Our Work

“Swatch MTV Playground”, supported by worldwide watchmaker Swatch and MTV, is a worldwide internet community created to support artists of all genres. This web community provides a variety of creative content and allows people to demonstrate their talents freely and stimulate the imaginations of young creators. Just like the title of the project suggests, it truly provides a playground for any artist who participates.When MTV Europe was planning for the shooting of “Talk@Playground” in Tokyo, they turned to Empire Entertainment Japan for location scouting, staff management, equipment acquisition and general coordination. “Talk@Playground” is a miniseries for television and the Playground website that showcases interviews with world famous artists and designers.

The location was selected based on what would best represent Japan’s creativity and artistry. For Katy Perry, America’s new pop diva, and Manish Arora, India’s leading fashion designer, the historical Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo was selected. For Will.i.am, the front man of the world’s number 1 hip hop group, Black Eyed Peas, and Fujiwara Hiroshi, the godfather of Harajuku fashion and music, the Mado Lounge and Mori Museum at Roppongi Hills in downtown Tokyo was selected. Empire was able to perfectly carry out all of the client’s requests, from managing the foreign artists, creators and producers, to coordinating the venues, equipment preparation, and of course overseeing Japanese personnel. Empire’s ability to communicate smoothly with both the Japanese and foreign personnel helped lead to a successful conclusion for the shoot.

When a Fortune 300 financial services firm needed cost-effective headline entertainment that would appeal to three different audiences for three separate incentive programs in 2009, they came to Empire Entertainment for recommendations. After speaking with the client about the demographics of each group, and the budget for each event, Empire was able to make a number of recommendations. But it was also easy for Empire to provide one top choice: Don Felder. A member of the Eagles for nearly 30 years, Felder had co-written “Hotel California” as well as a number of the band’s other hits. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Eagles in 1998. After joining the Eagles for their renowned “Hell Freezes Over” tour from 1994-1996, Felder played with the band again in 1998 at their Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Not long afterwards, however, Felder and the Eagles went separate ways, which allowed Don to start his own band, which is now one of the best on the market for corporate events with audiences of almost any age range.

At private events, Don and his band perform many of the Eagles greatest hits, including of course, “Hotel California”, which typically opens his sets featuring Don playing the original double-neck while guitar he wrote and recorded the track with. At the three shows for Empire’s client, the set lists included rock classics including “Take It Easy”, “Life In the Fast Lane”, and “Heartache Tonight”, while ballads such as “Tequila Sunrise” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling” gave the guests and their spouses an opportunity to slow dance as well. Felder’s sets also generally include a handful of songs by some of his other favorite artists, notably “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and “Pride & Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughn (on which Felder proves he is still one of the greatest guitarists who have ever lived).And as incredible as Felder is onstage, he is equally courteous and flexible offstage. He understands the need to listen to client concerns and requests at private shows, and in a truly accommodating gesture, he agreed to play “Hotel California” at the end of each show for Empire’s client, as well as at the start. He was also wonderful at the meet and greet following each of the three performances, happily meeting the client’s VIP’s, taking photos with them, and sharing stories.All three audiences were elated hearing their old Eagles favorites, and sang along with the band while jamming the dance floor.

Empire has been recommending, securing, and producing headline entertainment for special events since its inception in 1993. We pride ourselves on suggesting the best possible entertainers for our clients based on their attendees, budgets, and event objectives.

Empire was honored join with renowned producers Radical Media, FremantleMedia Enterprises, and The Mark Gordon Company to help produce the HardBat Classic Ping Pong Tournament at the Venetian / Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Presented by Bud Light and billed as ”the biggest, baddest throw down in the history of table tennis” the HardBat Classic was designed to relaunch Ping Pong as a renewed sensation and to bring “old school” table tennis out of the basement and into the big time as competitors fought for the $100,000 grand prize.

The tournament featured competition among over 500 players and hustlers, all played with old school bats made of only wood and rubber, pips out instead of sponge-padded bats. This style of play levels the playing field allowing amateurs and pros to compete fairly.Empire served as the event producer managing the design and execution of the physical build-out of the enormous Sands Expo Hall C space at the Venetian. The tournament village consisted of registration and equipment pickup areas, retail locations for sponsors KillerSpin and K-Swiss, a large central Bud Light bar & lounge area, a café and VIP area, mo re than 60 competition courts, four semi-final courts, and a carefully branded championship arena seating almost 500 fans.

The three day tournament featured exclusive VIP celebrity parties at venues including Tao, Lavo and the Stadium in the Palazzo which were attended by celebrities including Anna Kournikova, 30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander and Entourage’s Autumn Reeser.The grand champion match came down to a white knuckle challenge between 23-year-old Jack Baker and 73-yea-old Wayne Oberton, who played in shorts up to his chest and suspenders. In the end, beauty triumphed over age as Jack accepted the winners robe, medal and $100,000 grand prize amid a shower of glitter confetti.

Empire handled all physical design of the space, the creation of the championship arena, all staging, sound, lighting, décor, security, logistics, staffing, production management and stage management of the main events. In addition to Radical Media, the program partner’s included the Mark Gordon Company, Fremantle Enterprises, KillerSpin and the Venetian / Sands Expo.The HardBat Classic premiered on ESPN in October 2009.

Empire Entertainment has served as a producer and production partner on many broadcast events including live sports & entertainment specials.

The annual Public Theater Gala, which marks the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park, is the quintessential New York City gala benefiting the arts, and Empire is honored to have been chosen as the event producer for the 2nd year in a row. In the rainiest June that New Yorkers can remember, the Public Theater was fortunate to have a warm and dry evening for their entirely outdoor bash. This year’s honorees included Susan Lyne, chief executive of the Gilt Groupe and former chief executive of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and acclaimed director Mike Nichols, whose extensive credits include The Graduate and the 2001 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Seagull with Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman.

The event began with a dinner for 800 on the lawn outside of the Delacorte Theater. Gorgeous fuchsia peony arrangements topped dinner tables draped in lavender linens, and Hudson Yards Catering designed a delectable summer menu that featured Argentinean sirloin, horseradish-crusted salmon and roasted wild mushrooms. Following dinner, guests including Steve Martin and Cynthia Nixon headed into the Delacorte Theater for a performance of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night starring the very beautiful and talented Anne Hathaway. Capping off the evening was an after-party for the cast and guests, held at the Belvedere Castle overlooking Turtle Pond. Partygoers danced under the stars and strung twinkle lights while DJ Marlon Morris spun pop favorites, both old and new.

