Our Work

On May 14, 2014 Conduit Mobile came to NYC to re-launch as Como- the world’s leading do-it-yourself mobile app-creation platform. With customers ranging form mom and pop shops to global powerhouses like Amazon, Como powers over 600,000 mobiles apps with over 3,500 new businesses joining every day.

The Como Summit brought together 200 of the smartest minds in tech alongside the savviest minds in business to the tech-centric IAC Building. The morning was filled with informational panels focused on how to help small businesses make a big impact, featuring speakers from Como, Amazon, Booker, Yext, Etsy and the City of New York, to name a few. Taking place during National Small Business Week, Como partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration to livestream the program to viewers worldwide.

From registration to partner expo to stage program, the entire event was designed with a “small business, big moment” look and feel. We drew inspiration from the classic Main Street America aesthetic, building custom storefronts with awnings and hedges for the expo area to help create the small business, suburban feel. Pinch Food Design catered, bringing in their ever-creative food stations with a special deck interaction, rotisserie and spinning salad bar that helped bridge the space from expo to conference area. The immersive 120’ long video wall welcomed guests to the stage program, upgrading from the small town feel to a more techy, modern and edgy environment.

The conference provided a great opportunity to educate and network with potential partners, demonstrating Como to be an amazing resource for SMBs to reach and engage their clients in more meaningful ways. We were honored to be able to help celebrate the launch and in the words of the client, become “one of the team.”

May 19, 2014, marked the 10th consecutive year that Empire has produced The Webby Awards— the internet's most important annual event. This year, web achievements by celebrities including Taylor Schilling, De La Soul, and the Jamaican Bobsled Team were celebrated alongside accomplishments of Lawrence Lessig and VICE Media.

Empire produced the 18th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC, where attendees first mingled and enjoyed Cipriani’s famed Bellinis and passed hors d’oeuvres during a perfect Spring cocktail reception.

Patton Oswalt was uproarious as host for the third straight year, opening by asking the guests to stop looking at the internet on their phones so that he could talk to them about the internet.

But as always, it was the Webbys renowned five-word acceptance speeches that stole the show. Some winner’s speeches were funny, such as Ylvis (who were behind the “What Does the Fox Say?” song and video), who simply said, “We came for free food,” while others proved that five words are enough to say something more profound, such as VGNC’s Executive Producer who exclaimed, "Peace and glory to Ukraine!"

One of the more interesting moments of the night came when Bansky was named the Webby Person of the Year by the legendary godmother of punk, Patti Smith. Unwilling to appear publicly, Banksy had Patton Oswalt open a golden envelope with his 5-word acceptance speech. However, the card inside appeared to have been censored, leading Patton to say, “Oh….somebody painted over it”. Whether that was the elusive artist’s five-word speech was anybody’s guess.

Perhaps for the first time ever, the best speech of the night was not from a winner, and was not limited to five words. After the audience was treated to a stunning video celebrating the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web, Charlie Rose took the stage and introduced the man who invented the Web itself, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. He made a moving, passionate, and poignant call to action for Web leaders everywhere to continue creating the fabric of the Web, person-by-person, idea-by-idea. The audience leapt to their feet when Lee closed by saying he only needed three words to explain whether the Web would continue to stay free for all people everywhere: “Up….To…Us!”

The Webby is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, The 18th Annual Webby Awards received 12,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states and generated nearly one billion media impressions worldwide. Empire is honored to have partnered with Recognition Media on the event since 2005.

Empire had the honor of producing the 7th annual Internet Week New York festival once again, which featured an array of events around New York City from May 19 to 22, 2013. Event headquarters was positioned at the Metropolitan Pavilion and the Altman Building for the second consecutive year, after a brief hiatus from those spaces in 2012.

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

Looking to keep things fresh, sponsors brought in a variety of interesting activities this year, including KBS’s “Inside the Internet” experience, consisting of a single-person unit where individuals spun around in a holographic box with confetti and music, Evolve’s nail art station offering free manicures and custom art, and SheKnows offering samples of gourmet popcorn and juices.

Highlights of the week included:

· The welcome address presented by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who discussed the role of technology within the city.

· A keynote presentation by VICE News, moderated by VICE News Editor-in-chief Jason Mojica with input from participants Richard Wolffe, CIP and Executive Editor at MSNBC.com, Duy Ling Tu, Professor and Director of Digital Media at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and Justine Simons, Senior Producer at the New York Times.

· Webby Sessions which included a conversation between Eva Chen, Editor-in-Chief of Lucky Magazine and David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards – covering Eva’s experience with brands like Elle, Vogue, Vogue China, and Teen Vogue. The content focused on the evolution of fashion, beauty, and retail in the digital age.

· Chrissy Teigen—celebrity Tweeter, blogger, super model, and Sports Illustrated Cover Model—speaking with Cosmopolitan.com’s editor and sharing her thoughts on the impact of social media on the community of millennial women.

· A live performance by the Blogologues, a live sketch comedy show, in which the internet is performed verbatim by an ensemble of actors, which was met with hysterical laughter by the audience.

Following a similar pattern as past years, the event took over two separate spaces to accommodate longer presentations and conferences. Taking place in the Altman Building, MediaPost held two day-long conferences, OMMA Native and OMMA Social. AdAge's Marketing and Technology Summit rounded out the third and final day.

Empire oversaw the 7th Annual Internet Week New York 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 process for their space and 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 industries.

