Our Work

When a leading insurance company wanted top-quality entertainment to perform for approximately 700 of senior employees and their families, at The Broadmoor, they turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a one of the most renowned music acts of the past five decades - The Temptations.On the final night of the week-long meeting, the attendees entered the ballroom with excitement, awaiting the performance of the three-time Grammy winning group. After remarks and an introduction by a company executive, The Temptations, featuring original member, Otis Williams took the stage to begin their 75-minute, high energy set. From the very beginning of their greatest hits concert, nearly the entire audience were on the dance floor, dancing and cheering as the band performed their hits including, "Ain’t Too Proud to Beg," "Papa was a Rollin’ Stone," “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “All I Need,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready," and many more. 

The Temptations’ interacted with the audience throughout the night, bringing two male employees onstage to sing “The Girl’s Alright With Me” to their spouses, who were in the audience. At the end of their performance, the band closed with an all-out performance of their #1 hit “My Girl."Empire was responsible for proposing, contracting and arranging travel and accommodations for The Temptations, as well as coordinating and managing all schedules, logistical and technical aspects of the band's performance.Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of private and corporate events in the U.S. and around the world and is proud to provide world class entertainment for this corporate client whom we have served for almost two decades.

Aiming to increase their brand exposure within the tech community, a major global financial institution turned to Empire Entertainment to help them create and develop a unique, branded exhibit space for TechCrunch’s Disrupt San Francisco 2011 event. The space would need to convey the company's unique corporate culture and create a hands-on atmosphere for top-tier programmers, while simultaneously setting the activation space apart from the other event sponsors both visually and experientially.Empire worked with the client to design a custom, tech forward construction that promoted attendee engagement through an event-specific, live-data marketing trading game. The build included 4 plasma screens displaying game statistics and company content, as well as iPad and computer terminals where guests could learn more about the sponsor, compete in the game, or simply show off their programming skills. Comfortable lounge furniture surrounded the area allowing company representatives to engage with prospective employees and other attendees who were eager to rest their feet during the week’s events.As part of its 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt sponsorship, the client also hosted the Disrupt Opening Party where they worked with Empire to create a dynamic, energetic and unforgettable party experience. To supplement the activities inside the 1015 Folsom nightclub, Empire brought in retro arcade games and an arcade-themed photo. As for live entertainment, Empire identified and secured headline DJs Peanut Butter Wolf and The Knocks for a special live performance and DJ set featuring multiple stages and custom video projection.Empire oversaw the client’s entire TechCrunch Disrupt sponsorship activation from conception to completion, designing, building, managing and producing all of the various elements from load-in to load-out.TechCrunch Disrupt has become the frontline of technological innovation; providing insider access to start-ups and many different technologically savvy companies. The conference brings together entrepreneurs, programmers, investors, and venture capitalists to showcase dozens of start-ups and presents engaging panels and keynote speeches that provide insight into the ever-changing industry and market.Empire is proud to produce corporate events and sponsorships, assisting with everything from branding to implementation.

On the evening of September 20th, 2011, over 250 guests, including Academy Award winning director, Fisher Stevens, along with Emily Mortimer, John Leguizamo, Steve Buscemi, comedian Reggie Watts and others, arrived at the Prince George Ballroom to support Reel Works Teen Filmmaking’s 10th Anniversary Gala. Empire’s President and C.E.O, J.B. Miller, co-chaired the gala, Precious producer, Lisa Cortés.Reel Works is a youth filmmaking program based in New York City that matches students with film and television professionals who serve as mentors.The gala began with elegant cocktails and hors d’oeuvres passed while Reel Works teens conducted interviews on the star-studded red carpet. Attendees mingled and perused over 30 silent auction items ranging from backstage passes to The Daily Show With Jon Stewart to a signed photo of the cast of NBC’s The Office. The gallery of the Prince George Ballroom was decorated with custom movie posters featuring the movies of the six teens that were nominated by their peers for the night’s top award.Inside the grand ballroom, Thomas Preti catered a phenomenal three-course meal, which was followed by stage program. Comedy Central’s Hannibal Buress emceed, and the program, featured remarks by Reel Works founders, John and Stephanie Williams. Steve Buscemi and his wife, Jo Andres and others. Buscemi introduced the teen’s nominated movies and, to the applause and standing-ovation of the audience, Reel Works teen, Marco Teapox won the John F. Outcalt Award for his movie Sin Marchas Atra. Miguel M. Salinas, Program Director of Adobe Youth Voices, accepted the Corporate Leadership Award on his company’s behalf. In a heartfelt highlight, John Leguizamo presented his longtime friend, actor and director Fisher Stevens with The Visionary Filmmaker Award. The evening concluded with an outstanding performance by comedian and musician, Reggie Watts.As guests left the ballroom a mash-up video of highlights from the evening that the students had edited together that evening played on the big screen. The video can be watched at:http://www.reelworks.org/rw/Support/galabenefit2011/Event sponsors included Viacom, C2 Media, Digitas, Moet & Chandon, Akvinta Vodka, Six Point, and HBO among others. Working closely with the Reel Works’ team, Empire Entertainment served as sponsor and overall producer of the event. Empire successfully solicited sponsorships and in-kind donations. Empire was also responsible for aspects ranging from event design, layout, technical production and logistics to décor and music. To learn more about Reel Works or to donate, please visit, ReelWorks.org.

Every year, the President and First Lady of the United States host a reception in connection with the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. The event is attended by heads of state from around the world and is a keystone annual event in American diplomacy. This year, the event was held in the iconic New York Public Library.The distinguished guest list, necessity to observe diplomatic protocol in every detail, and extraordinary security precautions imposed by a host of agencies make the project one with many unique challenges. On the night of the event, heads of state, foreign ministers and other high profile guests arrived at the Library in a tightly-choreographed ballet of over 100 individual motorcades. Guests were met at Library entrances by an Honor Cordon representing all of the United States Armed Forces. Once inside, guests moved into a cocktail reception in the McGraw Rotunda and Edna Barnes Salomon Room where their conversations were accompanied by the United States Marine Band’s string ensemble.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama met the world leaders and distinguished guests in a receiving line, spending one on one time with each of them.Following the receiving line, guests made their way into the grand Astor Hall where, following, a rousing performance by the Bergen County Cadets marching band, and the standard ruffles & flourishes and “Hail to the Chief” the President and First Lady took the stage in front of a backdrop of American Flags to deliver remarks. Following remarks the President greeted more guests along a rope line and then departed while attendees remained to enjoy dessert and more musical accompaniment by the Marine Band Jazz Ensemble.The event was followed by an after-party for heads of Protocol from many nations featuring music by the Todd Londagin Trio.

Empire Entertainment was proud and honored to serve the United States and our President as producer and production company for this singular event. Photos courtesy of Paul L. Mertikas.