Empire served as overall event producer, coordinating guest registration logistics with the Public Theater’s development team, catering with Hudson Yards Catering, decor & floral design, red carpet & signage as well as staging & production with the Public Theater's own exceptional production team. Empire also managed the production schedule, show flow, layouts, budget and production roles to ensure that everyone's efforts were tightly integrated and coordinated with the operations of the Public Theater and the Central Park Conservancy. Empire Entertainment has over 15 years of experience producing public, private, not-for-profit and outdoor events in New York City and around the world. Many thanks to the Public Theater for choosing Empire to produce their gala once again. To learn more about the Public Theater and their programs and to become a member and supporter, visit http://www.publictheater.org/

The World Science Festival, co-founded by Brian Greene and Tracy Day has a mission "to cultivate and sustain a general public informed by the content of science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future."Following a successful inaugural Festival in 2008, Empire was thrilled to once again team up with the 2009 World Science Festival to produce and manage production of over twenty-five major programs throughout six different New York City venues in a span of just four days.

The festival culminated with an all-day outdoor Street Festival in and around Washington Square Park.This year's diverse programming appealed to all demographics and included moderated panel discussions with some of the most brilliant scientific minds today, original theatrical productions with major stars such as Anna Deavere Smith and Emily Levine, and musical performances by artists such as Bobby McFerrin. Some of the many participants in this year's World Science festival programs included Dean Kamen, Edward O. Wilson, Irena Schulz with Snowball the dancing cockatoo, John Hockenbery, Sylvia Earle, Majora Carter, Lawrence Krauss, Robert Krulwich, Charlie Rose, Oliver Sacks, Alan Alda, Bill Blakemore, Brian Greene and many others.

The response to this year's World Science Festival was phenomenal. More than 165,000 people participated in the Festival's events and programs, with lines again wrapping around city blocks for possible stand-by tickets to the sold-out programs.As was done for the inaugural World Science Festival in 2008, Empire's support on the project included management of numerous venues staging and set requirements, sound, lighting, video playback, stage management and technical direction as well as many other production elements required for such extensive and, elaborate productions. Empire also tracked all production expenses paid directly by the not-for-profit World Science Festival to ensure the foundation stayed on budget and could adhere to rigorous financial reporting standards.

The World Science Festival is an ideal example of Empire's capability to act as a behind the scenes partner on all types and sizes of programs, including multiple-day festivals, as well as our unique ability to mold our services to the client's special needs and to act as a team player to help execute flawless events. Empire Entertainment was once again proud to serve as the production partner for the annual World Science Festival.

In June 2009 Empire Entertainment produced the 13th Annual Webby Awards, marking the 5th consecutive year Recognition Media LLC chose to partner with Empire on the project which has been referred to as "the only award show for Internet sites that matters" by The Los Angeles Times. The myth of the number 13 bringing bad luck was quickly put to rest, as the event was the best Webby Awards yet. The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence in web design, creativity, usability and functionality, and the coveted awards have been called "the Internet's" Highest Honor" by the New York Times. On the night of the event, more than 850 of the best and the brightest minds on the net came to Cipriani Wall Street to honor and be honored for their contributions to the World Wide Web.

This evening kicked off with a cocktail reception, during which over 100 Webby winners were invited to film their five-word speeches (a distinguishing characteristic of the event), which would be uploaded to the Webby Awards YouTube channel later that same evening - - check them out at www.youtube.com/webby Empire secured Seth Meyers from Saturday Night Live to host the event for the second straight year. In his opening remarks, Meyers proved why he is head writer for SNL, quipping that "on the internet you can see any type of bizarre sex act anytime you want, you can get prescription drugs without seeing a doctor, and you can lose yourself in role-playing games. So in a lot of ways the internet is the future, but in a lot of ways, it's the '70's." Meyers' charisma and razor-sharp ad libs throughout the night kept the ceremony light and entertaining, as did some hilarious videos created especially for the event by The Onion and some of the cast from the VH1 hit show, "Best Week Ever".

Meyers introduced many winners to deliver their brief speeches from the stage, including supermodels Alessandra Abrosio and Doetzen Kroes from Victoria's Secret, actress/model Molly Sims, Arianna Huffington, Beaker from the famed "Muppet Show", and a winner from the Netherlands who used his five words to deliver a marriage proposal to his girlfriend, which she promptly accepted. The biggest winners of the evening were Lisa Kudrow, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Sarah Silverman, Biz Stone (the founder of Twitter, who was introduced by the iconic Martha Stewart), and Tim Berners-Lee, who has been credited with inventing the World Wide Web. But the best 5-word speech of the night was arguably by Jimmy Fallon, who after being announced by Cameron Diaz, said simply, "Thank God Conan got promoted", a reference to having recently taken over the "Late Night" talk show from Conan O'Brien.

Empire Entertainment again provided oversight of nearly every element of this complex event, including signage, catering, décor, registration, staffing, audio, video, & lighting designs, stage management, and more.

Empire is a leading producer and/or partner on many Awards events each year, including the The Gotham Awards, The PR Week Awards, and The Executive Council Ten Awards. We take pride in clients such as Recognition Media who choose to work with us annually on their most important projects.

Each year, one of the world's top food and beverage companies flies its highest sales achievers and their spouses from around the world to its New York headquarters to celebrate their achievement and recognize their accomplishments.The trip includes sightseeing, business programs and an evening at Ellis Island. The highlight of the annual trip is the awards dinner, held inside a state-of-the-art tent built temporarily on the grounds of the corporate headquarters. And for the past several years, this company has consistently turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a program of interstitial performances and post-awards ceremony entertainment.

This year, 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 the modern circus ensemble Cirque Dreams to perform a series of dynamic segments that inspired and entertained the audience. Performances included a father and sons diabolo juggling trio, a shape-shifting act, a low-slack wire balancing performance and an acrobatic duo on a Risley seat.The Eturnity Band, New York City's best R&B, Funk & Motown dance band, kept the audience dancing until the end of the night.

Empire Entertainment is the leading producer of talent and performers for corporate events.