On April 10, 2014, Empire presented R&B/pop sensation Jason Derulo for a telecommunications giant in South Beach, Florida. Nearly 1,000 guests packed legendary Miami nightclub Mansion for the private performance. Jason was a surprise to the attendees until the CEO started dropping clues about the mystery artist……. over 30 Million Singles Sold Worldwide…..over 1 Billion Views and counting on YouTube…….7 top-10 US Radio Singles in the Top 40 Format….. 17 Million Social Media Fans and Followers. The crowd was already in a frenzy when Jason hit the stage, launching immediately into his smash hit "In My Head". Backed by an electric hype-man and DJ, as well as four dancers, Derulo broke out other hits such as "Riding Solo", "Marry Me", "Watcha Say", and the "Other Side".

But the highlight of the night came when Jason's hype man announced that the next song in the set was currently the #1 song in the nation on the Billboard Top 40. Derulo then broke into "Talk Dirty To Me" which the crowd sang along to word-for-word. Derulo was also playful and interactive with the audience, even inviting some attendees onstage for an impromptu dance contest before playing "Wiggle", the next single to be dropped from his new album, and featuring Snoop Dogg.

Aside from booking and coordinating the performance, Empire also arranged for Derulo to sign 50 CDs and participate in a meet and greet with the client's VIPs prior to the show.

On April 23rd, 2014, The Africa Center invited an intimate group of VVIP supporters to experience the “Lagos Lounge” — a very special evening of African culture, music and food, presented to cultivate major donors for their capital campaign to complete the Africa Center on Fifth Avenue in Harlem.

The small group of guests arrived at the most unique of settings and one of New York’s best-kept secrets: a private, 100-year-old Vaudeville Theater and hidden architectural gem on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Unbeknownst to passersby, the Theater is only accessible through a small residential building’s common laundry room. Guests entered the building completely unaware that the unremarkable street entrance would lead them into an eye-opening concert hall.

After lying forgotten as a mannequin storage attic for decades, the cavernous space was lovingly restored by an Academy Award-nominated composer into a world-class recording studio. Today the soaring ceilings and wooden stage are adorned with vintage musical instruments, a cast iron & glass goldfish tank and architectural lighting that create a warm yet haunting environment. Due to the room’s impressive ambiance, candles and old music were all that were needed to set the mood of the evening.

Africa Center Board Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton opened the evening with welcome remarks addressing the important role that The Africa Center will play in the coming years as Africa continues to grow in wealth, influence and cultural significance. Clinton then invited guests to become part of the founding membership program.

Hadeel Ibrahim, the Africa Center Board co-chair, also spoke about the promise of the Africa Center before introducing Tanzania-born British architect David Adjaye who in turn introduced the evening’s first musical artist - East African singer/ songwriter SOMI. SOMI awed the audience with her powerful voice and evocative songs, reminiscent of the music of Sade and Nina Simone.

With just a quick intermission to change the stage over and to refill drinks, Fab 5 Freddy, the long-time host of “YO! MTV Raps” introduced the next and final performer for the evening – Morocco’s Hassan Hakmoun. Hakmoun and his 5-piece group had the audience, which included notable figures like Tom Freston, Jean Pigozzi, Susan Sarandon and Carrie Lowell, on their feet.

Empire helped secure the impossible-to-rent space, brought in Creative Edge to cater and provided both production and design for this event. We were thrilled to curate this evening of international talent and African flavors to facilitate awareness of the Africa Center.

Signature Theatre called upon Empire to help produce their annual gala and create a next-level experience through elevated design, a compelling program and flawless execution, all while showcasing their beautiful new Frank Gehry-designed theatre. With a ceremony paying tribute to theatre artist Ruben Santiago-Hudson and 108th New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, alongside presenters including Edward Norton and John Oliver, the stage presentation was not only impactful and meaningful, but hilariously entertaining as well.

After guests checked in at the theatre's main entrance on West 42nd Street and VIPs walked the red carpet, they ascended the staircase to discover the lobby, traditionally used as a place to mingle prior to a show, transformed into a formal affair.

Balancing the need to design an elegant evening without challenging the existing design of the venue, we used a palate of steel grays, textured linens, and crisp white flowers, all of which complemented the impressive wood paneling abundant in the space. Specialty and thematic event lighting also helped transform the space for this special night.

During the two simultaneous pre-dinner receptions, guests chatted and prepared for the dinner and stage presentation while being served an array of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while live music provided by Graham Keir of Hire Juilliard Performers enhanced the experience. As dinner commenced, guests were welcomed by Executive Director Erika Malin and Gala Co-Chairs Edward Norton and Leslie Bains. Founding Artistic Director James Houghton honored theatre artist Ruben Santiago-Hudson not only for his work in theatre, but also for his personal contributions to Signature Theatre. Comedian and actor John Oliver of HBO's “Last Week Tonight” roasted Bloomberg, bringing down the house with laughter, and also thanked him for his contributions to the success of the Signature Theatre.

Empire is proud to have served Signature Theatre and to support a variety of leading arts organizations as producer of their annual gala events.

Each year TIME publishes the TIME 100: a list of the 100 most influential people in the world. To celebrate this highly anticipated release, 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 recognized as one of the world’s most high profile annual events and for the 6th consecutive year Empire was proud to serve as the event’s producer. The 2014 TIME 100 Gala took place at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Participants and performers at this year’s TIME 100 included Carrie Underwood, Pharrell Williams, Seth Meyers, Governor Scott Walker, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Alfonso Cuarón, Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Megyn Kelly, as well as Time Warner Chairman and CEO, Jeff Bewkes, Time Inc. CEO, Joe Ripp, and Managing Editor of TIME, Nancy Gibbs.

