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In late November 2007, a private Russian client contacted Empire for help with an exclusive friends & family concert to be held in Tel Aviv, Israel in January 2008. After extensive consultations with the client and a review of available artists, Empire helped to eventually guide the client toward a concert with international superstar, Pink.Due to the last minute nature of the inquiry and the intervening holidays, the deal for Pink's performance had to be worked out among a far flung community of key participants.

On the day the offer was placed, Pink was in Colorado, her manager was in Australia, her agent was in Los Angeles, Empire was in New York, Pink's production manager was in London, her band was dispersed throughout the United States, while the client was in Israel and the client's attorney was in London. Empire deftly brought together all of the participants and managed to confirm the deal with just 12 days remaining prior to the concert. The paperwork was signed by a client officer in Cyprus and the funds were wired from Moscow. With only 12 days to go, Empire coordinated with its' Israeli partners and Pink's camp on a 24/7 basis. Empire organized all Israeli work permits and immigration matters, arranged a sit-down production advance meeting in London, coordinated the international air freight of band gear and lighting equipment thru immigration and security, executed all contracts and international fund transfers, managed a strategy for dealing with Israeli paparazzi, coordinated all hotel accommodations and ground transportation, and fulfilled all Pink production rider requirements with a variety of vendors and subcontractors.

To ensure maximum cooperation with the artist for current and future events, Empire always makes a point of developing personal relationships with the band, road & production management and this experience was no different – Empire personnel bonded with Pink and her band and crew over dinners, local theater performances and a tour of Jerusalem to create a greater basis for collaboration. The net result was that Pink delivered a high energy, 75 minute show, that left the client and the audience of almost 2000 guests delighted and the crowd screaming for more. Pink's full band set included all of her greatest hits including "Mr. President," "Just Like a Pill," and "Get the Party Started."

Empire Entertainment is a company of global reach, with the ability to flawlessly advise, organize and execute the most complicated international transactions on the tightest timelines.

For the daughter of a private client, Empire recently produced a Sweet Sixteen celebration at the Blender Theatre in Manhattan - featuring a private concert by the Jonas Brothers.Currently sharing the title of the most popular teen pop-rock band in the nation with Hannah Montana (a/k/a Miley Cyrus, see Empire February 2007 case study), the Jonas Brothers have been booked solid with tour dates and television appearances since their self-titled platinum album was released in August 2007. Despite the Jonas Brothers' busy schedule, Empire managed to secure the band for a private performance just two days after the end of their wildly popular guest star appearance on the Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds Tour and just three weeks before the start of their own sold-out headline arena tour.

The band's appearance was a surprise to all of the attendees except for the family and the guest of honor's friends screamed in delight and disbelief when the proud father introduced and revealed the band. One highlight of the evening occurred when the three brothers invited the guest of honor onstage and serenaded her with Happy Birthday and another song from their album. The 75-minute greatest hits show was energetic, intimate and sure to be cherished by the client, his daughter and their family and friends for a very long time.In addition to booking and coordinating the headline entertainment, Empire selected & contracted the venue, directed audio/visual production, rented supplemental band gear & staging, coordinated catering, rentals, florals, provided event staff and managed logistics.

Empire is a leading producer of both corporate and private concert events.

When an internationally-experienced entertainment partner was needed to secure talent for an extraordinary wedding in the British Virgin Islands, they turned to Empire Entertainment to help turn their vision into reality. For the the three-day event Empire booked and coordinated travel and production for over 40 artists to create a memorable experience for the guests and young couple. With distinguished attendees such as Bono, Sergey Brin, Sir Richard Branson, Eric Schmidt, John Cusack, Dean Kamen, as well as senior Silicon Valley executives, it's no wonder this was the most talked about wedding of 2007.

The Friday night welcome reception took place at the Rosewood Little Dix Bay and featured a performance by jazz guitarist Ken Hatfield with a family member of the bride. Empire also coordinated with a local island band called Profile whose performance set the proper tone for the evening. After dinner and speeches DJ Earworm got the party dancing with custom mash-ups created specifically for the weekend. On Saturday night the party was taking to another level. Upon entering the pavilion at the Rosewood Little Dix Bay the guests were greeted with a poolside performance by the Phoenix Fire Dancers. All the way from Vienna, Austria for this performance, Phoenix displayed feats of fire-eating and dancing to a backbeat of tribal drums. Following dinner, the main event was ready to begin – Bob Marley's The Wailers took to the stage and performed a mind-blowing set of reggae classics such as "No Woman No Cry", "Three Little Birds", and "Stir It Up". After the Wailer's amazing performance, DJ Earworm kept the party dancing while Phoenix Fire Dancers gave a special futuristic performance – this time performing a cyber light show. The dance floor was filled throughout the night and guests ended up in the pool and along the beach where large firs had been lit in artful, metal containers that stood above the water. On Sunday afternoon the big day was ready to begin.

The wedding itself was to take place on the beach of Sir Richard Branson's private Necker Island, with the ceremony being performed by Branson himself. Situated on the beach, jazz guitarist Ken Hatfield's wonderful musical mix of Bossa Nova and jazz welcomed guests to Necker as they arrived by private boats and walked up the beach. When the ceremony began it was Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, equipped with an acoustic guitar, who played the bride down the aisle to his song "First Day of My Life".Following the moving ceremony, the newlyweds stripped off their formal clothes, put on their harnesses and launched directly from the beach into a kite surfing duet with the backing of music by Ken Hatfield. Guests then walked up the beach into the beautiful tented reception area for an intimate performance by Eric Bachmann (former lead singer in 90's indie band "Archers of Loaf") and a fabulous dinner by world-renowned organic cooking master, Alice Waters.