Nothing makes a wedding more special or memorable than the perfect entertainment. And in some cases, when the client wants to create the event of a lifetime, the entertainment required includes some of the bride and groom's fondest memories. This was the case when a client from North Carolina wanted the R&B hit makers Jagged Edge to perform at her wedding at the serene Umstead Spa in Cary, NC.Empire was able to quickly book Jagged Edge and worked closely with their road and production management to create a production scenario that could be achieved in the intimate outdoor space for the ceremony as well as an indoor performance for the reception. The group sang the bride down the aisle to their ballad “I Gotta Be” and then got the crowd partying with a 40 minute set of their greatest hits. 
The guests stood and danced throughout the performance. The client and their guest were ecstatic. Empire handled all booking and logistics, of the project working closely with wedding planners at David Tutera to ensure a smooth experience from load-in to load-out.Empire is a leading talent procurement agency.

Hosting an event in New York City for 1,500 of your top clients is no easy task. But in September 2011, a prominent NYC-based investment bank did just that, at the beautiful and iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art. Empire Entertainment was engaged to work in collaboration with event designer Thomas Noel of EDI to manage the highlight of the evening - a spectacular performance by nine-time Grammy Award winner, Mary J. Blige.Guests enjoyed cocktails in the Great Hall of the Met, before heading off to various areas of the Museum, such as the majestic Temple of Dendur for dinner. While most attendees toured the two million artworks housedin the Museum’s permanent collection, Empire escorted Mary J. Blige to a beautiful balcony above the Great Hall, where she took time to greet and take photos with a select few of the client’s VIP’s.As Blige prepared for her show, attendees in the Great Hall listened to remarks by General Wesley Clark and then bid in a live auction which benefitted The McCarton Foundation, a charity dedicated to increasing educational opportunities for children with autism and developmental disabilities.Empire then escorted Mary J. Blige to the stage for the evening’s grand finalé, and the multi-platinum selling Bronx native did not disappoint. She performed a high-energy set filled with hits including “Family Affair”, “RealLove”, and a gorgeous cover version of U2’s “One.” After the show attendees roared cheers for her incredible performance as Empire ushered the soul-singer straight from the stage to her waiting car.Empire is a preeminent provider of headline entertainment for events worldwide, and is proud to be called upon by end clients and production companies alike for our expertise in producing live performances by the world’s biggest stars.

When the world’s most prestigious Vintage Champagne House sought an experienced producer in the luxury brand space as well as a unique location to hold a new product launch event they turned to Empire Japan and set their eyes on the city of Kyoto to realize their vision.In this beautiful city, filled with rich history, Empire identified a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Ninna-ji Temple that provided the perfect atmosphere for the event. Given both the Temple’s long history of association with Japan’s Imperial family, and its special certification as a UNESCO site, the site was perfect for the client's purposes. securing the venue for our event promised many logistical and cultural challenges but Empire’s producers worked diligently to alleviate all concerns of the Temple, while still assuring that the client’s vision for the event could be achieved.As the sun went down, and the custom designed lighting package came to life, it was clear that the event was going to exceed the client’s expectations. In the words of The Chief Cellar Master, ‘This is by far the finest launch event I have witnessed in my 20 years as Cellar Master.’50 of the most prestigious figures in Japan's culture, news and arts world gathered for this special evening, where they were treated to a special collection of traditional Japanese recipes prepared by award winning chef Tokuoka Kunio. The traditional Japanese interior of the temple was complemented by projection mapping that seamlessly tied imagery from the city of Kyoto to that of 17th Century Champagne.Empire Entertainment Japan was proud to be responsible for the venue selection, direction, operation and overall production of this benchmark event and is a leading producer of luxury brand events throughout the world.

The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world's premier technology competition. This annual global competition challenges young innovators to stretch the limits of what technology can do to discover out-of-the-box solutions to the world’s most difficult problems. Previously held in Spain, Brazil, Japan, India, South Korea, France, Egypt and Poland, this year the Imagine Cup made its debut in the United States in New York City and Microsoft called on Empire to serve as a key local production partner. The 9th annual Imagine Cup encompassed participation by 358,000 students representing 183 countries and regions who registered for this year’s competition. Tasked with applying their imagination and passion to the creation of technology solutions to help change the world, the competitors took on global issues ranging from combating diseases, improving education, fighting world hunger, and ensuring environmental sustainability, to creating disaster communication systems, helping children read and write, creating innovations for people with disabilities, and reducing child mortality. After a year of competition in their home countries, finalists and mentors from 70 countries converged in New York City to compete for the top honors. Microsoft partnered with Empire Entertainment to provide key logistical support in order to deliver a dynamic multi-day program for the competitors that covered several venues and the entire city.

Against the majestic backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, Empire organized a sumptuous BBQ on Ellis Island for the Imagine Cup participants. As the culminating event to the program’s ‘Cultural Day,’ where a vast majority of students were experiencing New York City and the USA for the first time, over 1,000 competitors and sponsors were invited to tour the nation’s historical and cultural gateway. Launching from Battery Park, state of the art ferries offered guests the opportunity to tour Liberty Island with close up views of the Lady Liberty herself before continuing on to the main event on Ellis Island. With the sun setting over the NYC horizon, students dined on a full buffet of traditional summer fare and enjoyed the creative, international spins of a live DJ. A kaleidoscope of cultures, languages and people, students and mentors were invited to the prestigious David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the final day of this weeklong program for the World Festival and Awards Ceremony, which featured noteworthy presenters like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist, actor and activist Eva Longoria. With over 1,300 attendees, comprised of competitors, sponsors, judges, speakers and guests, key logistical support from Empire made it possible for all attendees to be seated with only 15 minutes between final presentations and the start of the dynamic closing ceremony. The projects developed by this year’s competitors raised the bar for technological innovation. From software created to keep cars from crashing to GPS technology for disaster relief to phone applications used to detect signs of malaria in the blood, students presented a broad spectrum of ingenious projects- many of which will have a substantial impact on our civilization's future. Empire Entertainment served as the local New York City logistics, venue and production partner. Empire's roles on the project included supporting site selection and acquisition, logistics, supplying key personnel to oversee various events, working with the client’s key vendors and providing onsite management for event flow for its 1,000+ participants.

Empire Entertainment was proud to partner with Microsoft on the 9th annual Imagine Cup and to play a role in helping the brightest minds of tomorrow solve challenges to make a difference in the world.