The TIME 100 was also attended by a global who’s who of icons from industry, culture, sports, fashion and politics. Some of those in attendance this year included Amy Adams, Katie Couric, Rand Paul, Rupert Murdoch, Barbara Walters, Susan Sarandon, Padma Lakshmi, Christy Turlington Burns & Ed Burns, Jenji Kohan, Frank Ocean, Ronan Farrow, Alice Waters, Charlie Rose, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Arianna Huffington.

The TIME 100 featured red carpets on three floors, an elegant cocktail reception, a seated dinner and program that combined keynote remarks, musical performances, toasts by the evening’s honorees, and an after-party. This year’s gala event was sponsored by Chivas Regal 25 and Citi.

As one of the world’s most high-stature events, the TIME 100 draws extensive global media coverage which this year included the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Today Show, Huffington Post, FOX, and many others. BizBash Media named the TIME 100 the #1 Media Event of the Year.

With the world watching through such extensive coverage, the production of the TIME 100 requires precision execution. Empire was proud to work closely with the TIME team to deliver a flawless evening.

Empire’s responsibilities as producer included event design & décor, talent booking & coordination, venue and catering logistics (provided by Great Performances), technical production, broadcast and Internet stream facilities, stage management, staffing, front of house logistics, security and sponsorship activations.

Crackle, a SONY Pictures Television digital entertainment network, partnered with Empire to produce their 2014 Digital NewFront— an annual presentation to advertisers and media covering the digital entertainment sector.

With an exciting lineup of both new, original programs and returning series, presenters such as Bryan Cranston ("The Tightrope"), Chad Michael Murray ("Chosen”), Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Cleaners”) and sportscaster Dan Patrick (“Sports Jeopardy”) were on-hand alongside Crackle executives Eric Berger and James Smith.

The NewFront was held inside Chelsea’s Cedar Lake Center, whose elegant brick walls, high ceiling and flown lighting grid, which are reminiscent of a soundstage, helped to drive home the message that Crackle is an integrated part of the SONY production operations and is actively engaged in producing the content it distributes. The venue featured a main theater as well as an adjoining reception space where guests took photos with Crackle on-air talent.

Within the concise, 60-minute program, Crackle showcased their extensive original programming in the sports, comedy, thrillers, and music categories, featuring the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, John Legend, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner. Crackle presented itself as a dynamic and far-reaching network, actively building upon its past success and firmly focused on future growth.

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. The presentation seamlessly fused a large, main LED screen with content shown on a series of six flown plasma screens flanking the set. The stage design served as a perfect vehicle for Crackle to showcase its content for the advertisers and media in attendance.

MediaBizBlogger’s, an online blog that cover the Upfronts and NewFronts each year, gave Crackle’s NewFront a 4.5 out of 5 “Jacks” adding that the NewFront had “great attitude, flow and fun.” Cynopsis’ NewFront Poll declared Crackle’s NewFront as the winner with 65% of readers polled saying that Crackle’s NewFront was the best of this year’s presentations.

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 Digital NewFront.

When The New Museum, one of the foremost institutions for New York City’s au courant modern art scene, sought talent for their private annual spring gala, they turned to Empire for a musical solution suitable for the city’s finest tastes. In search of a singer that would not only impress, but would lift the heels of guests of this coveted invitation, we engaged a chic international sensation: Swedish singer and songwriter Lykke Li.

With two albums successfully under her belt, as well as tracks on films The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Blue is the Warmest Color, and Rust and Bone, Lykke Li is the darling who is wooing the world with her unique fusion of indie, surrealist pop, and electronic music.

On the evening of Tuesday, April 1, Cipriani Wall Street buzzed with artists, dealers, curators, and editors. New York’s elite tastemakers were dressed in burgundy, cardinal, vermilion, and oxblood, befitting of the evening’s theme, “Red or Racy”. Luxury Italian sports car label Ferrari served as the evening’s sponsor, with two new models boldly parked on the sidewalk.

Following a live auction with Simon de Pury at the helm, the evening’s co-host, actress Greta Gerwig, announced that Lykke Li would take the stage by storm.

Her set included her hits “I Follow Rivers”, “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, and “Get Some”, as well as songs from her much anticipated new album, I Never Learn, dropping in May. After her hit show, the singer mingled with the crowd, including the evening’s co-host Stefano Tonchi of W magazine, Cindy Sherman, Derek Blasberg, and Jeffrey Deitch, as well as the museum’s director Lisa Phillips.

For this fantastic evening, we proudly served as entertainment producer, including securing and contracting talent and managing all talent logistics and stage management.

Whether it’s securing headline musical, comedy or variety talent, contracting or handling production or logistical needs, Empire is a leader in delivering the biggest names in entertainment for not for profit event performances.

On April 19, 2014 the independent horror comedy, Zombeavers, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. After the Zombeavers trailer was released online and went viral with millions of views the prior month, the Zombeavers premiere was a widely-anticipated event.

A sold out crowd showed up for the world premiere of the gory Summer thriller at Chelsea’s Bow Tie Cinemas. The film was directed by veteran standup comedian and writer, Jordan Rubin, and written by Al Kaplan, Jordan Rubin, and Jon Kaplan.

Immediately following the screening, guests were invited to join the filmmakers and cast at Trailer Park Lounge, located directly across the street from the theater for the film’s Official Premiere After Party.

Inside the eclectically decorated venue, guests were greeted by world-renowned DJ Mark Ronson, spinning his own mixed versions of hip hop classics for an intimate crowd of 150 guests. In addition to the cast & crew of Zombeavers, attendees include Judah Friedlander, Sean Lennon, Dave Attell, Bennett Miller, Fab Five Freddy, Matthew Lillard, Charlotte Ronson, and Josephine De La Baume.