After an extraordinary dinner in the spectacular but minimal dinner tent, decorated in muslin & shell, the magic of the evening was heightened when Bono gave an inspired performance of Ben E. King's classic "Stand By Me", which ended as a group sing-along. After Bono's performance DJ Earworm picked up the beat and spun dance music until well past 3:00AM while guests danced and played alongside Branson's zen pool and Dean Kaman demonstrated one of his newest inventions. For this precision project Empire interfaced contracted and interfaced with all artists, secured travel and ensured that visa requirements were met, coordinated production needs with a world class team of vendors, coordinated on details such as shipping of equipment & costumes, (cargo and production elements were shipped to the islands weeks in advance), coordinated the shuttling of all artists between three islands via private watercraft throughout the week and stage managed all of the live performances and event elements.

Empire Entertainment is renown as a producer of high profile, international events where high level skill sets such as diplomacy, cross-border coordination and complex logistics management are required.

E18 is a fast growing and highly-respected producer of live and corporate events in India. Recently, E18 and Empire Entertainment entered into a partnership with to help secure and promote international headline talent in India as E18 moves aggressively into the concert business.E18's extensive experience and formidable capabilities throughout the subcontinent, coupled with Empire's unparalleled access to talent relationships worldwide make this partnership a major development in this one of the fastest growing markets in the world. For the first project, Empire worked in conjunction with one of it's European partners, General Entertainment, to deliver the World-renowned German heavy metal superstar band The Scorpions to perform in Shillong, India as part of their first ever-tour in India. The concert was an amazing success. Estimated attendance at the concert event was more than 28,000 people.

Logistically there were many challenges to be overcome that just added to the events success. E18 managed to move 25 tons of sound, lighting & trussing pulled together from five different vendors to this remote part of North East India. Equipment had to be transported via various forms of transportation including trucks from Cochin and Delhi, a plane from Mumbai and three trains from Delhi.The concert generated a huge amount of media coverage. Print media in major India cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata called the event the Largest Concert ever in India!!! MSN India wrote: "Scorpions leaves Shillong dazzled - Thousands of fans danced and sang themselves to frenzy as the legendary heavy metal band Scorpions gave a high voltage performance before a packed stadium in Shillong, India's 'rock capital'. An estimated 30,000 people thronged the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in state's capital as the German heavy metal group belted out their all-time hits and classics for close to two hours in the temperature that stayed in a single digit."India is a leading developing market for entertainment & events and Empire is proud to be a partner with E18, experienced with many years of projects in that region.

Empire is a leading advisor and partner to producers on every continent and a gateway to word class entertainment.

In December 2007, Empire had the opportunity to serve longtime client Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in connection with The Simpsons Movie DVD release. To secure the major media coverage necessary to reach the ubiquitous "The Simpsons" audience, it was decided that New York City would be the best place for the launch due to the concentration of national media outlets.

Working together for months, Empire Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox created a series of media events under the umbrella theme of "Homer For The Holidays." Empire Entertainment organized and produced three massive and simultaneous events on a single day in December at three key locations in the city: The Bryant Park Skating Rink, Times Square, and the Empire State Building. The morning of December 18, New Yorkers awoke to the overnight transformation of The Pond at Bryant Park into a "Simponsized" wonderland. Free all-day (and night) ice skating was provided, as was free Ned Flanders hot chocolate and "Sprinkalicious" pink donuts. Ben & Jerry's even showed up to hand out free cups of their custom ice cream creation The Simpsons Movie "Duff & D'oh!Nuts."

For entertainment, The Pond's ice rink (made yellow for the day in honor of Homer's complexion) hosted hourly performances of "The Simpsons On Ice." The professionally-choreographed routine incorporated a "Spider Pig" solo which delighted audiences and media alike as "The Accidentals," a premiere New-York based a cappella group, sang live vocals in yellow "The Simpsons" choir robes. Bryant Park was decorated with large "The Simpsons" banners and dasher boards and The Simpsons Movie logo and a bright pink holiday tree were featured in the center of the ice rink. 500 donut ornaments adorned the 50-foot-holiday tree at Bryant Park and Spider Pig even showed up to ride the zamboni during scheduled cleanings of the rink's ice.

Meanwhile, in Times Square, the sea of tourists and locals in dark winter coats, were brightened with yellow "The Simpsons" Santa hats. Empire organized a street-marketing team to line the sidewalks of Times Square, handing out colorful "The Simpsons" caps to fans, families and anyone who needed a warm hat in the holiday chill. Street team members were also easy to spot with signature The Simpsons Movie mega-donut balloons sailing above their heads.

Then "The Simpsons" final stamp on NYC was revealed. Instead of glowing white, the Empire State Building lit up in a brilliant yellow to join in the celebration with an unprecedented, commercially-tied lighting of the iconic landmark. The Empire State Building also hosted a lighting ceremony and press conference in its lobby, where Homer flipped the switch to turn on the lights. As a finale to the day's activities, a party for FOX VIPs and The Simpsons Movie cast & crew was held on the 71st floor of the Empire State Building.