The TriBeCa Film Festival once again turned to Empire Entertainment to produce the festival's largest single event - the TriBeCa Family Festival. The multi-faceted street festival pulled in an estimated 200,000 visitors throughout the day and served as a focal point for the growing celebration of the revival of Lower Manhattan. Just as in previous years, this year's Family Festival offered more than 50 tents of entertainment, activities, and food and stretched across 12 city blocks. Four outdoor stages presented a diverse collection of New York-based performers and community talent, including Shrek The Musical, National Double Dutch League and The New Jersey Nets Dancers.

Highlights included an arts and crafts pavilion, a BMX street course from X-Games, a basketball shooting court sponsored by the New York Knicks, hundreds of street performers, face painters, kite-making, sidewalk chalk art, and numerous other kid-friendly activities. The event also included the participation of dozens of restaurants and merchants in lower Manhattan and the spontaneous participation of schools, community groups and all manner of special interests and institutions in TriBeCa. Empire Entertainment served as Executive Producers and managed all production and logistics elements of the entire event and coordinated all services including tenting, integration with city agencies, security, generators and electrical power distribution, decor, staging, sound, lighting, labor, decor, bathrooms, street cleanup, video and A/V, event design and layout, stage management and overall event management.

Empire is a major producer of public events and is proud to be a partner of TriBeCa Productions in the TriBeCa Film Festival.

Each year, TIME identifies the 100 most influential people in the world in special issue called the Time 100. In conjunction with this highly-anticipated editorial event, Time Magazine hosts an ultra high level dinner gala attended by the year's Time 100 honorees as well as past honorees. Empire Entertainment was chosen to serve as the overall event producer for this most prestigious of events which featured Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, AR Rahman, Jimmy Fallon, the Twitter Founders and a host of others.

The Time 100 gala took place on May 5, 2009 at New York’s Jazz @ Lincoln Center; the event commenced with grand entrance to the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle and a red carpet treatment that passed through the multi-level lobby that allowed the general public to view the arriving dignitaries and honorees. Honda, one of the evening’s sponsors, presented one of their newest vehicles on the red carpet.The Jazz @ Lincoln Center Atrium hosted the cocktail reception and bar, with catering provided by Great Performances. This area featured music and interactive stations where guests could explore the Time 100 issue on HP’s new TouchSmart PC. This star-studded reception gave politicians and movie stars the opportunity to mingle with moguls, performers, and Nobel laureates.

Some of the guests who attended the event included Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler, Claire Danes, Gayle King, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Barbara Walters, Ann Coulter, Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Sawyer, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Steve Schwarzman, Meredith Whitney, Zhang Ziyi, and Billie Jean King.Guests then moved into the Allen Room for dinner where guests enjoyed a sumptuous meal on tables intricately decorated by Empire’s design team as they looked out on Central Park. The Time 100 program began with an introduction by Managing Editor Richard Stengel, followed by a Time 100’s Sizzle video created by Empire Entertainment’s multi-image team. After the video, the First Lady and Honored Guest Michelle Obama spoke of the importance of public service in her own life, and subsequently announced that the President's budget proposal for the next year would include $50 million to support nonprofit groups and promote national service.

Time President Mark Ford then took the podium to thank the evening’s sponsors – Honda, Cartier, HP, and Verizon Wireless. Next, Deputy Managing Editor Josh Tyrangiel introduced Slumdog Millionaire’s A.R. Rahman and his band who performed two sings including the film’s hit ‘Jai Ho.’ Rahman had arrived from Mumbai only a few hours prior to the start of the event and still managed to wow the guests. Following this performance a series of toasts to the honored guests were delivered by Oprah Winfrey, writer Paul Krugman, designer Stella McCartney, human rights activist Somaly Mam, and the Twitter Founders Biz Stone, Evan Williams and Jack Dorsey. These toasts were interspersed with a performance and hilarious tribute remarks by Late Night host Jimmy Fallon who also performed an uproarious original song “Carwash for Peace.”

Following dessert, Time Warner Chairman and Chief Executive Grammy Jeffrey Bewkes took the stage to introduce Grammy Award winner John Legend and his band who delivered a 30-minute set of hits that brought the audience on their feet. The event was heavily covered by worldwide media, with Empire Entertainment providing a live feed and online B-roll posting later that evening. For this exceptionally complex and highly anticipated project, Empire served as overall event producing managing all aspects including venue coordination, catering coordination with Great Performances, design & décor of all spaces, sponsor fulfillment, branding, step & repeat, printing, design & production of video and graphics packages, staging, sound, lighting, video projection, video documentation, live media feed, coordination with all presenters and speakers, talent booking & coordination, stage management, staffing, security, Secret Service integration, and coordination with the White House Advance Office.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of high-level programs and events and is proud to have been chosen to produce this remarkable program.

On April 27 and 28, 2009, the world's foremost nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlé S.A., in conjunction with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Swiss Mission to the United Nations, collaborated to present the First Annual Creating Shared Value Forum in New York City. They partnered with a globally recognized communications consulting firm who selected Empire to serve as Production Company for this prestigious program. The objective of the forum was to help advance solutions to the serious problems facing the world in the areas of water, rural development and nutrition.

The forum kicked off with an elegant dinner held at the UN Delegate's Dining Room in the United Nations, with panoramic views overlooking the East River. Invited guests included United Nations, Development, Humanitarian and Relief Organizations, distinguished academics, representatives from a host of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other participants in the Forum's discussions. Leaders from the three hosting organizations welcomed the guests while they announced three new initiatives and introduced the topics for the following day's forum. They also debuted the Nestlé Creating Shared Value Report, entitled "Nutritional Needs and Quality Diets," which profiles Nestlé's global efforts to improve quality diets, support weight management, address specific dietary needs and improve knowledge, awareness and understanding about nutrition.

The following day, the world's leading experts in business strategy, nutrition, water, and rural development held multiple panel discussions at the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel. United Nations representatives, members of various development organizations, esteemed academics and government officials contributed their thoughts on the intersection of critical issues in their fields with corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.Moderated by Maria Livanos Cattaui, former Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, the forum included a who's who of experts including: Jeffery Sachs, Special Advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the UN Millennium Development Goals and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University;Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships;Jane Nelson, Director of the CSR Initiative at Harvard University's JFK School of Government;Nancy Birdsall, founding president of the Center for Global Development; Georg Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact; andJohn Elkington, co-founder of SustainAbility, and founding Partner & Director of Volans.