Guests enjoyed an open bar and array of hand selected hors d’oeuvres, as an animatronic beaver that was actually used in the film provided attendees with a memorable photo opportunity. As guests departed, they were presented with gift bags full of ‘Zombeavers’ branded merchandise.

To see the trailer of this highly anticipated independent film, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7onFrBK_hKE

The location might have been TriBeCa, but the vibe was all Africa when the trustees of The Africa Center, in collaboration with Ben Bronfman, Taymour Grahne and Fab 5 Freddy, hosted the first in a series of monthly events in the lead-up to Africa Central, the Center's much-anticipated September pop-up. The eclectic crowd - including well-known figures from the worlds of art, film, fashion, finance and philanthropy - mingled easily against the backdrop of Moroccan-born photographer Hassan Hajjaj's sold-out show.

Hajjaj, whose work features in permanent collections on both sides of the Atlantic, including LACMA and The V&A, is set to design the cafe for Africa Central. Architect David Adjaye, art dealer and curator Jeffrey Deitch, fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, and African Film Festival founder Mahen Bonetti have committed to Africa Central's 10-day program and will be collaborating to produce various events.

The event drew over 400 guests to the Taymour Grahne Gallery, and DJ Rich Medina spun a set of Afro-Pop while guests sipped rum drums generously donated by Starr African Rum.

When it formally opens in 2015, The Africa Center will be the world’s leading hub for contemporary and traditional African art, culture, policy and business. Through world-class programming and a global network of partner institutions, The Africa Center will shape U.S. - Africa engagement, transform how Africa is understood in the United States, and provide a new cultural landmark in New York City.

The Africa Center is committed to to exploring a broad range of issues affecting the African continent, from education and the environment to economics and governance, while maintaining a core commitment to art and culture.

Africa Central, a cultural pop-up event, will open in The Africa Center's unfinished space at One Museum Mile in September 2014 as a temporary pop-up experience. Visitors to Africa Central will have the opportunity to participate in a various events, from performance and visual arts, to fashion and food, educational outreach and more.

To learn more about Africa Central and the Africa Center visit www.theafricacenter.org

Subaru made an appearance at the 84th Annual Geneva International Auto Show in Geneva Switzerland to unveil three new vehicles including a futuristic concept car, the “Subaru VIZIV 2 Concept” and the latest “WRX STi”. The Japanese auto manufacturer wanted to include something a little unexpected to help showcase their new concept at the Subaru Press Conference to better feature Subaru’s unique character and craftsmanship.

With the help of our Tokyo office, Subaru was able to present their new auto concepts in an innovative way by integrating famed Japanese tap dancer, Hideboh in the unveiling. Hideboh is best known for his famed dance sequence in Zatoichi, a movie directed by Takeshi Kitano.

Working under the direction of our Tokyo team, Hideboh worked with the tap dancing group LiBLAZE to create a custom performance designed for maximum impact. The performance integrated various energetic dance elements characterizing the new Subaru concept car, “VIZIV 2.”

The unconventional press conference was a big hit for Subaru, garnering media attention from all over the world.

To learn more about the new vehicles showcased and see Hideboh in action at the Subaru Press Conference, please visit: http://youtu.be/Gp50YLAzO5Y.

Empire is a leading supplier of creative talent solutions for international product launches, trade shows and exhibits.

In 2013, Empire worked with AMC to create what would become one of the most innovative and talked-about events of the year for AMC’s first-ever Upfront.

In April 2014, AMC raised the bar again, challenging us to deliver an event that would wow their guests in a completely new way and deliver on AMC’s tag line of ‘Something More’. Working together with AMC over the course of many months, we reimagined the upfront as an epic, seated dinner that would allow the guests to experience the power of AMC’s programming in a group setting. The results were, in the words of advertising media, “eye-popping” and “an imaginative bar-raiser and sure-fire candidate for best event of 2014".

The evening began with guests boarding a series of luxury coaches to transport guests from their midtown offices to the downtown venue. Upon arriving at Pier 36, guests checked in quickly and passed through a sleek reception area and into a cocktail lounge while listening to remarks by AMC’s engaging President, Charlie Collier. As Collier wrapped up his remarks, a giant wall of curtains unexpectedly parted to reveal a stunningly beautiful 100' dining room with banquet tables and over 100 waiters in formal attire lining the aisles.

Guests were awestruck by the screens lining the perimeter of the room and were in for an even bigger surprise as they were seated next to the stars and creators of AMC’s shows. Among the celebrity attendees were Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks and January Jones of Mad Men; Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, and Lauren Cohan of The Walking Dead; Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks of the highly-anticipated Better Call Saul.

To bring current and upcoming programs to life, custom-created wide screen trailers of AMC’s shows were shown on the surrounding screens while shock-and-awe theatrical experiences complemented each sequence. While guests enjoyed their amuse bouche, highlights of Mad Men ran on the screen to conclude with a reveal of the entire cast standing in spotlights at their tables. Next up, a series of live and projected legal incidents advertised the law practice and new series of the ever-scheming Saul Goodman of Better Call Saul. During the main course, a panoramic animation sequence turned the clock back on Manhattan from the present day to 1776. As the trailer for AMC’s newest series entitled Turn concluded, guests witnessed a full-scale Revolutionary War battle fought in the aisles by over 50 soldiers in costume amidst smoke effects and cannon and musket fire. A revolutionary war fife and drum corps conclude the battles sequence and provided a nice segue to a lone fiddle player whose music transported guests back to the old West of Hell on Wheels as expansive imagery of trains rolling across the Great Plains spread over the screens. In the final sequence, AMC executives’ closing remarks were cut short by a Walking Dead Zombie attack as over 40 authentic walkers invaded the dinner space and chased guests back into the reception area that had been transformed into an ‘80s-themed after party portraying Halt and Catch Fire - a new series about the birth of the personal computer.