Kid Witness News, (KWN) is a global video education program supported by Panasonic. The program uses video production experiences to boost creativity, communication skills, and to foster teamwork in children from elementary to secondary school levels.This year for the first time, the global awards ceremony was held outside of Japan, at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood. To ensure a smooth and successful program, Panasonic and their agency Dentsu chose Empire Japan to serve as executive producer for the project. Empire's role would include selecting the venue, working with local PR and production vendors, and managing the overall look and production of the awards ceremony.For this year's global awards, there were six finalist schools participating from six different countries including Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, and United States. The students involved in the video production from each school were invited to Hollywood, CA to participate in "Winner's week" and the Awards Ceremony.After spending two days experiencing Hollywood, the main event would be the awards ceremony. The ceremony started off with the students walking a red carpet, where hired paparazzi were placed to photograph the surprised student celebrities.Next the students participated in interviews, which were distributed to PR companies in each of their home countries. The awards program began with an Olympic style parade of the nations, with a voice of god introducing each of the countries as they entered the theatre and took their seats.The ceremony began with an introduction video, then a viewing of each of the school's nominated video works. The awards ceremony included seven different awards, and Panasonic had invited special guests and judges from the U.S. and other countries to present each of them. Chairman & CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America, Joseph M. Taylor served as the award presented for the Grand Prize.The day's Grand Prize went to Val Verde High School in the United States for their work "Without Me."After a 15 minute intermission, the students returned to the Globe Theatre to enjoy the special performance by "Everybody Dance!" from Gabriella Charter School. After the great performance, all of the guests enjoyed the dinner with each participant feeling like a Hollywood celebrity.Between the ceremony and the reception, members of the U.S. and foreign media interviewed the students, which resulted in excellent exposure and very successful PR for Panasonic. The ceremony also garnered substantial media coverage with students and teachers appearing on a live interview for KCAL channel 9, and numerous Internet news hits including the group picture front of the Globe Theatre being chose as the "Picture of the Day" in Yahoo News.Empire Japan was thrilled to take on the many challenges of helping this honored client, helping them take this event overseas for the first time. With the success in Hollywood, Empire Japan has already been engaged to produce the 2012 KWN Global Wards Ceremony.For more information please watch the YouTube video, that explains this 2011 KWN Global Awrads Ceremony.Empire Japan is among the most extablished, world-class event companies in Asia and, in partnership with Empire Entertainment, Inc. is a leading producer of innovative event programs throughout the world.

One of the toughest challenges when selecting a business speaker is finding someone with truly global appeal. Empire was presented with one such challenge by a global technology company seeking to present a speaker that would appeal to an audience representing 140 countries. Having established one of the world's most recognized and respected brands, Empire recommended entrepreneur, adventurer, philanthropist and founder of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson. With over 300 companies in 30 countries, Virgin expanded from its beginnings in the music industry into air and rail travel, hospitality and leisure, telecommunications, health and wellness, and clean energy. A leader in product innovation and customer service, Branson was knighted in 1998 for his “services to entrepreneurship.” He remains one of the few business speakers in the world who is universally respected for his ingenuity, vision and foresight.Sir Richard Branson was introduced to an audience of over 12,000 at the Los Angeles Staples Center with a brief video that summarized his philosophy and achievements and the exciting exploits of Virgin brand businesses worldwide. Entering to great applause, Branson engaged in a lively moderated question & answer session with the corporate host that covered topics ranging from risk taking and customer service to his philanthropic work and views on the future of global brands. One of many highlights of the discussion was his response to a question about his forthcoming space travel venture - Virgin Galactic. Murmurs of anticipation spread through the arena as Richard told the audience that within a few years he plans to bring the cost of space travel down enough so that most of the people in the room would soon themselves have a chance to travel into space. This entertaining and inspiring discussion was the perfect way to add attendee value to this already extraordinary conference while also helping to underscore and reinforce many of the messages delivered earlier by the host company’s own executives. The full content of the discussion may be viewed by clicking here.Prior to his presentation, Sir Richard Branson participated in a meet & greet session with VIP guests and client senior management. Empire handled the negotiation and contracting of Sir Richard Branson’s services, coordination of all logistics, including precision arrival and departure planning between two other international engagements, as well as all onsite management.Empire is proud to present many of the world’s leading speakers and is a leading source for keynote speakers of global stature.

When a private client and her husband wanted to celebrate a fiftieth birthday with an unforgettable weekend in Las Vegas with friends and family, they turned to Empire as the overall producer for the project. With a VVIP guest list of over 125 attendees traveling from as far away as Europe & Asia, every aspect of the weekend would need to be planned with the utmost personalization and exquisite attention to detail. The expectations for the weekend would be nothing short of perfection. In the weeks leading up to the events, Empire worked closely with the client to design and send a unique invitation based on the Las Vegas skyline, supported by a visually-consistent registration / guest info website and travel staff offering a personal concierge touch. On Friday the weekend festivities began with airport greeters, personal greeting at the Encore check-in, whimsical welcome packages, an extraordinary gift bag including everything from engraved bottles of Johnny Walker Blue to iPods pre-loaded with the birthday girl’s soundtrack for the weekend. That afternoon, the hosts held an informal hospitality in their tower suite at the Encore. On the first night, guests assembled for an arrival dinner at SW Steakhouse where the entire outdoor patio overlooking the Wynn’s animatronic Lake of Dreams was seated in long, candlelit banquet tables. Following the elegant dinner, some of the guests retired to the hospitality suite for gambling lessons with Blackbelt in Blackjack author, Arnold Snyder. Other guests headed to XS Nightclub at the Encore where VIP tables and bottles of champagne on ice had been reserved to dance the night away.Saturday morning started early and guests participated in a myriad of custom designed activities for every taste. Activities included personalized yoga instruction with an instructor flown in from New York, golf at the Wynn Las Vegas Golf Club, private helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, Humvee desert expeditions and guided hiking in the Las Vegas hills. Other guests relaxed at the fully-stocked pool cabanas reserved at the Encore Beach Club, went shopping on the Las Vegas strip or enjoyed spa & salon treatments.Saturday evening’s event began with over 100 guests being treated to a performance of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque de Soleil at the Mirage Hotel. Guests were then transported back to the Alex Ballroom at the Wynn for the Saturday night big bash - the centerpiece event of the weekend. Working closely with the client, a major art collector and philanthropist, Empire transformed the elegant Alex Ballroom into her ‘magical, bohemian chic’ vision. All of the formal furniture in the indoor ballroom were replaced with contemporary furnishings grouped around a custom-designed black lacquer dance floor and main stage dressed in fabrics. The outdoor terraces were surrounded by over 200’ of high topiary covered with twinkle lights that glowed in the desert evening and lit the comfortable terrace lounge seating as well as the single malt tasting station and cigar areas. Exquisite crystal votive candle-holders and floral designs featuring a combination of feathers and flowers complemented all of the individual rooms’ aesthetics. The menu for the evening featured all of the couple’s favorite foods including everything from raw seafood bar and sushi stations to southern fried chicken and Asian specialties from Hot & Juicy. Many of the side rooms and wine closets of the ballroom were transformed into activity areas including henna and temporary tattoo stations, a photo booth, a karaoke lounge and even a dessert buffet that later became a pole-dancing nightclub.On the stage Empire presented a program custom-designed to the birthday girl’s tastes. In addition to toasts, remarks and a hilarious speech by a fictitious art consultant supported by a slideshow presentation, the evening featured non-stop music and entertainment. DJ’s Andrew Andrew spun a playlist of the couple’s favorite music via iPads, allowing them to control the music from the stage, the dance floor, or even the bar. The event featured live performances by the Australian Bee Gees Revue and the Funky Monks, the Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band. Guests remained on the dance floor surrounded by Go Go dancers well past 4:00AM and adorned themselves with costumes and props provided specifically for the evening’s festivities. The next morning began with a whimsical ‘Hangover Brunch’ in the Encore’s Sinatra Restaurant at which centerpiece bowls of sunglasses, Alka Seltzer, aspirin, Emergen-C and other hangover cures were served. On their arrival at the brunch, guests were amazed to receive a printed & bound photo book and USB credit card featuring all of the photos of the previous night’s events that had ended only hours earlier. The day continued more activities, guest departures for most and a straggler’s dinner at Rao’s Restaurant. Empire’s responsibilities for the program included concept and agenda development, hotel room contracting and coordination, invitation, website and collateral design, RSVP tracking, guest communications, guest ground transportation, welcome packages, meal functions, classes, excursions and activities, shows, pool cabana and nightclub reservations, menus and catering, entertainment as well as all event design and production. With the exception of the client, their extraordinary staff and the outstanding Encore & Wynn hotel team, Empire provided all personnel to manage and execute the project onsite. The net result of the weekend: an immensely happy client and a rewarding experience for all attendees and participants. The client feedback was best captured in the following email from the client’s executive assistant: “The e-mails that [the client] is getting back on the event are over-the-top, ridiculously positive. Many of them read like unbelievable infomercial testimonials, others like they had a spiritual transformation, all of them 200% positive. Objective achieved beyond expectations. You are some kind of an amazing team.”Empire is a leading producer of personal and milestone events and is delighted to deliver beyond expectations for this and other private clients.