Throughout their discussions, questions and comments were welcomed from the participating attendees who were also leaders on these issues and a spirited discussion ensued. The Forum was also webcast live through various channels all over the globe: See link below for webcast:(http://clients.world-television.com/nestle/Nestle_Global_Forum09/) The incredible day of collaboration, discussion and knowledge-sharing on a wide range of topics helped to suggest strategies and best practices for addressing these issues and promoting a shared responsibility to create a better world. "Creating shared value is essential for the good of business and for the safety of our world. More than 2 billion people go to bed hungry. It's not just awareness, it's our necessity to fix," Jeffrey Sachs said. Empire served as Production Company for this program, designing, managing and overseeing the provision of all technical production, conference logistics, décor and the design and creation of all branding and signage.

Empire is a leading producer of global conferences and forums and a supporter of initiatives promoting global sustainability.

Each year, America's pre-eminent film presentation organization, The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents its annual Gala Tribute honoring legendary stars and industry leaders of our generation at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. 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 and, in 2008, actress Meryl Streep.This year's Gala, the 36th annual, honored two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. The star-studded event featured remarks by many of Hanks's friends and collaborators, as well as film clips commemorating his celebrated career.

The evening culminated in the presentation of the Gala Tribute award – named the Chaplin Award. This year's gala evening started with VIP cocktails with the honoree in the Hauser Patron's Lounge in Alice Tully Hall and was followed by a seated dinner in the glass-walled atrium. The dinner décor was provided by designer David Stark. Following dinner the 1000+ guests entered the Starr Theater for the all-star program produced by Empire Entertainment. The program began with remarks by this year's event committee chair Ann Tenenbaum and then remarks by Film Society Executive Director Mara Manus and Program Director Richard Pena. Then came a career retrospective montage featuring work from most of Tom Hank's past films and ending with a clip of his newest release, Angels & Demons which served to introduce director Ron Howard who delivered the first tribute of the evening. This was followed by film clips and tributes by writer/director Nora Ephron, actress Sally Field, director Jonathan Demme, writer/director Mike Nichols, actress Julia Roberts, writer/director John Patrick Shanley, actress Charlize Theron, a performance based on the Chopsticks scene in "Big" by up-and-coming Julliard pianist Aaron Diehl and a tribute by director Robert Zemeckis.

Two highlights of the evening were a live performance by Bruce Springsteen & wife Patti Scialfa, followed by remarks by director Steven Spielberg and his presentation of the award to Tom Hank who then delivered his moving and hilarious acceptance remarks. Following the tribute program the guests returned to the atrium for a DJ's party sponsored by 42 Below Vodka.For this high stature event Empire served as producer and were responsible for overseeing creative and coordinating program participation for all participating presenters and talent, working with Lincoln center to provide necessary production design and supervision, creating the run of show and stage managing the event and working with the various film clips provided by the studios to integrate them into the program. The program was immensely successful and the client, all of the participating presenters and Tom Hanks were ecstatic with the results.

Empire is a leading producer of high-profile award and tribute programs and is frequently engaged to present programs with international stature talent & celebrities like Julie Roberts, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks.

When a leading software company was planning to bring corporate customers, partners, team members and industry experts together in New Orleans for a giant, week-long global conference, they asked Empire to provide the entertainment. In keeping with the flavor of New Orleans, Empire proposed and eventually secured local musical legends, The Radiators, to provide the soundtrack for the conference. This New Orleans musical institution has a sound described as a convergence of R&B, jazz, country, soul, swing, gospel, and New Orleans Rock n' Roll.

The Radiators are a featured mainstay of the "New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival" but on this week the band was a mainstay at the Ernest Morial Convention Center - acting at the house-band entertainment for three days of meetings and keynotes for a community of top software executives. The Radiators played live music as the eight thousand attendees entered the hall and supported keynote presenters as they took the stage. The Radiators' lively blend of upbeat, cross-genre New Orleans' rock brought energy and pacing and kept attendees engaged and surprised as the event unfolded. Having only wet the appetite of conference attendees, The Radiators took the stage at a local nightclub on one evening where they performed a full-length, high-energy concert that had the crowd electrified and cheering late into the night.

Like the diverse conference attendees themselves, The Radiators' perfect mixture of New Orleans jazz and rock ensured a steady flow for the tightly scripted conferences during the day, and a loose vibe for the guests to unwind to at night.

Empire is a leading provider of entertainment for large scale corporate meetings and events and is always able to deliver local flavor talent whether in New Orleans, Paris or Hong Kong.

When one of the world's leading technology companies formulated their plan to launch a ground-breaking new innovation, they made the decision to use a viral stunt as a means of drawing buzz to the product.The client selected a global marketing agency, who in turn partnered with Empire to produce a unique three day, live entertainment stunt that would generate substantial attention and buzz both where the stunt took place as well as online and in the viral cloud.

In order to achieve maximum visibility for consumer reach, they targeted the most highly trafficked location in New York City - Times Square. At the crossroads of New York City, the live stunts would be seen daily by a substantial number of the 1.5 million locals and tourists that cross Times Square's daily path. With the launch of the new and revolutionary technology, it was essential to create an experience to match the energy of the product – an energy that would match the buzzing backdrop of New York City and the commotion of billboards, brands and lights that mark Times Square. To accomplish this Empire secured innovative acrobatic and aerial troupe, Antigravity®, to present an entertainment-driven and high-flying choreographed experience that delivered product messaging and a physical representation of it's functionality. This creative was based on a conceptual storyboard developed by the marketing agency & Empire.

Empire worked within a month timeframe to bring an original concept to life. Antigravity®, with a notable roster of world-renowned acrobatic competitors, former Olympic athletes and Broadway performers, showcased their talents within a 10 minute high-energy performance, choreographed to original music, created and licensed specifically by Empire for this event.To achieve maximum impact, it was decided that the original performance would be repeated four times throughout the day, at critical high-traffic points, on three consecutive days – Friday thru Sunday.