MediaBizBlogger Simon Applebaum wrote that AMC’s Upfront was “An imaginative bar-raiser and sure-fire candidate for best event of 2014.” Another media executive quoted in Broadcasting & Cable was quoted as saying “Other companies will be hard pressed to beat this. They’ve raised the bar.”

For over 16 years, world-renowned event designer Colin Cowie and Empire have enjoyed a very special partnership creating experiences that define the very best moments in people’s lives. This partnership combines Colin Cowie’s unparalleled ability to design bespoke environments and celebrations, and Empire’s ability to animate those visions through top-tier talent acquisition, precision technical management and live event production of the highest caliber. The results of this partnership have been experienced first hand by a long list of royalty, heads of state, billionaires, and many of the leading celebrities of our age, at events across the globe from Dubai to Mexico, Monaco to the Bahamas. Our most recent collaboration brought our teams to the spectacular Bacara Resort in picturesque Santa Barbara. The occasion? A very special birthday party, hosted by the incomparable Oprah Winfrey, for one of her dearest friends. Working closely together, Colin and Oprah imagined a spectacular environment: a vision of red velvet, cut crystal, black sequins, a dozen giant mirror balls, 100’ of video walls, hidden lounges, a branded dance floor, and LED curtains, all together taking the form of a ballroom within the ballroom. The fabulous evening included an elegant cocktail reception featuring a live-electric violinist playing along with a pre-recorded electro track. When guests entered the ballroom, they gasped at the beauty of the room, and the elegant band on stage. Throughout the dinner, there were seamless transitions between the course service, live toasts, and musical accompaniment by the New York City-based Ikonix Band, led by Troy Curtis. Following dinner, Ms. Winfrey welcomed world-renowned Grammy Award-winning performer, Patti LaBelle to the stage to perform hits including: “You are my Friend,” “New Attitude,” Lady Marmalade” and “Over the Rainbow.” Immediately following her set, a huge birthday cake was rolled onto the dance floor, and Ms. LaBelle led the room full of well-wishers to sing “Happy Birthday.”When it was time to get the dance party started, giant curtains opened, revealing previously-hidden glittering lounge areas, as Ikonix and DJ Neza performed several musical mash ups punctuated by a series of special effects. The guests danced until the early hours of the morning, fueled by Espresso-laced shots and late-night snacks. The following morning, guests reappeared in the ballroom, which had been transformed overnight into a gorgeous theater for a very special Gospel performance curated by the great Bebe Winans. The Gospel performance featured a children’s choir from The Adderley School for the Performing Arts, some of the Los Angeles area’s best gospel soloists, and a rousing set by Bebe Winans, who got the entire audience on their feet and even managed to get guest Rob Lowe up to dance and sing along. Empire was honored to once again be chosen by Colin Cowie to join his team to create another extraordinary experience for one of the highest stature clients in the world.

On February 7, 2014, the Swatch Group Japan held an important event celebrating the 160th anniversary of Tissot Watches. The event entitled “TISSOT: INNOVATORS BY TRADITION” was presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo for an audience of VIPs, celebrities and top customers. As part of the celebration, Empire Entertainment Japan commissioned U.S.-based dance company “Le Ombré” to create an original performance to celebrate the company’s rich history. Swatch Group Executive Board member, Francois Thiébaud, together with Swatch Group Japan President, Christophe Savioz, gave the celebratory toast and opened the curtain on Le Ombré’s acrobatic silhouette performance, designed to reflect the spirit of challenge carried over Tissot’s 160 year history. The client described Le Ombré’s performance and the evening as “Unforgettable.” Empire is a leading producer of high-end events for luxury brands throughout the world.

When the Super Bowl came to the New York area in February 2014, many major corporations and brands marked the occasion with top-tier parties in Manhattan filled with celebrities, athletes and VIPs. As one of the world’s leading sports media companies, the Sports Illustrated party would necessarily need to stand out from all others and Empire was tapped to help ensure this.

Sports Illustrated chose to present a large-scale event on the night before the big game at one of New York’s newest venues, Skylight Modern. Located in the heart of the chic Chelsea Gallery district, this contemporary space accommodates over 600 guests with room to spare for large-scale staging, sponsor activations and kitchen facilities. Joining Sports Illustrated as co-sponsors of the Super Bowl event were several blue chip companies from the automotive, technology and liquor industries. The space was elegantly constructed into a main concert area with raised VIP areas, several bars, elegant sponsor activations and marketing installations for the participating partners.

DJ Kiss kicked off the party as VIPs arrived via Jaguar automobiles and took their turns on the red carpet. Attending VIPs included John Legend, Fantasia and several of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models. As the crowd filled the room and began dancing, multiple Grammy Award winning musician, artist and producer Wyclef Jean arrived to take the stage with his full band and DJ. Wyclef proceeded to rock the house with a high-energy set as he alternated between guitar, keyboard and bongos. His electrifying set soon had everyone in the house on their feet, including the invitation to come onstage extended to 20 ladies to dance with him mid show. When the live set ended, Wyclef remained onstage to DJ for another hour, playing mash-ups of 1980s hits evocative of New Jersey where he spent part of his youth and where the Super Bowl would soon be played. The party was a sensational success and Sports Illustrated, the sponsors, advertisers and attendees all had a great time.