Each year, one of the world's top food and beverage companies flies its top performers and their spouses from around the world to its New York headquarters to celebrate their sales achievements and recognize their accomplishments.The trip includes sightseeing, business programs and an evening in NYC. The highlight of the annual trip is always the awards dinner, held inside a state-of-the-art tent built temporarily on the grounds of the corporate headquarters. For the past several years, this company has consistently turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a program of brief performances to occur between sections of awards as well as post-awards ceremony entertainment.This year and in years past Empire was charged with creating a program of entertainment that translated over the multinational attendees that were present and that could segue naturally into a night of dancing and celebration.Empire presented four international acts that represented regions around the globe.The Bollywood dance troupe Ishaara dazzled the crowd with a high energy Indian dance performance. The NYC Lindy Hoppers were up next and put on a swinging performance that impressed the crowd with their acrobatic moves and custom choreography, created just for this event. Next on the stage Empire presented a beautiful and intimate flamenco performance by Flamenco Vivo. Finally to close the awards and set up for the party, the African Children’s Choir came roaring to the stage from the back of house to get the crowd ready to dance. As they came to the finale of their performance the Eturnity Band, New York City's best R&B, Funk & Motown dance band, took the stage and kept the audience dancing until the end of the night.Empire Entertainment is the leading booker and producer of talent and performers for corporate events and has delivered variety and theatrical talent reflecting nearly every region and nation on earth.

For Conservation International’s 14th Annual New York City Gala, Empire Entertainment, in partnership with @Radical.media, once again reinvented the traditional gala event model. By presenting the issues & content as the central focus of the evening, Conservation International’s attending supporters were not only well entertained, but well informed by the experience.The evening’s dynamic stage program was led by ABC News Correspondent George Stephanopoulos and included a live stage discussion with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. As Mr. Stephanopoulos interviewed Mr. Blair, guests learned first hand about the myriad issues threatening our world’s ecosystems and how governments both help and hinder eco-efforts. The informative and fluid discussion focused on Mr. Blair’s personal experiences in facing the challenges and opportunities in trying to make progress on conservation and sustainability.

Following dinner, Empire broke new ground by literally bringing the audience live to Liberia, Brazil and Japan. Making use of Mr Stephanopoulos’ skills as a live television host and with the help of Skype IP video conferencing technology, the event featured a live magazine show format that brought three of Conservation International’s field scientists from Liberia, Brazil and Japan live onscreen into the event. All three shed light on the importance of marrying global & local community efforts in the fight for conservation & sustainability and guests were able to witness first hand the work of Conservation International in disparate regions across the globe.Other speakers for the evening included Conservation International CEO, & Co-Founder Peter Seligmann and the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Richard Haass.The setting for the dinner, The Hall of Ocean Life, was transformed with a stage set that included breathtaking falls of cascading indigo fabric that created a waterfall effect.

Tables were set with exquisite, sustainable floral arrangements for a combined effect that was understated, refined and dramatic. Held in the magnificent American Museum of Natural History, the event also featured an elegant cocktail reception in the Cullman Hall of Universe and a dessert reception in the Hall of Biodiversity.

Leveraging creative and production strengths, Empire, in collaboration with the Conservation International team and @Radical.media were able to deliver a flawless evening that informed, entertained and inspired the gala attendees.

It was a night to remember for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) who hosted their benefit gala, “A Celebration of Heroes, Heart & Hope” at the world- renowned Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Over 800 guests comprised of innovators, achievers, endurance athletes and leaders came together to support CAF to help provide opportunities to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. CAF has enabled individuals to complete an Ironman with one leg, ride 620 miles down the coast in a handcycle, play baseball with other kids and compete in multiple sports in the Olympics. CAF’s goal is to help people with physical disabilities accomplish the challenge that is set before them and live life to the fullest by providing mentoring, clinics and support programs, as well as removing the barrier of expensive equipment and training and competition costs.Empire was honored when CAF had asked us to provide a headline entertainer to help celebrate the achievements and bravery of these amazing athletes. Empire fulfilled the client’s request by securing superstar performer Macy Gray and handling all contracting, management and logistics for her performance.After an inspirational program of speakers and presenters who were endurance athletes themselves, CAF hosted a compelling and exciting live auction that raised over $1 million dollars in a matter of minutes. Macy Gray then performed her greatest hits, such as “I Try, “Kissed It,” and Beauty in the World,” as the Challenged Athletes gathered on stage as a finale to a night full of inspiration and unforgettable stories. Empire supports the Challenged Athletes Foundation in their mission to have a great and significant impact on each physically challenged athlete served.To learn more about CAF, please visit www.challengedathletes.org.