The team of 32 performers, which also included some of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, were dressed in sleek, branded racer-like costumes. Each performance began with the cast separated into four separate groups. Each group of eight performers entered Times Square from a four block radius in order to build buzz and draw audience from afar. After five minutes of pre-show the four groups converged on Duffy Square island (where the TKTS booth is located) bringing together a momentous crowd. As the multitude of onlookers and tourists steadied their cameras for a free show, Antigravity® kicked into high gear and delivered a ten minute performance that included Rockettes-type choreography, extreme acrobatics, contortion, tumbling breakdancing, cyre wheel and other Antigravity specialties. One of the unique features of this performance was the use of performers to create a 16' wide X 9' high ‘living billboard' that displayed a series of advertising images and functionality demonstrations as the performers exchanged and flipped cards to create image after image. After the final image, the boards and performers pulled apart to expose an open stage area that transitioned into the famous finale of the Antigravity® Jumping Boots, which catapulted performers fifteen feet in the air into dynamic tumbling sequences. The audience was left speechless and met the performances with rousing applause as they rushed to meet and take photographs with the performers post event.

To support the promotion and drive product trials, street teams were on site directly after the acrobatic stunt as well as on surrounding NYC blocks to provide hands on experience with the product. The demonstrated technologies were preloaded with candid photographs and videos of the Antigravity® team rehearsing the routines, captured by Empire in the week leading up to the event.The stunt performance live entertainment event was part of an even larger brand marketing campaign where billboards, wrapped New York City buildings and busses, and store product launches covered the city landscape. Empire photographers and videographers documented all coverage as well as footage of the Antigravity performance in Times Square to create a viral video that was posted on the first day of the performances. A variety of partners provided other essential support for this program including permits for the event.

Close partnership by the Times Square Alliance and local NYC police precinct were also essential in delivering the successful events. Empire Entertainment served as event producer, helped develop the creative concept, coordinated and managed production and logistics elements, secured the talent, created all original props and placards, licensed the original music, directed the creation of costumes and choreography, provided security, production, videotaping and photography and created and edited the viral video.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of unique, dynamic event and street marketing initiatives and creative launch events.

When one of India's leading media conglomerates, sought to present the Concert for Mumbai - a benefit performance to raise money for ambulances in Mumbai following the Mumbai attacks of 26/11 - they turned to Empire Entertainment, an international production company with access to the hottest names in international entertainment to help deliver talent. Charged with delivering an artist whose broad, international appeal would ensure ticket sales and sponsorships, Empire successfully delivered the innovative and world-renowned MASS Ensemble. MASS (which stands for Music Architecture Sound Sculpture) has literally created their own performance genre with their elegant and high impact blend of music, sculpture, dance and visual arts. Moreover, MASS were thrilled for the opportunity to show their solidarity and share their unique music with the people of Mumbai.

When asked at the press conference held the day before the show why they had agreed to perform, Founder and Creative Director William Close explained, "In 2000, I developed a musical instrument called the Earth Harp. The first time this instrument was set up, it strung from one side of a valley 1,000 feet across to the other side. It turned the earth itself into an instrument. As we tour around the planet and set this giant instrument up in concert halls, attach it to buildings and architecture, I believe it becomes a symbol of resonance of the earth and music for the earth… We all know how deep and powerful music is, and how transformative it is… To help situations such as the experiences that have happened to this amazing city on 26/11, [we] share our music and transform the negative energy [created by the terrorists]."

Four MASS members played this magnificent Earth Harp together on their first piece at Shanmukhananda Hall. This symbol of the world as an instrument of peace, of beauty, of harmonious sound sent a compelling opening message to the audience, and the momentum only magnified throughout the rest of the show. They revealed unique instrument inventions including the Aquatar, Drum Cloud, Drumbrella, Chime Sculpture and Wing Harp. They incorporated dramatic demonstrations of yoga in its most advanced form as Andrea Brook, Sarah Llewellyn and Peter Francyk expressed the music of MASS through movement. They even were able to collaborate with a phenomenal local tabla musician on a number of songs. Gasps of delight, spontaneous applause and shouts of praise from the audience added a soundtrack to the performance that only contributed to its powerful impact. On the final piece, Shawn Barry sang the hopeful melody of John Lennon's "Imagine," poignantly joined by the voices of over 1,000 audience members on the chorus. As MASS Ensemble took their final bow, the crowd leapt to its feet in a lengthy and enthusiastic standing ovation.

As one critic from RadioandMusic.com perfectly captured, "MASS Ensemble were mesmerizing for many reasons. One, they converted the entire hall in to an instrument - a huge earth harp, something which the Mumbai audience would have witnessed for the first time - the band sounded as if a philharmonic was at work. The multi talented musicians from MASS shifted from one instrument to another with ease and elegance. They sang, danced and even displayed some jaw dropping aerobics." With Empire Entertainment on hand to coordinate contracts, pre-production and on-site logistics, the Concert for Mumbai was a seamless, successful, and most importantly profitable experience for the client and the charitable beneficiary. As the crowd departed Shanmukhananda Hall that night, the words of John Lennon still floated in the air:You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one.

Empire Entertainment is an international event production company, providing entertainment solutions for clients all over the globe. Empire Entertainment is proud to have joined MASS in donating our time and service to this worthy event for the people of Mumbai. - - - Photographs by Deepak Dhuri / www.radioandmusic.com

Empire worked closely with Fox International to design a press event for the Blu-Ray release of the Fox film, "Max Payne" starring Mark Wahlberg – they wanted something that would fascinate attendees but also speak to the dark themes of the film.The event kicked off innocently enough, with cocktails and a screening of the film at the swish Cipriani Club. But the next morning, the cadre of journalists from around the world began their day at the scene of a grisly double murder – staged by forensics experts from CUNY. The forensics professors and their students created a realistic crime scene in a dark Manhattan club, complete with two "bodies", blood spatter and spent shells. The journalists collected evidence, interviewed witnesses and combed the scene for clues, all in the hopes of solving the murder.

The following morning, at a sports club across town, the journalists were given access to the suspects and their brazen lies and explosive revelations. Arrests were made, followed by cupcakes for all.In addition to great food and drink, the guests were treated to one-on-one interviews with the film's director, Peter Moore, as part of the three-day press event.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of unique marketing initiatives and product launch / press events.