Empire secured and contracted Wyclef Jean and his band for this project and coordinated all related production and logistics, working closely with Sports Illustrated and its partners. Empire is a leading provider of headline talent for high-profile sports hospitality events.

Opening February 1 and running through May 6, 2014 at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, “Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal,” is the largest Asian exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work to date.

Empire was honored to produce the pre-opening night of this important exhibition with a massive reception for nearly 2,500 guests, all celebrating the legacy of this icon of pop art and to help open this important exhibit.

Sponsored by BMW, Christies, and Bloomberg, and with attendees including VIPs, celebrities, executives, art dealers and members of the press, the successful party was described as the “crowning glory” of the exhibit's Asia tour. After opening toasts, Empire’s Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis models entered the room to kick off the party. Guests were thrilled to have their photographs taken with these iconic subjects of some of Warhol’s best-known works and to capture their own 15 minutes of fame on social media posts.

Every year, MAXIM Magazine throws the biggest, most coveted Super Bowl Party around and this year did not disappoint. With the big game coming to the New York City area for the first time, they partnered with Talent Resources Sports to double down with a two-night party. Taking over one of the chicest event spaces in Midtown, Espace, DJ Dirty South spun EDM all night long Friday and Kendrick Lamar brought down the house with his performance Saturday night.

We worked closely with TR Sports to concept, design and produce an iconic New York centric event befitting MAXIM’s brand, bringing back the sexiness and grit of 1980’s NYC streets. We transformed the columns into graffiti-ridden fire escapes for Patron and MAXIM girls to dance upon, surrounded the VIPs with the infamous silhouette of the city’s skyline with the Brooklyn Bridge, and scattered various street elements throughout the space- traffic lights, street lights, classic “Post No Bills” walls, and chain link fences.

In contrast to the urban event space, we worked with party sponsor Heavenly Resorts in Lake Tahoe to create a ski-resort oasis in the foyer. Complete with snow covered Evergreens, “trail map” ice luge, shot skis and a snowboard bench, we also built a ski-lift chair-inspired photo booth for guests to share. Most of the other sponsors were incorporated into the NYC theme with an Empire State Building replicated from AQUAHydrate bottles, City Maps to pin your favorite place to drink Patron, and a chandelier of starlit Patron bottles. Other sponsorships included Wonderful Pistachio’s dedicated lounge, with delicious pistachios, Patron Bars, Touch giftbags and Redbull’s DJ rig and product.

On January 23, 2014, Empire Entertainment was proud to produce the 3rd annual TRANS4M Benefit Concert event on behalf of seven-time Grammy winner will.i.am and his charitable organization, the i.am.angel Foundation. i.am Angel supports trans4mation and revival in distressed communities like will.i.am’s hometown: the east Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights.

Held for the second year in a row at the AVALON Hollywood on the eve of the Grammy Awards, over 1,400 guests came out to support the i.am.angel Foundation including Kimberly Cole, Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Taboo, MC Hammer, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Will.i.am is best known as a multi-platinum music artist, producer and front man for The Black Eyed Peas, though he is an innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist as well. As the evening’s host, his message of trans4ming lives through education, opportunity and inspiration was driven home by an emotive program of speakers and videos.

Following the speaking program, will.i.am and an incredible band of backing players delivered a non-stop dance concert featuring guest performances by Busta Rhymes, Chaka Khan, Sergio Mendes, Bell Biv DeVoe, Biz Markie, Doug E. Fresh, Scarface, Slick Rick, Cody Wise, Leah McFall, and We Are The Future. Guests were welcome to explore the multi-level venue including the VIP artists lounge and an open-air club, Bardot.

This year, Empire Entertainment also produced the speaking portion at the VIP dinner held at the Redbury Hotel immediately before the concert. Speakers included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, will.i.am, and David Silver, the CEO of College Track, all who spoke to the importance of educating America’s youth. All told, the event raised over $2.5 million to support the i.am.angel Foundation’s programs.

Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer for the i.am.angel Foundation TRANS4M Benefit Concert, managing all aspects of the event including venue contracting, registration, logistics, catering, décor, stage, production, staffing, parking, security and onsite management, collaborating with the i.am.angel Foundation, partners, and donors.To find out how you can get involved with i.am.angel Foundation and help trans4m communities around you, visit their website at iamangelfoundation.org

We recently partnered again with The Fragrance Foundation to produce their inaugural Foundation Talks, a series of lectures showcasing thought-provoking speakers from a variety of backgrounds.

Opening with remarks by Fragrance Foundation President Elizabeth Musmanno and Board Chair Jill Belasco, the program included several noteworthy speakers. Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, followed President Clinton with a passionate speech about her mission to eradicate hunger, disease and poverty among the world’s children. Stefan Sagmeister, Creative Director with Sagmeister & Walsh, gave a humorous and insightful talk on design and happiness. “As a designer I asked myself, is it actually possible to become happier in my field? And the easy answer is, of course. I should do more of the stuff I love to do and less of what I don’t like to do.”

Internationally recognized innovation and creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson, ended the afternoon’s talks. His lively presentation covered the role of innovation and education in tackling economic and cultural challenges such as inequality, instability and environmental issues. He said, “The Key to the war against inequality is not aid programs but education programs.” This was the third project for which we were tapped by the Fragrance Foundation, again serving as overall event producer.

Empire is a leading producer of thought leadership forums for all industries and sectors, and is a key resource for keynotes speakers and celebrities of all types. For more information on The Fragrance Foundation, please visit their website at www.fragrance.org.