Games for Change is the leading global advocate for the development of games that contain tangible social messaging. The Games For Change Festival is the crown jewel in the organization's event calendar. Each year gamers and game designers from around the world descend on New York to talk about -- and play -- the games that are changing the world. This year marked the eighth G4C festival and the event's directors were determined to take the event to new highs. Enter: Empire Entertainment. Empire orchestrated the 3-day festival's main stage, aggressively honing the event's A/V elements and running the show like a nationally broadcast television special, helping G4C take the first steps in transforming the historically low-key, "D-I-Y" festival into a world class event. Highlights of the 2011 Games For Change Festival included an awards ceremony honoring the best socially-conscious games of the year, an arcade where attendees could play those very games, and keynote presentations by video game and entertainment guru, Jesse Schell, and former U.S. Vice President, Al Gore. Empire is a leading producer of festival and not for profit programs.

When one of the world’s leading software companies unveiled their newest operating system in Taipei, Taiwan, they turned to Empire Entertainment’s Japan-based Asia headquarters for local assistance with the project. Working swiftly with the US-based client, Empire Japan developed venue options and costs and joined the client for a site visit within days of the first contact to lock in final venue, The W Hotel Taipei, logistical and production details for the project. On June 2, 2011, hundreds of partners and members of the international technology and software media from around the world attended the event. Empire Entertainment Japan provided local production support in Taiwan including site selection and contracting, lighting, invitations, reception, shuttle bus operation for the guests, securities, onsite cameraman, and video edit for press release.

Empire Entertainment’s Tokyo-based Asia headquarters is a unique resources for corporate event planners seeking to produce world class events throughout Asia.

The 4th annual Internet Week New York festival featured hundreds of events around New York City between June 6-13, 2011. For the second consecutive year, the founders of the event entrusted Empire Entertainment to produce the many events that took place at the festival headquarters at the Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building.The ground floor of the Pavilion became a “digital playground”, packed with new technologies and interactive exhibits and presentations brought in by more than 40 sponsors of the event.The HQ kicked off on Monday, June 6th with a private preview for dozens of members of the press who turned up to hear opening remarks from David-Michel Davies (Chairman of Internet Week New York), Katherine Oliver (commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment), as well as a keynote presentation by Senator Chuck Schumer. The Senator outlined his vision of New York moving to the forefront of the nation's technology leaders, taking over Silicon Valley before long. He advised the crowd that a working group that included Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo has already been created to work towards that goal.The HQ was then opened to the public who flocked to the space to enjoy the many techno-lounges and installations. Just a few highlights included:• A “Digital Archaeology” exhibit consisting of 28 extinct - - but historically significant - - websites. The sites were cleverly displayed on vintage hardware and software corresponding to the period of each site’s launch, which made them all the more fun for attendees to interact with.• An interactive experience entitled "Can You Draw The Internet?", which challenged "students, creative directors, and established artists" to "[c]apture the spirit of the Internet's billions of pages in a single image."• An immersive Yahoo! experience designed to take attendees “deep into the Yahooverse with interactive, themed zones” which brought to life the brand’s leading content properties, including Yahoo! Finance, Entertainment, News and Sports. Khloe Kardashian made an appearance at the Yahoo exhibit for a guest spot on “The Thread,” where she talked about how important social media is to her and the Kardashian sisters’ many businesses.The first day culminated with a buzzworthy opening night party, attended by over 1,000 guests, and which included live DJ sets by The Hood Internet and the Rapture DJ’s, followed by a tremendous live performance by Brooklyn-based experimental synthpop band Cold Cave. Attendees over the course of the week were also able to take in an incredible abundance of content provided in live presentations on two stages in the HQ, as well as a smaller “classroom” custom-built for the event. Topics of discussion ranged from the light and quirky (“Love on the Go -- How Mobile is Changing Modern Dating”) to the more serious and content driven (“How Mobile Advertising is Impacting Brands and Consumers”). One highlight of the stage presentations at the HQ was a panel discussion called “The 24/7 Online Newscycle & Reaping the Rewards of Real Time Reporting,” featuring Jim Frederick, managing editor of TIME.com, Tony Haile, GM of Chartbeat, the analytics service, Paul Berry, CTO of Huffington Post, and moderated by Laurie Segall from CNNMoney.And for sponsors who wanted a space for even longer stage presentations, Empire also secured the Altman Building, a beautiful space adjoining the Metropolitan Pavilion which was perfect for a full theater-style set up for larger presentations. OMMA held a day long conference, titled "The Tablet Revolution." Featuring keynote presentations and panel discussions, they highlighted the innovations in the emerging technology for Tablets. The next day, the Yahoo! “Provoke Summit” featured a keynote presentation by best-selling author of six books on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience, Steven Johnson.And in just a few hours after the Yahoo! Presentation, Empire changed over the theater into a cocktail party & fashion show, sponsored by Kaboodle. The show featured 24 fashion bloggers, styled by Bloomingdales, strutting their looks down the runway, built down the center of the room. Following the fashion show, Empire once again transformed the Altman Building, this time into a 500 seat theater, where it hosted the 2-day IAB Sponsored Conference, with keynotes and panel discussions throughout. The IAB Conference also utilized the Altman Building's downstairs Gallery space as a breakout room, and it's Green Room as an Interview location. Empire oversaw the 4th 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 the event sponsors from the design process for their footprints in the space and all of their needs from load-in to load-out.Empire is proud to produce Internet Week New York, and has provided production support to many other festivals including The New York Film Festival, The World Science Festival, The Tribeca Family Festival, and more.