Empire was proud to work for Twentieth Century Fox on this major event marketing initiative. Each component of the event was an unparalleled success and the impact of "Homer For The Holidays" was felt by New Yorkers and Americans across the country.

For the second consecutive year, one of the world's largest corporations chose Empire Entertainment to secure and produce the headline entertainment for their top clients at their annual conference.Empire presented a variety of entertainment options to the client who ultimately chose Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Members, ZZ Top, to headline their evening finale celebration.When this American Blues rock band formed in 1969, little did they know that they would continue to rock the house with the same three original members more than 35 years later. These rock icons, famous for their custom guitars and trademark beards, delivered a 90-minute greatest hits set to 300 adrenaline pumped guests at the packed Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Guests sang along to classic hits such as "Cheap Sunglasses," "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Gimme All Your Lovin," and others, screaming for more as the legends governed the stage. The client was thrilled as the rock & roll band from Texas brought the house down.Empire executed all contracts and negotiations, worked closely with the Joint to provide high end concert production, managed and coordinated all logistics, facilitated signed ZZ Top memorabilia and even organized a meet & greet with top level executives.

Empire is a leading provider and producer of headline musical entertainment for major business events worldwide.

For a first-ever Justice, Arts & Music Awards to benefit the Jam Master Jay Foundation and sponsored by Adidas, Empire was thrilled to work in tandem with EPOP International and serve as event producer. The purpose of the J. A. M. Awards is to honor social responsibility. The J.A.M. Awards are the first ever awards in the hip hop community to do this. The evening was designed to honor the late Jam Master Jay's life and to promote Social Justice, Arts and Music (J.A.M.). Planned as an annual program, each year, one honoree from the hip-hop community will be selected and honored in the fields of social Justice, the Arts and Music. Broadcast from The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November 29th, the star-studded benefit concert was co-hosted by the late Jam Master Jay's wife Terri Corley-Mizell and Jam Master Jay's former band mate, DMC from the ground-breaking hip hop act, Run DMC.

The hip concert and awards program featured a who's who of hip hop and rap artists spanning from the dawn of hip hop to the present day. Performers on the bill included Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, DMC, Reverend Run, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Papoose, Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, Kid Capri, De La Soul, Dead Prez, EPMD, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Biz Markie, Everlast, Mista Sinista, Jim Jones and others. The Justice Award went to Chuck D, the Arts award went to Lee Quinones and Wyclef Jean won the Music Award.For this complicated production Empire handled all production design and management, talent coordination and stage management as well as consulting on all aspects including logistics, security and show design. The stage set-featured an innovative front projection of laser-drawn graffiti art.

When The Gere Foundation, Healing the Divide, and The Tibet Center of New York invited His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet to deliver his 2007 teachings in New York City, they selected Empire Entertainment to serve as the production company for their series of major public events. His Holiness' teachings would be delivered in five, two-hour sessions over the course of three days and would cover Seventy Verses on Emptiness by Nagarjuna and the ‘Diamond Cutter Sutra' by the Shakyamuni Buddha. These two texts deal with the topic of ‘Emptiness' and convey Buddhism's most profound teaching on the wisdom aspect of the path to enlightenment. Following these teachings, The XIV Dalai Lama would also deliver an hour-long public talk on the subject of "Peace and Prosperity."

All six sessions would anticipate audiences of almost 6,000 people and would be simultaneously translated into three different languages: Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese.Through partnership with Healing the Divide and The Tibet Center, Empire worked on every aspect of the two programs and helped secure Radio City Music Hall, develop plans for set design, marketing, logistics, technical management and sponsorship. In association with Gipson Design Group, Empire developed stage design, developed the technical production plan including rigging, soft goods, lighting design, sound design, production schedule and floor plan, and engaged all vendors and all simultaneous translation services.

The production team was able to secure several sponsors to donate their services and products to keep costs as low as possible. Onstage carpeting, dressing room and backstage furnishings were generously donated by ABC Carpet and Home. Turning Star generously fireproofed all onstage fabric pieces including the donated carpets and sacred Thankga banner which had been personally selected by the Dalai Lama and sent from India specifically for these teachings. In addition to image magnification projections on Radio City Music Hall's large LED screens, Empire coordinated the taping of all sessions with a five camera, high-definition video package. This was done in preparation for both a soon-to-be-released DVD version of the teachings and a National Geographic special release based on the Public Talk.The historic teachings drew a full house at Radio City and the public talk on Peace and Prosperity, introduced by Richard Gere was completely sold out. Following his New York visit, the Dalai Lama traveled to Washington DC where he was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush. Empire is honored to have had an opportunity to help present the teachings of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama at Radio City Music Hall.

Empire is a leading producer of major public and civic events and programs.

On October 25th, 2007 at the Manhattan Center in New York, Alicia Keys and Iman co-hosted a glamorous benefit evening for Keep a Child Alive, awarding honorees that included U2 vocalist and Activist for Africa, Bono and featured extraordinary performances by Bono, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, Kathleen Battle and others, all to raise money to continue to provide life-saving medication, support, and orphan care, to families in Africa affected by AIDS.

Empire Entertainment was again proud to serve as producers of this 4th annual event, which was generously underwritten by Condé Nast Media Group. KCA supporters on the red carpet included Jay Z, Russell Simmons, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Peter Berg, Petra Nemcova, Padma Lakshmi, Billie Joe Armstrong, Christy Turlington, Clive Davis, David Bowie, Heath Ledger, Zoe Kravitz and more. Following a VIP cocktail reception and sumptuous dinner designed by Padma Lakshi and served by Hudson Yards Catering, the evening program opened with a powerful South African dance performance by JUXTAPOWER.