Leading music streaming service, Spotify, hosted a special event at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show that showcased the influential and interpretational natures of both food and music. While music and food are recognized as creative disciplines and are omnipresent in our lives, rarely has their intersection been explored. For this ground-breaking event, Spotify chose to focus on how music harmoniously blends, and often enhances, the dining experience.

To bring the concept to life for key advertisers gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show, we paired Momofuku’s superstar Chef David Chang with fast-rising musical artist Deltron 3030. This teaming was the perfect manifestation of the music & food fusion concept and Deltron 3030's defiant music perfectly echoed Momofuku's iconoclastic philosophy of revolutionizing fine dining.

Blurring the lines between a cocktail party and a seated dinner, guests were seated in 1Oak Nightclub’s club banquets where they were served nine courses of passed and plated family-style hors d'oeuvres. From Steamed Pork Buns to 48-hour Braised Short Rib & Kimchi, all of the renowned chef's greatest hits were on display, along with custom cocktails created for the evening: Mango Sriracha Old Fashioned, anyone?

Deltron 3030 member, and famed DJ Kid Koala, spun Chang's "prep" playlist until the stage program began. Spotify's VP of Sales, Brian Benedik, took to the stage to introduce the evening's host, David Chang, who intimately shared his enthusiasm for food and music with the gathered guests.

Chang then invited the band's frontman, Dan the Automator, to join him onstage, where he gave a nod to the pair’s long friendship and echoed the natural connections between food and music. The rest of the band quickly joined on stage to perform incredible renditions of "3030," "The Return," "Virus," and "Do You Remember." Momofuku Milk Bar's famous cookies & cake truffles made the rounds as a final treat to the guests before they exited. 1OAK at The Mirage served as the perfect venue for the event and strategically placed, illuminated Spotify branding was the perfect way to brand the evening and promote Spotify to the attendees.

Empire is a leading producer of innovative event marketing concepts at global expos like CES.

On the evening of Saturday, January 4, 2014, Empire produced a stylish wedding, merging contemporary New York edge with Southern flair for a London-bound couple at Skylight Modern. The young, creative couple and their families definitely wanted their wedding to be non-traditional and the event delivered on this premise in every way.

Upon entering the space, guests immediately came upon an enchanting altar crafted of birch wood and flowering quince branches in the center of an array of white chairs. Once receiving a glass of champagne, guests were seated in the round, a layout that placed the couple at the heart of ceremony and allowed for their friends and family to warmly envelop them in a unifying circle. After the entrance of the wedding party attired in chic all-black, the bride walked down the aisle to Led Zeppelin’s timeless classic, “Thank You.”

After a brief exchanging of vows, the just-married couple led guests downstairs to the reception. The cavernous, modern and minimalist Skylight Modern space had been exquisitely designed into a lounge lit with the glow of thousands of candles and hanging lights and surrounded with wall projections.

Cocktails were served at the couple’s hand selected bourbon bar, complete with all the fixings, while guests nibbled on decadent edible interactions straight from NYC’s unique caterer, Pinch Food Designs. Along with delectable bites, the couple served five custom designed black and white cakes exquisitely fashioned by the one and only Sylvia Weinstock. Along with 230 of the couple’s closest friends and family, the newlyweds danced the night away under a canopy of lights to the Alabama-based band St. Paul and The Broken Bones. This soul group entertained with great energy, playing original songs as well as the classics by Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Following the band's stellar performance, DJ Bunker Blake spun, playing an organic blend of nostalgic classics and today’s trendiest hits.

As guests enjoyed cake and the party buzz, The Bumby’s, two anonymous performance artists, provided witty analyses of the partygoers on their typewriters. This kind of performance and other eclectic features kept the guests entertained and engaged throughout the joyous occasion.

Empire is a leading producer of next-generation personal families and celebrations and we love working with unique and talented clients to help them bring life to their creative visions.

The “Cipuatra Artpreneur”, a futuristic vertical city and haven for shopping, dining, theater, and art, opened in Jakarta’s business district on December 16th, 2013. This incredible new center earns distinction through its beautiful exhibition space, which encompasses the entire top floor and is designed to engage creative conversation and thinking. When contacted by the Indonesian agency, TRIMITRA, to produce the opening exhibition, Empire asked renowned art illusionist, Kurt Wenner, to create something that had never been seen before.

The event turned out to be the largest exhibition of Kurt Wenner’s extraordinary 3D artwork ever held. The centerpiece of the show was Shangri-La, an image unlike any other in the world. Wenner expanded his illusionistic techniques to include columns and a seemingly domed ceiling for a complete 180-degree illusion. This new masterpiece was received with astonishment and awe by the public, as well as more than 100 local and international press and media outlets that covered the Wenner exhibition. On opening day, the artist himself led a special workshop, giving insider lessons on 3D drawing methods and techniques, a rare privilege for those in attendance. In addition, Empire arranged a photo contest in which visitors enthusiastically entered the masterpieces to have their photo taken.

Wenner’s 11 magnificent creations were on display at the Artphoria exhibition for more than two months, drawing enthusiastic visitors and press to the new vertical city. Empire is extremely proud to have produced this unique event and to have taken the city of Jakarta and artwork of Kurt Wenner to a whole new level.

To celebrate their 25th Anniversary, Empire Entertainment once again partnered with Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) for their Global Impact Award on December 3, 2013.