On Monday, June 13, 2011, Empire Entertainment co-produced The 15th Annual Webby Awards at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence in web design, creativity, usability and functionality, and has been referred to as "the Internet’s Highest Honor" by the New York Times. Empire secured Lisa Kudrow to host the event, and in her opening remarks, she explained that the event is designed to “celebrate the transformative, uplifting, and life-changing role that digital media plays in all of our lives”. Kudrow also reminded the 1,000+ attendees that the event was livestreamed for the first time ever, on a number of Facebook media pages, including those of The Huffington Post, SportsNation, (RED), National Geographic, Funny or Die, BuzzFeed, Martha Stewart and more.The Webby Awards is perhaps best known for allowing winners just 5 words for their acceptance speeches, which has led to many touching, hilarious, and creative moments over the years. A few of the highlights in 2011 included:• Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe presenting The Webby People’s Voice Award for Fashion to Vogue.com. Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour accepted the award, and her 5-word speech “Sometimes geeks can be chic” brought a great roar from the crowd.• Peter Vesterbacka, CMO of Rovio, the company that created “Angry Birds” accepting the Webby Award for Best Mobile Game. Dressed in a pig costume, Vesterbacka used his 5-words to say “Stay angry - - get those pigs!”, and was then pelted by dozens of stuffed animal birds that had been handed out to audience members earlier in the evening.• 82 year-old Martin Cooper - - inventor of the cell phone - - accepting the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award to a standing ovation from the crowd. Holding an oversized mobile phone from many years ago, Cooper’s 5- word speech “Can you hear me now?” was a huge hit with the audience.• ABC News Anchor Christiane Amanpour presenting the 2011 Webby Special Achievement Award to the country of Egypt. The award was accepted by Amr Salama and Mohamed Diab to a standing ovation. Their poignant 5-Word speeches were “Injustice….Oppression…SocialMedia…equals Revolution!” and “Support freedom - - come visit Egypt”.The evening had many high-points, including a live performance of “The Bed Intruder” song by Antoine Dobson, as “auto-tuned” by The Gregory Brothers. And later in the evening, Norah Jones hit a more serious note, performing a beautiful and haunting version of Johnny Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave” in celebration of Chris Milk's beautiful video piece "The Johnny Cash Project" which won the Webby Award for best NetArt. These two musical performances highlighted the ability of the Webby Awards to seamlessly move between poignant moments and the kind of quirkiness that only is possible thanks to the Web. Co-produced by Sunset Lane Entertainment, and with a fantastic set design by Performance Environment Design Group, the 15th Annual Webby Awards was a huge success. Major League Baseball Advance Media expertly handled the livestream, even allowing viewers to watch a second livestream of the backstage green room while the event itself was unfolding live onstage. Highlights of the event can be viewed at The Webby Award's YouTube Channel.Empire Entertainment has been a producer of The Webby Awards since 2005. We take pride in clients such as Recognition Media who choose to work with us year after year on their most important projects.

When Telemundo - one of the world’s leading producers of Spanish language television programming - needed a world-class, full-service, creative production team to help them deliver their 2011 Upfront experience to their advertisers,they looked to Empire Entertainment to help them design, execute and realize their futuristic vision for this all important, one-chance only event. This year’s Upfront presentation and party, delivered to an audience of over 1000 of Telemundo’s key advertisers & sponsors, would have to present Telemundo as a future-forward brand and integrated media platform, but would also have to communicate a deep understanding of the opportunities created by the profound demographic changes in an increasingly Hispanic America which Telemundo calls “the Shift.” The venue chosen was New York’s American Museum of Natural History with the presentation to be held in the LeFrak IMAX Theater and the party to be held in the futuristic and Astronomy-themed Cullman Hall of the Universe. Working with the client’s desire to take the audience on a futuristic journey and making best use of the Museum’s powerful architecture and design, Empire was able to create a scripted guest experience from invitation to departure. Electronic save the dates and invitations were designed as boarding passes that installed a countdown clock widget on both recipients desktops and mobile devices as a constant reminder to build anticipation in the weeks leading up to the event. On the evening of the Upfront, the futuristic arrival area was designed as a check-in area for a spaceflight inspired by motion pictures like The Fifth Element. Check-in attendants dressed in custom silver, black & blue body suits and holding Telemundo-branded iPads welcomed guests to present their synchronized countdown invitations on their PDAs, smart phones and tablets to check in for their transcendental odyssey to Telemundo’s vision of the future. Even before the start of show, guests were ushered into the grand LeFrak IMAX Theater – their launch pad for the evening - where UV / blue lighting runway lights and futuristic sounds transformed the space into a mission control readying for a blast-off. As the moment for the Upfront began, the animated mission control panel on the huge 60’ wide X 38’ high IMAX screen faded away and was replaced by a countdown in Spanish …Cinco, quatro, tres, dos, uno! A powerful opening video sequence featuring moving graphics, animations and programming highlights kicked off the show and took the audience for a lightspeed ride into the Upfront presentation. The opening highlighted current programming and built energy for the introduction of the first presenter, outgoing President and Hispanic television legend Don Browne. Don and other speakers from programming, news, specials, sports, music television programming platform Mun2, sales and executive management including Lauren Zalaznick, all helped tell the hugely promising story of Telemundo’s value proposition as the Shift comes to be all around us. The various presenters displayed current & future programming and emphasized Telemundo’s role in both reflecting and creating U.S. Hispanic cultural experience while showcasing an awesome influence of several up and coming Hispanic actors, athletes and musical artists. The Upfront presentation ended with a surprise performance by Fast & Furious 5 actor and musical performer Don Omar, who had the audience on their feet dancing to his hit Danza Kuduro.Immediately following the presentation, guests were led out down a hallway of modular tunnels lit with brightly colored LED runway lights and were handed futuristic cocktails by their flight attendants as they made their way into the after party in the Cullman Hall of the Universe. As guests mingled and danced beneath the suspended planetarium, the futuristic theme of paradigm shift was again realized. The after party was a great hit with the guests. As a cultural and experiential immersion, attendees were given leave to eat, drink & lounge on white space-age furniture and play with interactive, touch-screen web tables while listening to a huge range of Latin music from Regional Mexican to Latin Electro spun by DJ Donna D’Cruz. As a highlight to the afterparty, Telemundo star Jencarlos Canela took the stage and performed a 30 minute dance set of hits with his band that kept the audience dancing right up to the end. From countdown clock invitations to infinity mirror cocktail tables at the after party, Empire delivered a cosmic odyssey of epic proportions for Telemundo’s guests. By the end of the evening, Telemundo had successfully communicated their vision to hundreds of senior marketing and advertising executives – effectively mobilizing their targeted audience to partner with them in capturing a burgeoning Hispanic market in a shifting American demographic. From start to finish, our client’s objective and futuristic vision were achieved in every aspect of the event. Great partnerships with the American Museum of Natural History, Restaurant Associates, Sales Graphics and many others led to precise implementation of the event. Empire is a full-service, creative production company that produces world class events for world class clients.