The evening's honorees included the legendary Bono, as well as Nick Reding and Dr. Pasquine Ogunsanya, two of the fiercest fighters of AIDS on the ground in Africa. In 2003, Nick Reding founded Sponsored Arts for Education, or S.A.F.E. in Nairobi, Kenya. Since that time, it has grown into 3 traveling theatre groups who perform in Nairobi slums, Loita Hills (to the rural Maasai population) and the ghettos of Mombasa with a message of HIV Prevention. To date, S.A.F.E. has performed to over 600,000 reaching people in places many organizations could never get to! Dr. Pasquine Ogunsanya is the Director of Alive Medical Center, a Keep a Child Alive funded site in Kampala, Uganda. Her gentle spirit and passionate drive continue to help the people at her clinic and inspire us to work harder. Since her involvement, thousands have been tested for HIV/ AIDS and those that test positive come to her for their comprehensive AIDS care. Dr. Ogunsanya proudly boasts that since Keep a Child Alive's support of Alive Medical Center, not a single child has died of AIDS. Following an extraordinary video that profiled a lifetime of support for Africa, Bono took the stage and graced the audience with a moving acceptance speech that brought the audience to their feet.

After the program the concert began featuring Alicia Keys performing duets with Sheryl Crow, Gwen Stefani and international opera star Kathleen Battle, with whom she sang "Miss Sarajevo"- Bono's masterpiece written at a time of turmoil and chaos in the world, which he himself performed with Pavarotti. The finalé of the concert was a duet performance by Bono & Alicia Keys on "Don't Give Up Africa" with the Children of Agape singers. Amy Sacco of Bungalow Eight ­ which some may know as the Sex and the City hot spot ­ ended the evening with a Bungalow 8 Ballroom after party and lounge on the top floor Grand Ballroom. The event raised over $2.1 million dollars for Keep a Child Alive. To find out how you and your organization can get involved with Keep a Child Alive and help to fund their important programs, visit their website at www.keepachildalive.org.http://keepachildalive.org/kcaAtWork/index.php?p=BlackBall2007

The Clinton Global Initiative, one of the world's preeminent not-for-profit initiatives, along with Five Currents, enlisted Empire as their production partner for the first ever Global Citizens Award program and concert at the world-famous Carnegie Hall. Given the stature of the audience and the large concentration of heads of state attending the event, every facet of the engagement was executed at the highest caliber. The high expectations of the client, attendees, performers, award presenters & recipients and the venue dictated the need for producers capable of delivering excellence.

Working with Carnegie Hall, Empire created a budget reflecting the cost-effective use of the venue's innate elegance, and successfully managed to keep the budget far lower than would usually be the case with an event featuring as much as this one. Empire worked tirelessly to come up with cost-effective production solutions, always focusing on the foundation's goal of keeping the event both as elegant and appropriately simple as possible. In the end, neither the production value of the celebration nor the foundation's budget was ever compromised during the show that evening.

Welcoming and closing remarks were delivered by President William Jefferson Clinton. Actress Jessica Biel served as host and the award presenters included Tom Golisano, Senator John Glenn, Nobel Laurate Wangari Maathai and author Tony Morrison. The recipients of the evening's Glabal Citizen Awards were Cisco Chairman, John Chambers, Fazle Hasan Abed, Tennis player and humanitarian Andre Agassi and Educator Vicky Colbert. Each presenter and recipient delivered inspiring remarks in connection with their respective awards. But these stellar individuals were not the only stars brightening Carnegie Hall's stage that evening. A performance by legend Tony Bennett wowed the audience, including an a capella version of the classic Jazz standard - "Fly me to the moon". The African Children's Choir also performed, inspiring attendees with the hope that only can be conveyed through the purity of children's voices raised in song. Working with the foundation, Empire provided each participant involved in the awards ceremony detailed support materials so that all were well prepared and directed for this monumental gala. Simultaneously, Empire coordinated with the musical performers to ensure that the concert was executed flawlessly. The result was sheer success - the awards ceremony and the musical performances were seamless. This evening, packed full of spectacular speakers and entertainers, concluded, without intermission, in less than 90 minutes!

Empire is a leading producer of award programs of the highest stature.

As leading producers of headline talent, it was no surprise that Accent on Cincinnati, Ohio's premiere meeting and special event planners, returned to Empire Entertainment for a third year in a row for their entertainment needs. Expectations were high for their biggest insurance conference of the year. It was an exciting challenge to find an act to top past headliners including Glenn Frey and Hall & Oates. Of the thousands of shows Empire has produced, this event finally presented the perfect opportunity to unite legendary performers David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash on the corporate stage. But Accent on Cincinnati still kept their conference attendees guessing…The house went dark at the Aronoff Center. Guests were sitting at the edges of their seats, still wondering who they were about to see. As the client, Joe Rigotti departed the stage, out walked three icons in music history and the crowd sprang to their feet, erupting in cheers. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Crosby, Stills and Nash kept the audience on their feet, dancing and swaying to 90 minutes of their greatest hits; the energy in the room was incredible. Their set featured songs including "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", "Marrakesh Express", "Wooden Ships", "Long Time Gone" and "Helpless Hoping." The audience, captivated by the sweet harmonies of CSN, would not let them leave the stage without a 3-song encore.

