receptions, guests chatted and enjoyed an array ofcocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while live music provided by classical guitarist,Michael Sheridan, added to the experience. As dinner commenced, guests were guidedto their seats by an accordion performance and song, courtesy of Shaina Taub.

Executive DirectorErika Mallin and Founding Artistic Director James Houghton spoke, followed by amusical tribute in honor of Tina Landau, featuring a medley of compositions fromTina’s shows accompanied by composer Tom Kitt.

Edward Nortonintroduced John and Amy Griffin, citing their many philanthropic endeavors andcontributions to Signature Theatre. To demonstrate the impact of the Griffins’influence on children’s artistic development, child prodigy violinist ClaudiusAgrippa wowed the crowd with his performance of Vieuxtemps violin concerto No.5.

Empire is proud toserve Signature Theatre and to support a variety of leading arts organizationsas producers of their fundraising events.

For more informationon how to support the Signature Theatre, please visit: http://www.signaturetheatre.org/

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Social media has taken over the Internet, making it easierthan ever to share content with friends, family, fans and the general webuniverse. It has broken down the barriers to fame, leveling the playing fieldfor creative individuals to build remarkable audiences. The Shorty Awards honorthe best individuals and organizations on social media, recognizing thoseproducing remarkable content on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram,Vine, and the rest of the social web.

SNL’s Rachel Dratch hosted the 7^th Annual ShortyAwards this year when it returned to The TimesCenter on Monday, April 20. Theprogram kicked off with an opening video that followed Rachel’s pre-show preproutine culminating in a special visit to the master MC himself, Alec Baldwin.The Shortys uniquely gathers Hollywood and Internet celebrities alike withpresenters ranging from Bella Throne, Bill Nye, Emily Kinney and Lucy Devito,to Tyler Oakley, Thomas Sanders and Jimmy Tatro. Some of the night’s bigwinners included Taylor Swift, Hannibal Burress, Conan O’Brien, NASA, BrandonBowen, Jerome Jarre, Michelle Phan and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Following Wyclef Jean’s presentation of Best Band award to HAIM,he introduced a special performance by Panic! At The Disco. The band performedtheir hit “Miss Jackson” and debuted live their newest single “Hallelujah.”However, the best surprise of the night was the acceptance of Best Emoji of theYear by Poop himself! He even stuck around for selfies at the afterparty.

During the live-streamed ceremony, the program was simulcastto a separate viewing party downstairs where guests were able to network whileenjoying the delicious caterings of Cleaver and Co. Once again, Makers Mark andHeineken sponsored the bar and this year Baked by Melissa provided a unique andyummy Shorty branded cupcake whale tail installation. Throughout the event,brand and organization winners were welcome to accept their trophies on a speciallydesignated gallery stage where they were could record their acceptance speechesas well.

Following the event, all guests continued the celebrationheading to URBO for a wild after party. Congratulations to all the individualand industry winners this year!​

The quintessential backdrop of crystal blue waters and blond beaches of Aruba served as the backdrop to an incentive program rewarding an international top performing global sales team. The perfect headline entertainment for the island vibe: the 1.5 million album-selling, blockbuster movie-scoring, sold out worldwide-touring, White House performing, international sensation, Rodrigo y Gabriela.

On Saturday, April 18, a warm and breezy Caribbean night, attendees and their spouses mingled on the private lawn of Aruba’s Ritz Carlton to witness the dynamic duo. Once onstage, their music – an upbeat hybrid of rock, nuevo flamenco with a heavy metal flare – did not disappoint. While mostly original and instrumental, the dynamic performance included a few covers, like Radiohead’s Creep. Following the performance, Rodrigo y Gabriela graciously greeted and talked with VIPs, taking photos.

For this incentive program, Empire worked closely with SWIFT Smart Solutions. SWIFT is a leading producer of large-scale meetings, events and training development for it’s corporate clients and Empire has enjoyed a solid collaboration with SWIFT for over a decade. Empire identified the best possible talent candidates, negotiated the performance contract, and facilitated the production and logistics plan to support the concert while SWIFT handled all technical production, as well as the spectacular Aruba venue selection and design.

Empire is a leading provider of headline entertainment for international corporate meetings and events and is deeply experienced in overcoming the challenges of presenting headline entertainment outside of the US.

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Empire is often asked what band we think is the "next big thing". When one of the world's leading technology companies asked us just that in 2014, we delivered Jason Derulo before he was a household name. As the followup in March 2015, Empire recommended and contracted Neon Trees, who had the crowd on their feet throughout their high-energy set. Hits such as "Sleeping With a Friend", "Everybody Talks", and "Animal" had the attendees screaming for more. And we predict there will be much more from this band, indeed.

Empire is one of the world's leading provider of headline talent for special events. Whether our clients need a classic artist or a current cutting-edge performer, we pride ourselves on being able to quickly identify the artists who fit your budget as well as your audience demographics.