The event was held at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square and honored former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for her extraordinary legacy of leadership and courage in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The emcee for the evening was Nigel Barker, world-renowned photographer and host of Oxygen Network’s “The Face”. Nigel introduced three actresses, Julianna Margulies, Gloria Reuben and Mary Steeburgen, who read passages from Elizabeth Glaser’s book, “In The Absence of Angels: A Hollywood Family’s Courageous Story”. Speakers for the evening included Charles Lyons, President and CEO of Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Susan DeLaurentis, Co-founder, and Jake Glaser, son of Elizabeth Glaser. Secretary Clinton was presented the Global Impact Award by Diane Sawyer and Willow Bay.

The event closed with a musical performance by multi-platinum, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein. Michael performed a set from the Great American Songbook with his 17-piece big band. Empire served as the overall production company, managing all aspects of the event.

To learn more about EGPAF and how you can make a difference please visit their website at www.pedaids.org

Over the past seven years, charity: water has been on a mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to every person on the planet. Thus far that has included 9,458 water projects in 20 countries. Every December, charity: water brings together its biggest donors, supporters, volunteers and staff to celebrate its accomplishments at charity: ball, an event recognized as one of the most innovative not-for-profit events in the world. This year they raised a record $4M towards new water projects in Malawi.

For the second year in a row, we had the great honor of producing charity: ball. When the original venue suddenly became unavailable three weeks before the event, we worked quickly to find a suitable replacement, the Duggal Greenhouse. Together with charity: water, we re-designed the creative for the new space. As a result of the new venue’s unique location in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the party started as guests boarded private water taxis to bring across the river straight to the venue. The added bonus was time savings as we checked them in upon boarding with a quick swipe of their RFID wristbands.

As guests entered the Greenhouse they found themselves inside a giant gallery. Through interactive scenic installations and larger-than-life pictures from the field, charity: water told just a few of the many stories of the individuals affected by charity: water. The organization’s signature Waterwalk, where they ask guests to walk a fraction of the distance that people in developing countries walk to bring water home to their families, became the focal point of the event. Utilizing the RFID responsive technology, we tracked each participant that walked the Waterwalk, with Caterpillar Foundation donating $1,000 per person totaling $1M raised. We also refined the live auction pledge experience designed last year to encourage as many guests to donate as possible, again utilizing the RFID bracelets to pledge and track donations ranging from $100 to $90K.

Throughout the night, up-and-coming New York City DJ duo The Knocks kept guests dancing, including HRH Princess Beatrice, Tony Hawk and Foursquare’s Dennis Crowley. Once again, catering company Pinch brought in their creatively designed pop-up stations to satiate guests throughout the evening. With more and more non-profits following in charity: water’s footsteps redefining how they raise funds, create ROI, and tell a compelling story, we’re grateful that they continue to choose to partner with Empire to deliver these results.

To learn more about their work or to get involved please visit http://www.charitywater.org

Arms Around the Child is a new not-for-profit organization that believes in a world where children living in extreme adversity can have their lives transformed into a brighter future. They are committed to providing safe, loving homes for underserved, orphaned and abandoned children.

Arms Around the Child was created by activist and child rights advocate, Leigh Blake who had previously founded the Red Hot Organization and Keep a Child Alive. The Other Ball would be Arms Around the Child’s signature, annual fundraising event with the objective of reinventing the modern philanthropic experience in order to benefit children suffering in the developing world.

Empire had the great honor of producing this inaugural event at New York’s Highline Ballroom and helping Arms Around a Child to tell their compelling story. With the “more black leather than black tie” theme, The Other Ball was not your parents' dinner party. Working with creative director Periel Aschenbrand, we transformed the venue into a large living room with individually-packaged, intimate lounge seating areas with working fireplaces. The objective: make guests feel like they are seeing the world’s greatest concert in their own living room.

Graciously sponsored by TOPSHOP TOPMAN, the Other Ball honored quiet revolutionaries who tirelessly and patiently work to change the world. This year's inaugural event paid tribute to Peter Edge, CEO of RCA Records, Bob Roth, Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation and Mark Seliger, famed photographer and Rolling Stone icon. Incredible couture black leather bears that were individually customized by some of the biggest fashion designers in the world were auctioned to raise money. Participating designers included Simon Doonan, Thom Browne, Christian Louboutin, Alexander Wang, Topshop, Topman, Opening Ceremony, and Chromat. Other auctions included a work by artist Nissim Ben Aderet and other incredible once in a lifetime experiences.

The stars aligned as Grammy-winning producer, DJ and musician, Mark Ronson took the stage as gracious host to introduce an incredible lineup of performers. Grammy award-winning producer Jeff Bhasker put together an amazing band and served onstage as Musical Director as guests were treated to performances by some of the world's most sought-after artists for an eclectic evening of music destined to bring hope to children in need.

Mikky Echo quieted the intimate venue with his soulful “Stay.” Lykke Li performed “I Follow Rivers” and debuted a new song. FUN’s Nate Reuss rocked the stage with the hit single “We Are Young” and a cover of the Prince classic “Let’s Go Crazy.” A$AP Rocky pumped his hit song “Wild For The Night” while Miguel serenaded the crowd with his classics “Sure Thing” and “Adorn.” Then the Black Keys rocked the house with a 30 minute set, including hits such as “Gold On The Ceiling” and “Tighten Up.” After an amazing set of performances, DJ Samantha Ronson kept the 300+ leather dressed guests dancing into the early morning.

Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer for this event and was responsible for aspects including site selection and acquisition, design, décor, catering, technical production, and stage management.

This event brought together creative hearts and minds in one of this year's most exciting not for profit events. The evening raised substantial funds to protect at-risk children and to achieve social change. Empire is honored to partner with Arms Around the Child to transform the lives of children. To learn more about Arms Around the Child or to get involved, please visithttp://www.armsaroundthechild.org