Empire is a leading booker and producer of major concert acts, comedians and speakers for corporate meetings and events worldwide.

Empire Entertainment created a five city interactive promotional tour that exposed the VH1 brand to over three thousand people in over fifty 50 clubs, lounges and bars throughout markets in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Hoboken and New York City. The promotion featured an eye catching branded vehicle that covered over 1000 miles of mobile bill boarding and a three person cast of promotional actors who interacted with patrons at singles hot spots as pick-up experts who trained, evaluated and critique would-be Romeos and Juliets to help them develop their pick-up skills just prior to, and during, the targeted demographics night out.

The "Pick Up Artist" promotions were a series of promotional stunts that created personal one on one marketing interactions and press/media in all five cities. Scores of clubs eblasted their clientele and set off special parking area for our branded vehicle in front of clubs with velvet rope treatment.

When one of the world's premiere companies wanted to put on a show to impress their international partners, they turned to Empire Entertainment to produce two world-class customer events, in the Mile High City. The first show was for the company's American partners. For this audience, Empire booked one of America's great rock bands, Huey Lewis and The News. Taking place at Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos, Empire produced an outdoor, field-level event with the Rocky Mountains in the background. Attendees were treated to Huey's greatest hits, including ‘Power of Love,' 'Hip To Be Square,' and ‘The Heart of Rock and Roll' among others.

For the conference's global partner event, the party moved to Coors field, home to the Colorado Rockies baseball team. This audience of several thousand persons represented attendees from over 100 countries. To attract and hold this diverse audience, the entertainment had to have truly global appeal. Based on Empire's recommendations, the client approved a selection of three tribute bands to perform internationally recognizable music to rock the crowd all night.

Opening the show was San Francisco-based Neil Diamond tribute band, Super Diamond. With the guests clapping along, the band performed Neil Diamond classics like, ‘Forever in Blue Jeans' and ‘America'. Immediately following their performance, the Abba tribute band, Bjorn Again, performed the to standing crowd. Dressed in full, authentic Abba costumes, Bjorn Again played the Abba hits with their own modern twist. Just as the sun was setting, they performed ‘Dancing Queen' to the already dancing crowd. For the finalé, Empire chose the world's preeminent U2 cover band - Elevation. The Chicago-based band, featuring a Bono look-a-like frontman, absolutely rocked the audience by singing all the U2 classics including 'With or Without You,' 'Vertigo' and 'Elevation' and getting the 5000 + person audience singing along with every song. The evening ended with an encore of 'Desire' and a massive firework display that shortly followed.

For this multi-day event, Empire booked and produced all aspects of the musical entertainment including the construction of massive outdoor staging in the demanding environment of grass field stadiums. Despite challenges of thunderstorms on both evenings, the events were flawless.

In June 2007, Empire Entertainment produced the 11th Annual Webby Awards. This was the third consecutive year Empire was asked to produce the event by Recognition Media, LLC. The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence in web design, creativity, usability and functionality, and the event has been dubbed the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, and "the Online Oscars" by Time Magazine. On the night of the event, more than 850 of the best and the brightest minds on the net came to honor and be honored for their contributions to the information superhighway.

This year, the evening kicked off with a cocktail hour at the Museum of American Finance across the street from the main event. Hors d'ouvres and and Bellinis were passed while attendees networked and mingled. When it was time to commence the show, the guests were escorted across Wall Street, which Empire arranged to close for a short time, to Cirpiani Wall Street where the event was held for the second year in a row. Collaborating with the client, Empire created a dazzling stage set and lighting design. At the client's request, the set included a "shadow box" onstage in which winners' silhouettes were visible through a silk screen before it was their turn to take the podium for their 5-word acceptance speech - - one of the many unique charms of the Webby Awards.

Three large video screens were flown by Star Group Productions, adding to the sleek, high-tech feel of the event. Dogwood trees set around the room were uplit with amber lighting, as were the impressive pillars and columns in the venue. Centerpieces of white candles surrounded by small satellite vases with off-white roses created an elegance throughout the room.

Empire secured Rob Corddry to host the event for the third consecutive year. Rob kept the night light and fun, and introduced Webby Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) as well as Beastie Boys, who were honored as the Webby Artist of the Year. The program was packed with memorable moments and 5-word speeches, but the highlight of the evening came when musical legend David Bowie took the stage to accept the second "Lifetime Achievement" award of the evening. Empire Entertainment again provided oversight of nearly every element of this complex event, including site selection and acquisition, signage, catering, décor, registration, staffing, audio and video, lighting, talent wrangling, and stage management. Empire was pleased to partner with Cipriani Wall Street, Star Group Productions, Deccan Designs, and Production Glue on this successful event.

Empire is a leading producer of cutting-edge recognition events. We take pride in clients like recognition Media who choose to work with us for many years running on their most important projects.

When Kerzner International sought to open their new upscale property, The Cove, at The Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas, they turned to Colin Cowie Lifestyle to ensure that the weekend worth of events were designed and run to perfection. Colin Cowie turned to Empire Entertainment to ensure that all of the talent was presented to their high standards of excellence! The extended weekend's festivities included a birthday party for Stevie Wonder on Thursday night, a Kai Milla poolside fashion show on Friday, a party featuring a concert performance by Janet Jackson (complete with Grucci fireworks spectacular) poolside on Friday night, and a seventies-themed finale bash in the Atlantis's newly built Ballroom on Saturday night. Empire was responsible for overseeing all aspects of talent coordination, logistics and audio sound production / stage management for all of the events.