When a leading pharmaceutical company wanted top-quality entertainment to perform for approximately 1,000 of their finest sales employees, they turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a concert with one of the most renowned bands of the 90's. Following a weeks worth of company meetings, the employees entered the ballroom with excitement, awaiting the announcement of who their surprise performer would be. After remarks and an introduction by a company executive, Smash Mouth took the stage to begin their 80-minute greatest hits, high energy set. Kicking off their performance with a rousing rendition of their hit "Can't Get Enough of You Baby," the audience jumped to their feet and cheered the band on as they performed their hit songs such as "Then The Morning Comes", "Walkin' On The Sun", and their cover of "I'm A Believer".

Smash Mouth's interaction with the crowd throughout the set led to a room-wide sing-a-long of classic rock songs including Van Halen's "Runnin' With The Devil" and The Kinks' "You Really Got Me". The evening climaxed with an all-out performance of Smash Mouth's #1 hit "All Star".Empire was responsible for proposing, contracting and arranging travel and accommodations for Smash Mouth, 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.

Nestlé Japan turned to Empire Entertainment Japan for the product launch event of their newest creation, "NESCAFÉ CHARGE". Empire Entertainment Japan invited the world-famous 3D ‘Trick Artist', Kurt Wenner to create a 3D chalk painting with the new product as the subject. The exhibition drew in a huge crowd to Marunouchi ‘oazo', the venue located at the very heart of Tokyo, mesmerizing the public with their very first taste of ‘3D Trick Art' in Japan. The event also drew significant amount of media attention, and its overwhelming success led to additional exhibitions across Japan in the following weeks.

Empire is a leading provider of innovative street marketing & event marketing solutions for major brands around the globe.

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 biggest headliners in the world. Such was the case when a high-profile couple wanted to celebrate their special day at the world-renowned Marquis Los Cabos. To secure their wedding entertainment they and their wedding planner turned to Empire Entertainment to engage and produce the internationally-acclaimed romance singer, Julio Iglesias. Working closely with the wedding planner, their production team and Julio's representation and production teams across many countries and time zones, Empire was ultimately successful in securing the wedding couple's first choice performer.

Empire completed the protracted negotiations resulting in the contract for Julio to perform. Following the contracting Empire coordinated all logistical, production and creative details for the performance including the complicated cross-border shipping of band equipment. Additionally, Empire worked closely with vendor partners in Mexico as well as Government officials to secure all necessary visas and work permits for the band & crew consisting of nationals from the Netherlands, Spain and the Dominican Republic among others. Empire also worked closely between Julio Iglesias' production team and the world class sound, lighting, staging & decor vendors engaged for the project to satisfy Julio's complex production requirements without sacrificing the designer's incredible vision for the event.

One production issue for which Empire provided the novel solution was the issue of allowing Julio's sound & lighting engineers to mix and light the show from within the intimate and exquisitely decorated wedding banquet room. The problem was that Julio's massive sound & lighting boards would have compromised the decor in the room. Empire's solution? Install drawstring, semi-transparent drapes at the rear of the room which gave the audio & lighting engineers direct sightline to the stage and to open them only once the house lights were lowered for the start of the show. The result? The audience never saw the technical installation or the technicians and the show looked and sounded great. Julio Iglesias was kept a complete surprise to all the guests who cheered when he was introduced by the bride. Julio performed a show of his decades-spanning greatest hits that included "To All The Girls I Loved Before", "Abrazame" and "El Amor", among others, singing in Spanish, English and French. Julio played for over 75 minutes and delivered a truly unique show. After the performance Julio posed for photos with the bride & groom and their friends.

As is typical for large, international productions of this nature, Empire managed every detail of the concert performance from the negotiations and contracting, all the way through to the final execution, and stage management of the performance. Empire is a worldwide leader in the booking & producing of headline talent for high end private events and has a great deal of experience producing major events in Mexico, Central and Latin America.

The Golden Horse Awards is the Academy Awards for Chinese-language films and one of the most prestigious film award ceremonies in the world. When STAR Group was seeking a performer who would not only live up to the prestige of the event, but also astound their millions of viewers, there was only one candidate - Marco Tempest, the virtual magician. Combining the worlds of magic and technology, creativity and cutting-edge visual performance, Marco's skills as an illusionist and as an imaginative performer are revolutionizing the way the world sees magic."Marco Tempest performed his magic in front of the Gods of Dragon Mountain Temple," reported one news syndicate.

Prior to the day of ceremony, Marco spent his day at the Dragon Mountain Temple, where he displayed his magic in front of the Taiwanese press, impressing them with his feats of digital sleight-of-hand and drumming up interest in the upcoming award ceremony. On awards night Marco took the stage at Taichung's Chungshan Hall before a huge live and televised audience. The show began with the stage in pitch black except for a light beginning to materialize on Marco's body. The magical light then flowed through Marco's fingers, down his arms, and his chest, transcending the limits of reality. Right from the start the audience knew they were watching something truly extraordinary.

Marco's performances for the show, from the press junket in Taipei to an impromptu appearance on the red-carpet, and the grand finale where he conjured an actual Golden Horse Award from the virtual world, set the stage for the glamorous night. "A brilliantly imaginative performance of magic and technology!" Deputy Minister of Taiwan's Government Information Office Mr. Albert Lin, said as he scratched his head in bewilderment. The consensus of the millions and millions of viewers across Asia was that Marco's performance was mind-blowing.

Empire Entertainment Japan once again delivered, and helped make one of the biggest film award ceremonies in Asia completely unforgettable.

Glancing around the room, you would have thought you were at the Oscars – Penélope Cruz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sean Penn, Dennis Hopper, Harvey Weinstein, Ethan Hawke, Mickey Rourke, Debra Winger, Rachel Weiz, Jeff Goldblum, Marisa Tomei just to name a few. But this was the 2008 Gotham Independent Film Awards, an elegant and buzzworthy New York Independent Film event. Presented by Independent Feature Project (IFP), the Gothams are New York's most prestigious independent film awards program and are considered by many industry insiders as an early indicator of what the Oscar landscape will look like in the Spring.