When the largest news agency in the People's Republic of China wanted to hold opening events for their new North American Headquarters in Times Square, they asked Empire Entertainment to produce a sophisticated launch party.In existence for 80 years, Xinhua News Agency operates roughly 40 domestic bureaus in China and 140 overseas offices across the globe. Xinhua owns more than 20 newspapers and a dozen magazines, and it prints in eight languages: Chinese, English, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic and Japanese. In 2010, they launched their own news network "CNC World TV". For the New York launch, the festivities began after the Opening Bell Ceremony at the NASDAQ MarketSite. Empire produced a luncheon event at Xinhua's brand new offices overlooking Times Square. The event was attended by Xinhua executives from across North America and the world, including a delegation from the global headquarters in Beijing. Among the nearly 100 guests were high-level business and political leaders including Ambassador Peng Keyu of the Chinese Consulate-General in New York, Tom Gallo of the U.S. State Department Office of Foreign Missions, and President of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Steve Orlins. Following a brief cocktail hour, giving the guests a chance to explore Xinhua's state-of-the-art offices, attendees were greeted by North American Bureau Chief Zeng Hu. Remarks were also given by Ambassador Li Baodong of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations and finally from Zhou Xisheng, Xinhua Vice President and Executive Deputy Editor-In-Chief. The speakers then participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and champagne toast to Xinhua's future in New York and the world. In the evening approximately 200 friends, colleagues, and honored guests arrived at the Marriott Marquis Sky Lobby just across the street from Xinhua's North American Headquarters for a cocktail event. In addition to remarks from Zhou Xisheng celebrating the day's joyous occasion, a special performance was given by Huang Ruo and his Fire ensemble. Known internationally for his compositions which blend Eastern and Western musical conventions, Dr. Huang gave a rousing performance at the piano while accompanied by clarinet, violin, viola, and pipa (Chinese lute). Empire worked closely with Xinhua and their PR firm the Brunswick Group to design these events and ensure a smooth flow between remarks, dining, and other important moments in the program. Serving as overall event producer, Empire managed/coordinated all aspects of production including venues, lighting, staging, audio, video content, catering, catering staff, video documentation, design and décor, graphic presentation, security, and overall project management. In this unique venue, Empire coordinated between the in-house production team, external audio/video vendors, electronic news media, and building management to integrate the various technologies and production elements required to execute the first-ever production held in this private office space. Empire Entertainment is a leading event producer for international companies in New York City and around the world.

In May 2011, Empire Entertainment returned to Alice Tully Hall to produce the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual Chaplin Award Tribute Gala. This year's star-studded Gala, the 38th annual, honored Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier. 
The Film Society's Annual Gala Tribute began in 1972 and honored Charles Chaplin – who returned to the US from exile to accept the commendation. Since then, the award has honored many of film's visionary talents, including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas and Tom Hanks. 

This year's gala evening began with VIP cocktails in the Hauser Patron's Lounge in Alice Tully Hall and was followed by a seated dinner in the glass-walled atrium. For the dinner, Empire worked closely with Gala Co-Chair Liz Swig and the Film Society of Lincoln center’s events team to design a striking black & white abstract pattern that was printed on the surface of each dinner table and mirrored on the facades of bars and other event furnishings. Following dinner the 1000+ guests entered the Starr Theater for the all-star tribute program. The program began with a video retrospective of the Chaplin Awards through the years followed by remarks from the event committee chair Ann Tenenbaum. At the conclusion of her remarks, Tenenbaum welcomed Bill Cosby to the stage where in his legendary comedic style he praised his friend Sidney Poitier while skewering him. The evening progressed with a series of heartfelt tributes interspersed by film clips of Sidney Poitier's work. The presenters included James Earl Jones, Chris Tucker, Mary Louise-Parker, Danny Glover, Ruby Dee, Morgan Freeman, Norman Jewison, Harry Belafonte, Quentin Tarantino, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, and a video greeting from Oprah Winfrey. The clips included highlights from "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", "Blackboard Jungle", "Uptown Saturday Night", "The Defiant Ones", "A Raisin In The Sun", "Patch of Blue", and "In The Heat of the Night” among others.One of the many highlights of the evening were comedic remarks delivered by Dan Aykroyd and Sir Ben Kingsley in which they presented a slideshow comparing Poitier to other film icons such as John Wayne and Paul Newman. A surprise moment came following a film clip of "To Sir With Love" when Poitier's co-star and singer Lulu gave a powerful, yet intimate performance of the song before an ecstatic audience. As the final presenter of the evening, Quincy Jones at last presented Sidney Poitier with the Chaplin Award. Poitier then gave his heartfelt remarks and thanks with his trademark delivery while all of the evening's presenters stood by his side.The program was followed by a lively after-party in the transformed Atrium space that stretched late into the evening. For this high stature event Empire served as overall event producer and was responsible for aspects ranging from overall creative and production design, to coordinating with presenters and talent, working with Lincoln center to provide production design and supervision, working with the Film Society to develop the run of show and stage managing the event. Empire also designed and implemented all aspects of the red carpet and presenter arrivals, press and step & repeat, VIP cocktail party, dinner design & décor, catering, and after-party design. Empire is a leading producer of high-profile award and tribute programs and is frequently engaged to present programs with international stature talent & celebrities.To learn more about the Film Society of Lincoln Center and to become a donor, visit www.filmlinc.com

On May 1st, 2011, Empire Entertainment was proud to produce the 2nd Annual Mary J. Blige Honors Concert on behalf of The Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute’s fast growing charitable organization. Held at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom, over 700 guests including Russell Simmons, Ellen Pompeo, Evan Rachel Wood, Kerry Washington and Donna Karan attended to support FFAWN and their mission to empower and encourage women by shaping and supporting programs that foster education, career development, strong self-esteem, and personal growth.

Hosted by the incomparable Queen Latifah and Elle Magazine Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers, the event honored the 2011 FFAWN scholarship recipients and celebrated the dedication of these special young women to achieve greatness. Joining them onstage was a star studded all female line-up of extraordinary performers, leading ladies and role models, including Corinne Bailey Rae, Jill Scott, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Anita Baker and the Queen of Hip Hop Soul herself, Mary J. Blige.

Powerful video and emotive graphic images of FFAWN’s work played on a large projection screen flown over the stage while the all female cast drove FFAWN’s mission home - to inspire women from all walks of life to gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their individual potential.Guests were seated in a stunning ballroom lit by candlelight with sexy lounge décor graciously donated by Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation, one of the evening’s presenting sponsors. With complete VIP treatment and bottle service donated by Moet Hennessy, attendees lounged comfortably while listening extraordinary live female vocal performances.

Some highlights of the evening included Corinne Bailey Rae’s "Put Your Records On," and "Like a Star," Jill Scott’s soulful, “Golden,” Jennifer Hudson’s "I Got This" and her powerful rendition of “I'm Every Woman." Christina Aguilera, accompanied by a pianist, singing a moving performance of “Beautiful,” Anita Baker singing an incredible surprise duet with Mary J. Blige, of "Caught Up In The Rapture,” the song that launched Mary J. Blige’s career.At the end of the evening Nine Time Grammy Award winning artist, Mary J. Blige took the stage and tore the house down with “No More Drama” and her finalé, “Just Fine.” As the audience stood for a standing ovation everyone felt the incredible power of her voice and understood that FFAWN had achieved what they had set out to do.