Thursday nights' concert honoring Stevie Wonder's birthday involved coordinating many incredible artists, designing the production, running the show, and ensuring that sound was absolutely perfect in the newly-opened Mesa Grill. Plenty of artists were on hand to serenade and perform with Stevie Wonder for his birthday. The Rickey Minor Band from American Idol backed several artists including Joss Stone, John Legend, Nancy Wilson, Mos Def, India.Arie, and many others.

The Friday night party event was set around the new Aquaventure poolside at the foot of the Cove. Guests were greeted with Tequila shots being poured by The Screaming Queens from inside tables where they were costumed as lavish nautical creatures. Members of Body Cast posed as additional aquatic themed, body painted eye candy, as guests listened to the musical stylings of the very glamorous DJ, Donna D'Cruz. The event built up to when a fireworks cue drew everyone's attention to the enormous main stage set in the pool and the surprise reveal of Janet Jackson who came out and delivered an amazing 25 minute concert of her greatest hits. On cue, at the completion of her set, an impressive fireworks display by Grucci began and wowed everyone on Paradise Island!

Empire was responsible for advancing all of Janet Jackson's production and two-week-long rehearsal, cuing all talent throughout the event, coordinating the sound and the commencing of the fireworks display, and running all of the sound and entertainment for the party.Saturday night's finalé was an over-the-top, 1970's themed party complete with afro wigs, platform shoes, and even Saturday Night Fever's John Travolta on the dance floor! Following a walk-in and dinner music set by DJ Ravi Drums, the 2000 guests were treated to a truly seventies line-up of entertainment that kicked off with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and his band performing several Aerosmith and classic rock hits. They were followed by The Village People performing their three well-known seventies hits, Macho Man, In The Navy and YMCA. Earth, Wind & Fire performed next and had everyone dancing and were joined onstage by guest musicians including Stevie Wonder. DJ Donna D'Cruz closed the night keeping the seventies hits coming from her custom DJ booth. Empire was responsible for all of talent coordination & logistics, audio production and stage management of the show.

The celebrity attendees at the weekend of events included Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, John Travolta, Steven Tyler, Lindsay Lohan, Jeremy Piven, Tyra Banks, Kanye West, Ashanti, Bo Derek, Chrius Tucker, Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson, Spike Lee, Usher, Liv Tyler, and many, many others. For this challenging International project, Empire was honored to join the Colin Cowie team and to provide all talent and logistical coordination, stage production management, stage management and onsite calling of the shows.

Empire Entertainment is a world leader in the quality management and precision execution of entertainment events throughout the world and is well versed in catering to high

When Lisa Ling, host of National Geographic Channel's Explorer and Correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show decided to get married to Dr. Paul Song, they turned to Empire Entertainment and Empire's Los Angeles partner, Pinnacle Event Design & Production, to bring their wedding vision to life.The weddding would be non-traditional and would reflect the youth and vibrancy, as well as the Asian heritages of the couple.The wedding took place in the Main Hall of Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles.

The evening began with a brief ceremony on the South Patio for which Brandon Yip played acoustic guitar and rang the large gong to begin the ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony the sounds of Tupak Shakur's "California Love" were played for the recessional. Next the 525 guests proceeded into the main hall in which Empire had designed and installed a grand, Asian-themed environment in red, black and gold. In the center of the room long aircraft cables suspended between tall lighting towers suspended a series of large red lanterns across the dance floor. Underneath these lanterns were banks of red and black ottomans, surrounded by a sea of cabaret tables and high tops with matching linens and florals rounded out the room. Throughout the venue, food was served by four Asian restaurants set up in themed stations - Japanese Sushi, Korean Barbecue, Chinese dim sum and dumplings. Like the rest of the room, all food stations were designed in red, gold and black. Bars were set up to serve through the existing teller windows throughout the venue.

After toasts and speeches that included a karaoke duet by the couple on the Sonny & Cher classic "I've Got You Babe," a large gong was sounded and DJ David Chang led the audience with dance music ranging from hip hop and rock to funk and soul for the remainder of the night.

Japan Society is an immensely prestigious philanthropic organization dedicated to building economic, political, and social relations between the United States and Japan. To celebrate the milestone of its centennial, Japan Society turned to Empire to co-produce their gala. In doing so, Japan Society recognized Empire's unique position as a world-class production company with offices in New York and Tokyo, as well as Empire's ability to design and plan an event of the highest caliber. Because of Empire's unique understanding of Japanese sensibilities and aesthetics, Japan Society was guaranteed not only preeminent event production expertise, but also distinctive creativity with international perspective. The sparkling gala took place at the Hilton New York in Midtown Manhattan.

The evening began with three separate exquisite cocktail soirées with sponsor banners strategically placed throughout the receptions. Cocktails were then followed by an elegant dinner in the main ballroom that had been transformed into a sophisticated atmosphere with Japanese décor. Custom made silk shantung linens in deep red with complementing white runners provided an aura of richness to the dining room tables, which were strategically illuminated with pin-spotting and ambient décor lighting.