This year's Gotham Awards kicked off with a celebrity red carpet event at 48 Wall Street, heavily attended by the media. Afterwards, the 750 or so attendees -- a who's who of the independent film world -- made their way across the street to Cipriani Wall Street for a sumptuous dinner. The main event began with an acoustic guitar performance by Academy Award nominated actor Terrence Howard. Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi then took the stage as the night's emcee and warmed up the audience with topical humor. Guest DJ Biz Markie spun through the night, as a cavalcade of Hollywood's finest doled out awards like "Best Film NOT Playing At a Theater Near You".

This year's awards paid special tribute to four iconic figures - Penelope Cruz, "Good Will Hunting" director Gus Van Sant, Melvin Van Peebles and HBO Documentary Film Head Sheila Nevins. Penelop Cruz's tribute was accompanied by a special videotaped message from Woody Allen. Empire Entertainment had the opportunity to produce this year's Gothams because IFP wanted to streamline the nearly two decade-old event without losing any of the relaxed, informal "vibe" that makes the event so special to the A-listers who attend. New York Magazine was among the first to point out that Gotham's partnership with Empire was a success: "If last night's Gotham Awards ceremony at were any indication, the upcoming spate of year-end prize-giving will be a series of smooth, well-oiled affairs. With machinelike precision — are we sure these are independent filmmakers? — the unofficial kickoff to the 2008 movie-awards season began on time, ended on time, and pretty much went without a hitch."

For this program, Empire handled all event logistics, planning, budgeting and coordination, technical production, graphic design of event materials and print advertisments, video roll-ins & scripting, and stage management.

Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of cutting-edge award programs like the Gotham and Webby Awards.

Veloqx is a real-estate development and investment company based in Hong Kong that constructs architecturally unique and futuristic buildings in popular areas of Tokyo. When Empire Japan was asked to design the celebration and grand opening of Veloqx’s newest building, The Ice Cubes, located in the fashionable shopping district of Harajuku and where the popular brand H&M calls home, Empire aspired to create bold visuals inspired by the building’s unique architecture.

Empire designed the party space with an icy cold atmosphere by using materials and lighting that gave the impression of a futuristic ice palace. By carefully choosing the white interior materials along with fresh ice blue lighting, the space provided the guests a chilling experience.The exterior lighting cascaded all the way up to the 9th floor of the building complimenting the architecture perfectly and creating a magnificent icy citadel highlighted by the Tokyo skyline. Through Empire’s original lighting design, the building was immediately transformed into a new landmark of Harajuku.

High-profile guests of the grand opening including the chairpersons and presidents from the top financial and real-estate companies in Asia were treated to a solo performance by a well-known Japanese violinist. A local DJ provided the icy cool soundtrack for the evening’s reception and lounge party.Empire was responsible for creating the overall concept, event design, interior and exterior lighting, talent booking, catering and bar service coordination with Japan’s top culinary brands, scripting, and full production of the event. Empire’s production of The Ice Cubes’ official opening coincided with H&M’s opening of their Harajuku store, requiring logistical coordination between the two clients.

Empire Japan is a leading producer of public and private events throughout Asia.

Needing a 'face' for their ESPRIQUE PRECIOUS line, KOSÉ Corporation, one of the leading cosmetics producers in Japan turned to Empire Entertainment Japan to secure the 'face' for their new brand.Empire Entertainment Japan, utilizing its vast worldwide network of affiliates, negotiated the contract for and ultimately secured British Supermodel Karen Elson for the entire campaign which included television spots, print ads as well as appearances in promotional events.

Karen Elson is a British super model who has been featured on covers of many international fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle, and walked the runways for many top fashion designers including Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Dolce and Gabanna, and Versace. Her presence in ESPRIQUE PRECIOUS campaign was vital for the image of the line, and added the glamour to the advertising campaign that the client sought to deliver.

Empire is a leading source of talent for television commercials, spokesperson roles, endorsements, celebrity sponsorships and other celebrity-driven marketing initiatives.

When the world-renowned Palm Jumeirah and its flagship resort, Atlantis - The Palm, unveiled plans for one of the biggest events of the year to celebrate the opening of the resort, they and renowned event designer and producer Colin Cowie turned to Empire Entertainment to help manage the live entertainment and live event components. The three day celebration was attended by over 2,000 celebrity and VIP guests. The grand opening event featured music legend Kylie Minogue's debut performance in the Middle East, a performance by Nawal Al Zoghbi - one of the highest selling Arab artists of all time, Bollywood Superstar Priyanka Chopra, and dinner hosted by Nobu Matsuhisa, Santi Santamaria, Michel Rostang and Giorgio Locatelli.

The finalé of the grand opening event was a 22 minute 'Illumination Sequence" featuring an originally-designed video projection across the entire facade of the Atlantis produced by industry veterans Edd Griles and Chip Rachlin. The powerful video projections, which told the story of the Atlantis, were integrated with an installation of high powered Syncrolites and pyrotechnic effects above and beneath the building. At the end of the Illumination sequence, Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra emerged on stage to unleash the world's largest-ever fireworks display - over 7 times larger than those seem at the Beijing Olympic Games - designed and executed by the world famous Grucci Family. The fireworks spectacular was executed over the Palm Islands' 43 KM of shoreline, illuminating the entire island with more than 100,000 specially designed pyrotechnic devices.

The grand opening evening's event was attended by a host of notable names including His Highness Sheik Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Charlize Theron, Michael Jordan, Robert DeNiro, Janet Jackson, Preity Zinta, Lily Allen, The Duchess of York, Agyness Deyn, Gerard Butler, Boris Becker, Petra Nemcova, Richard Branson, Lindsay Lohan, Mary Kate Olsen, Mischa Barton, Bipasha Basu, John Abraham, Rani Mukherjee, Gosha Kutsenko, Ronnie Woods and many others from all corners of the globe. DJ Donna D'Cruz of Rasa Music helmed the turntables for the cocktail party.

For this immense undertaking, Empire served as talent producer and talent logistics supervisor which included coordinating and integrating the participation of live talent such as Kylie Minogue, local musicians and dancers, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Priyanka Chopra, and DJ Donna D'Cruz. Empire also developed and managed the run of the show and stage-managed the live event including triggering the fireworks display. The event was broadcast globally via satellite into over 700 million households with the images of the Palm Island fireworks seen by over 1 billion people. Video highlights of the event can be seen by clicking here.

Empire is a leading producer of entertainment for some of the highest stature events in the world and is often engaged by leading event designer & producers like Colin Cowie Lifestyle for our expertise in delivering and managing large scale, live entertainment components for the most demanding projects.