The memorable night was sponsored by Elle, Gucci, Moet Hennessy, Covergirl, The Urban Zen Foundation and Scholarship America as well as supported by many in-kind donations and support from others.All told, the event raised over half a million dollars for FFAWN, while paying tribute to young girls with big dreams of becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer for MJB Honors and managed all aspects of the event including site selection and contracting, logistics, catering, décor, video creation, talent management and coordination, production, security and onsite management, collaborating with FFAWN and all of the other sponors, partners and donors.

To find out how you can get involved with FFAWN and help make the difference in the lives of women, visit their website at www.ffawn.org. You can also go their star-studded online auction featuring exclusive music and entertainment experiences at www.charitybuzz.com/Ffawn.

Empire Entertainment is a proud supporter of The Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), and its mission to help all women gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their full individual potential.

On May 16, 2011, Empire Entertainment, in partnership with @Radical.Media, produced Conservation International’s Los Angeles Gala at the Montage Beverly Hills. The third of four, national fundraising events that Empire is producing for Conservation International, this event brought together some of Los Angeles’ leading philanthropists with some of the world’s most notable champions of the environment.The event began with an elegant cocktail reception and proceeded into a seated dinner in the Marquesa Ballroom. Once guests were seated, Conservation International Chairman’s Council Member, Gillian Wynn welcomed the audience and set the stage for the impressive evening to come.Then Conservation International Chairman, and CEO Peter Seligmann delivered a powerful keynote address highlighting critical environmental and conservation issues around the world and focusing on CI’s vital work in these areas.After dinner, Conservation International President Russ Mittermeir and motion picture superstar Harrison Ford presented an award to DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg who spoke to the audience. Katzenberg’s appearance was well timed with the release of Kung Fu Panda II which gave both him and Conservation International an opportunity to spotlight their efforts in saving natural habitats in rapidly developing China.At the conclusion of the evening, Jack Black delivered a pre-recorded greeting and then Gillian Wynn took the stage to ask the attendees to remain engaged with what hey had heard on this night and to give generously with a special Save an Acre appeal.Following the dinner, guests adjourned to an after-party dessert reception.Empire served as overall event producer for this gala and was responsible for all technical production, stage design, and stage management. @Radical.Media provided all screen content and graphics.Conservation International empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, and for the well-being of humanity. To learn more about Conservation International, visit http://www.conservation.org/Empire is a leading producer of innovative gala events and is proud to serve Conservation International.

Empire Entertainment was honored to produce the New York Foundation for the Arts 40th Anniversary Gala, which took place at the Prince George Ballroom on April 26, 2011. Although the event took place nearly a month after the first day of spring, the change in season did not seem official until the day of the 40th Anniversary Gala––an appropriate coincidence given the mission of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) support artists at budding stages in their creative lives.The gallery of the Prince George Ballroom was filled with works by several of NYFA’s most celebrated artists, including two 13 foot paintings by David Sandlin, as well as an enormous ceramic sculpture by Steven Montgomery entitled Green Door. During the cocktail reception Combo Nuvo, an improvisational jazz ensemble featuring several of New York’s most acclaimed jazz artists, played while guests enjoyed the artwork, passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.Guests were then ushered into the ornate ballroom for to find appetizers awaiting them. Abigail Kirsch catered an exquisite dinner, during which Kathleen Chalfant, actor and member of the NYFA leadership counsel, introduced each honored artist. The honorees included Todd Haynes, writer, director and executive producer whose most recent film I’m Not There won the Robert Altman award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Critically acclaimed choreographer and Editor-in-Chief of Dance Magazine, Wendy Perron, controversial artist Andres Serrano and NYFA trustee Kathleen O’Grady were also on the list of honorees. Following the award presentation was a performance by Suzzy Roche.

Working closely with New York Foundation for the Arts events team, Empire Entertainment served as overall producer of the event and as responsible for aspects ranging from event design, layout, technical production and logistics to décor and music.To learn more about New York Foundation for the Arts or to donate, please visit, NYFA.org.

On April 12, 2011 Empire Entertainment Japan, together with the support of our sponsors, partners and friends produced the charity event "Power to the People" to provide aid to Tsunami and Earthquake victims in Japan's hard hit Tohoku region.All proceeds from this event were donated to the not-for-profit organization Civic Force, one of the many groups doing excellent work delivering urgently needed relief services to isolated areas of Northeast Japan.Despite a strong aftershock earthquake on the day of the event, over 200 guests joined our artists and speakers for the event and over 1 million yen was donated to charity.Event Website：http://empireentertainmentjapan.web.fc2.com/Artists and Speakers (Alphabetical Order):AHN MIKA: tencarat-plume.jp/models/details/anmika.shtmlAMIGA: http: www.electrical-lovers.com/DJ ALEX from TOKYO: www.alexfromtokyo.sakura.ne.jp/en/profile.htmlDJ YUMMY: www.djyummy.net/Naomi Grace: www.naomigrace.com/Sherry: www.mh-fujiga.com/sherry/TONFU: www.mimi-e.com/tonfu/ Supporting Organizations (Alphabetical Order):Asian Tigers Japan: www.asiantigers-japan.comAZA: www.aza.co.jpConcept Artists: www.conceptartists.comEmpire Entertainment Inc.: www.empireentertainment.comEvent 21: www.event21.co.jpFashion TV Japan: www.ftv.co.jpMiss Universe Japan, IBG Japan, Co. Ltd.: www.missuniversejapan.com Santa Fe Japan: www.santafejapan.co.jpSleep Solutions Inc.: www.sleeptracker.comTAKE AND GIVE NEEDS Co., Ltd: www.tgn.co.jpWeatherly Japan: www.sleeptracker.jpHaiyuza Theater: www.haiyuzagekijou.co.jp/theater

On Thursday, April 28th at the Metropolitan Club in New York City, celebrity friends and family joined Goldie Hawn for the Hawn Foundation Gala. The Hawn Foundation promotes it’s MindUP programs that focus on equipping children with the social and emotional skills they need to navigate the challenges of the contemporary world in order to lead smarter, healthier, and happier lives. The event featured a cocktail reception, stage program and performances in the spectacular Metropolitan Club spaces on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 60th Street in New York City. During the stage program, speakers including Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson spoke on behalf of the Foundation to the packed room that included several celebrities such as Courtney Love. Kate Hudson graciously introduced her mother, Goldie, who emotionally discussed how the Foundation was her most important achievement. In addition to the speaking program, the entertainment at the event included a soloist from the Newark Boys Choir, The CityKids Dancers, jazz icon Christine Ebersole and an acoustic set from Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas. Following the stage program International DJ sensation Donna D'Cruz spun a mix of dance favorites that had Goldie Hawn, her husband Kurt Russell and the other guests dancing until late into the evening. For this worthy gala, Empire Entertainment was engaged by Elizabeth Rose Consulting who worked closely with Ms. Hawn to create the exclusive cocktail event in the century-old East side venue. Empire is a leading producer of not-for-profit events.