The stage program included some of the most influential individuals in the world. The Honorable William J. Clinton served as keynote speaker, discussing the critical significance of the friendship and alliance between Japan and the United States. The Honorable Senator John D. Rockefeller IV gave centennial remarks and presented the Japan Society Centennial Award to Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The 1,000 guests were given the extraordinary treat of a spectacular performance by Japan's National Living Treasure kabuki actor, Sakata Tojuro IV. Also in attendance were The Last Samurai actor Ken Watanabe, and Star Trek's George Takei, who served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

For this centennial gala, Empire served as event co-producer, working with Japan Society's Special Events Department to coordinate all aspects of the production and décor of the elegant and flawless evening. The evening was a significant success, raising over $2 million for this prestigious not-for-profit institution.

On Wednesday, May 16, 2007, Empire Entertainment's Not-For-Profit Division produced the second annual Matt's Promise Foundation Benefit & Concert to raise funds to fight various terminal illnesses for the young including cancer and Ducheynne muscular dystrophy. The sold out event was attended by over 500 guests and was held at the spacious, modern former SoHo Gallery Building, Skylight Studios in New York, NY.The event featured a silent auction of black & white photographs and a live auction of luxury goods and services, including one-of-a kind lots such as invitations to the exclusive premier party of HBO's hit show "Entourage" and a Fender guitar signed by Steve Miller.

The evening included a cocktail reception and silent black and white photography auction, a seated dinner, a live auction program and a 75 minute concert by The Steve Miller Band that had all the guests on their feet and dancing. The Steve Miller Band played all of their hits including "Fly Like an Eagle," "Take The Money & Run," and "Jet Airliner."Platinum sponsorships of $25,000 and more included a VIP meet and greet and photo op with Steve Miller.

Empire's Not-For-Profit Division provided event production for this program including event development and budgeting, package and table sales, securing donation of live auction packages, gift bags and silent auction photography, decor and table settings, production including all staging, sound, lighting and video, booking the Steve Miller Band and onsite production.The successfull evening raised in excess of $900,000 for Matt's Promise.

When an international financial services group held their annual conference in Monte Carlo, Monaco, they sought a musical entertainer with sophistication and class to headline their entertainment evening. Diana Ross was booked by the event production company, 4PM Events, and Empire Entertainment was secured to coordinate production and logistics and to stage manage the event. The event was held at the world-renowned Sporting Club and featured cocktails in the gardens, a seated dinner, a headline comedy performance by Gilbert Gottfried, and fireworks immediately followed by a concert performance by Diana Ross.

Miss Ross and her band performed many of her hits spanning her entire career including "I'm Coming Out," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", ‘Upside Down' , ‘‘You Can't Hurry Love', ‘Baby Love', ‘Stop! In The Name Of Love', ‘Someday We'll Be Together' and ‘Back In My Arms Again' among others. The crowd was up and dancing through much of the 75 minute performance and Diana Ross brought a child of one of the attendees onstage with her to dance and sing during one of her numbers. The audience gave her a standing ovation and brought her back for an encore. After the concert performance, Diana Ross held a meet & greet with VIP attendees and took photos with all of them. For this international production, Empire coordinated logistics and all production arrangements with the band and crew and Sporting Club, and also provided onsite stage management of the entire evening.

When companies want to present world class talent in international locations, they turn to Empire to ensure a professionally-produced event.

2K Games is at the forefront of game development in the growingly competitive and popular video game industry. Their best-selling releases have included titles such as Civilization IV, The Darkness, Elder Scrolls IV, and many more. For their most recent, and highly anticipated title, Bioshock, 2K enlisted Empire Entertainment to produce a one-of-a-kind international press event in New York City. The event was held at The Newspace, a large, open gallery space in the heart of New York City's chic Chelsea art district. The event was designed to recreate the unique, undersea environments depicted in the game and the set the gaming experience apart from all other current titles.

Working closely with the game's developers and recreating creative elements from the game, Empire created an undersea world that submerged guests into "Rapture," the games fictional Atlantis-like city beneath the waves. Empire delved deeply into the concept and in-game art of "Rapture" to create a cohesive environment for the event space that would be a suitable setting for actual game play. The room was surrounded with realistic water projections and lighting effects. At the center of the room a large circular bar rose with a large sculpture of water filled tubes at the center, lit from below. Video gaming press from every corner of the globe came to Rapture to experience the game for the first time ever.

The evening began with cocktails in an environment in which surround projections simulated a position about the ocean surface. The presentation then began with an animation that took guests to the ocean floor and then segued to an introduction and game walkthrough delivered by Ken Levine, BioShock's creator and one of the most respected and talented game designers in the industry. Following the demonstration, guests were invited to be the first people outside the company ever to play the game and they quickly jumped on and huddled around one of the 40 XBox gaming stations setup around the room.

Since the image quality and gaming experience needed to be perfect, Empire brought in state-of-the-art projection hardware such as twin high definition projectors to show off Bioshock's game play at the highest resolution and largest size possible. DL2 moving lights with built-in video effect generators were utilized to bathe the walls in an array of submersive water-theme visuals, and 32" HDTVs were brought in for each of the Xbox gaming stations. In selecting Empire as it's producer, 2K Games recognized Empire's position as a leading production company of cutting-edge product launches that utilize state-of-the-art design and technology.

For the second consecutive year, one of the world's largest companies chose Empire to produce their multi-day recognition event for their top technical employees. The event took place at the world-renowned Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, where guests were treated to a weekend full of activities, speakers, entertainment, educational seminars and celebration. Following an introductory dinner, with keynotes from several of their top executives, the always comical magic duo, Penn and Teller, performed a customized magic show. The team ended with a trick that included one of the company's senior vice presidents, which resulted in a huge round of applause. An after party took place in the breathtaking Crown Room with San Francisco legend, Bud E. Luv performed his famous Las Vegas-style cabaret performance.