On November 13, 2008, Empire Entertainment was again proud to support Keep a Child Alive and serve as producer of their 5th annual fundraising event, the Black Ball, which was generously underwritten by the Condé Nast Media Group.

Hosted by Co-founder Alicia Keys and KCA Global Ambassador IMAN, the event saluted humanitarians in the fight against AIDS such as actress and advocate, Queen Latifah, followed by extraordinary performances including Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Daughtry, Adele and others. Over 1200 guests including Tyra Banks, Clive Davis, Russell Simmons, John Mayer, Timbaland, Cynthia Nixon, Zoe Kravitz, Swizz Beatz, Michelle Williams, David Bowie, Elijah Wood, Padma Lakshmi, and Jessica Alba attended to support KCA in their fight against the global AIDS pandemic.The evening began with a cocktail reception and gallery exhibit of the "Museum of Dreams," a setting designed and conceptualized by KCA's Earle Sebastian and David Stark Design. The "Museum of Dreams" was designed to highlight everyday things that Westerners take for granted but that represent the hopes and prayers of African children and families with HIV/AIDS.

Following cocktails the guests then entered into a breathtaking "African Dream" inspired Hammerstein Ballroom where they enjoyed a delicious dinner menu designed by Aquavit's Marcus Samuelsson and served by Hudson Yards Catering. Powerful video and emotive graphic messages on projection screens and in centerpiece bell jars coupled kept the focus of the evening on the burning needs in Africa. During dinner an auction of once in a lifetime experiences was held led by Christies auctioneers Tash Perrin and Hugh Edmeades. Lot's included a "God Save the Queen" poster signed by artist Jamie Reid which was the subject of a bidding war between Queen Latifah and John Mayer who ended up paying $100,000 each. Other lots included a trip to Africa, Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves and one week on Richard Branson's private Necker Island.

Following dinner was the honoree program. The evening's honorees were Jackie Branfield, Simon Fuller and Queen Latifah. Jackie Branfield is the founder and director of Operation Bobbi Bear, which protects sexually abused children from social and judicial neglect while preventing further abuse and HIV infection in South Africa. Simon Fuller, creator of American Idol and Idol Gives Back, raised over $76 million for charity last season alone and has mobilized the American people to take action on a variety of causes and issues. Queen Latifah has shown incredible dedication and leadership in speaking out about HIV/AIDS through her long careers in film, music and advocacy. At the conclusion of the honoree program, Alicia Keys introduced the world to Noah - a 15 year old, HIV positive musician from Rwanda, who sings in his community to educate people about HIV prevention and whose dream was to come perform at the Black Ball. His dream was fulfilled and the audience went wild for his incredible performance. Following Noah, Alicia Keys and her incredible band backed a series of moving performances by artists that included Emmanuel Jal, Daughtry, Adele and finally superstar Justin Timberlake who electrified the audience with "Until the End of Time," "My Love," "Lovestoned", and "Another Day in Paradise" in a stunning duet with Alicia Keys.

All told, the Black Ball event raised over $2.4 million for AIDS affected children and families in Africa. Once again, Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer for the Black Ball and managed all aspects of the event including site selection and contracting, logistics, catering, décor, talent management and coordination, production, security and onsite management, collaborating with Keep a Child Alive and other partners and donors. Empire Entertainment is proud to serve as partner of Keep a Child Alive in saving lives and raising awareness in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Keep a Child Alive is an innovative charitable organization dedicated to providing life-saving anti-retroviral treatment, care and support services to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and the developing world. To learn more and donate, please visit www.keepachildalive.org

When a global investment bank wanted to shake up their Annual Global Investment Conference Gala, they called on Empire Entertainment to produce the event. The three-day Conference took place at The Palace Hotel in New York City and kicked off with a keynote address by former President Bill Clinton. For the entertainment portion of the conference, the client invited all conference attendees to a blowout gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom in midtown Manhattan.

Empire's original productions division transformed the space into a beautiful, chic lounge environment. From the red carpet entrance, to the lobby, to the entire performance space inside, Empire created an atmosphere that made the venue unrecognizable to those who are accustomed to seeing it as a concrete-floor concert hall. The interior space was completely altered into a sea of sensual red, with wall-to-wall carpeting, lounge furnishings and sleek black lacquer accents.

Dramatic food stations with ice sculptures were set on all three floors of the space, with high-end items including oysters on the half shell, tuna tartare, sliced muscovy duck breast, pulled barbecued lamb sandwiches, and abalone mushroom carpaccio. Servers also passed small plates of miso roast black cod, slow cooked short ribs, yellowtail ceviche "ice cream cones" and more.

Given the tremendous ceiling height at the venue, Empire recommended and secured the world-renowned aerial troupe Antigravity to perform interstitial entertainment segments prior to the headline concert that evening. Incredibly beautiful and talented women performed breathtaking feats of contortion, aerial hammock routines, and a jaw-dropping bungee-jump piece that stunned the crowd. These performances, set to DJ music, built up the energy and excitement in the room as the evening went on.For the grand finalé, Empire produced a headline concert performance by the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. The band had the crowd on their feet and dancing to mega-hits including "Boogie Wonderland", "Let's Groove Tonight", and "September" and sent guests out on a tremendous high note.

Empire prides itself on producing special events worldwide from conception to completion, as was the case with this gala.

Empire Entertainment Japan has been promoting international talent and representing them in the Japan & Asian markets to secure opportunities in television, motion picture, live performance, commercials and other areas. Such was the case with Empire Japan's newest client, hip hop musician Chris Lennon. Represented by Empire Entertainment Japan, Chris was recently cast as MTV Japan's newest VJ. Chris is a hip hop musician who has already released an album with a major record label, and possesses broad knowledge of the current music scene in Japan and the US. He also has a very outgoing personality and charismatic on screen, which makes him the perfect candidate for this position.Fluent in both Japanese and English, Chris was also selected as the red carpet reporter for MTV Video Music Awards Japan, where he also doubled as the translator and interviewed world-famous celebrities such as Nelly, Fergie, Simple Plan, and Paris Hilton.

From Colin Powell and Hillary Swank to Marco Tempest and Chris Lennon, Empire Japan has served as an effective promoter and representative of talent in Japan and Asia.