The next morning, the Crown Room was transformed into a serene environment with citrus accents and rose petals in which Tai Chi and Yoga classes were offered to attendees by world-renowned instructors. Later that morning, attendees entered the main ballroom, which mimicked the sets of morning talk shows like Good Morning America and The Today Show. After breakfast, the live program commenced, hosted by a company executive and featuring several custom video roll-ins that were filmed, edited and produced on site. In addition to the humorous live morning show-style commentary, the program featured an educational, interactive panel discussion with several of the company's key executives. Empire also developed custom logos that were branded on mugs, t-shirts and pencils to be handed out to attendees.That afternoon, in what was called the World Perspective University, guests had the opportunity to attend a series of lectures delivered by top professors from eight of the world's leading educational institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, University of California Berkeley and Kyoto University. Each professor offered a sophisticated lecture designed with the intention of intellectually challenging the guests.

That evening, following an elegant cocktail reception, attendees entered the newly transformed main ballroom. With 360 degree digital projection, the ballroom was wrapped in a continuous, 410' long and 18' high screen that projected some of the most cutting-edge, high definition visual imagery ever created. With custom visuals created specifically for the event, guests were treated to a kaleidoscope of color, pattern and movement. Welcoming guests to the dinner, Mass Ensemble performed on satellite stages scattered through the ballroom. The evening featured a keynote address by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates followed by a surprise fireside chat and Q&A with Gates and one of Hollywood's most acclaimed filmmakers, George Lucas. Immediately after the fireside discussion, guests were shown a 10 minute film created especially for this evening. The film told the visual story of the history of consciousness and technology and projected a vision of the future that was accompanied by an original score.

Following the film, guests were escorted to the Star Wars Disco-themed after party. Guests danced the night away to the music of DJ Crash and performances by acrobatic and aerial troupe, Antigravity. For those looking for a more relaxing environment, a whiskey expert lead a single-malt tasting seminar at one of the Fairmont's original bars. After a long night of festivities, the departure breakfast provided attendees with one last hurrah. With soft jazz playing in the background by Liberty Street Jazz Band, guests relaxed over breakfast before heading home.

Empire developed, designed and delivered every aspect and component of the program in collaboration with the client and supplied all speaker and entertainment booking, staging, sound, lighting, and audio visual services, décor, production management and onsite staffing.

When one of the world's leading media groups sought to present their annual upfront presentation to key advertisers and sponsors, they turned to the creative production team at Empire Entertainment to bring their vision to life and to design and execute this one-chance-only, all important, live presentation. The audience would consist of several hundred senior advertising and marketing executives along with many of their children who were invited to attend. The client in this case was an umbrella business unit comprised of several separate but affiliated media entities in the areas of cable & broadcast television, radio, publishing and Internet. The underlying theme that the client wished to communicate was that these individual media brands can be accessed to work together to serve marketers seeking to reach their demographic segment.

A concert-theme was chosen for the Upfront and the theme would be carried out from arrival to departure. The presentation would feature performances by two of the media group's biggest musical stars, both highly-popular performing artists in the kids / tweens market and featured prominently in the group's programming.The Upfront presentation took place in the Hudson Theater located just off Times Square. Empire, working with it's set design & construction partners, created a dynamic concert stage set that featured walls of programmable LED lighting, flying lighting discs with projection surfaces and a beaded curtain portal that took the shape of the client's logo.

The presentation began with a walk-in performance by Jumpers in Command, dynamic double-dutch jump rope and hip hop dancing team that got everyone in the mood for fun. The upfront presentation then started with a high energy, two song performance by one of the music groups and their backing dancers. Next the senior executive of advertising sales & promotion took the stage and spoke about the group's recent achievements and their many competitive advantages in the market. Then the head of Programming took the stage and previewed future programming offerings with abundant video roll-ins and graphics. The Upfront concluded with a red hot, two song performance by a tween superstar and her dancers and then the program ended with a curtain call from all of the performers and presenters.

Immediately following the Upfront the guests headed up to the 8th floor function space which Empire had transformed into an Asian-style lounge. The after-party lounge featured black lounge furniture, sumptuous lighting, a full-size Buddha carved of solid ice by the artists at Okamoto Studios, a reflecting pond over which hung an array of blosssoms on monofilament, a customized photo station, and an autograph station where children and adults met and got autographs from the musical performers featured in the Upfront. DJ Riddler spun a mix of programming-featured music and Buddha Bar classics to complete the vibe. The attendees loved both the Upfront presentation and the after-party which was extended by an hour by popular demand.

For this production, Empire handled nearly every detail of both the presentation and after-party including set design & construction, staging, sound, lighting, video projection, teleprompter, decor, staffing, logistics, security and management of the after-party and activities. After the event, the client executive in charge called the Upfront "Spectacular!" continuing "We have received nothing but amazing praise on your set, seamless production of the presentation, fabulous party, and attention to detail. We could not have asked for better partners as we raised the bar!"

Empire is a full-service, creative production company that serves world class clients.

Recognizing the importance of the huge Latin American and U.S. Latino markets, Empire Entertainment has created its Latin division to service the needs of private entities and corporations doing business in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world.Talent buyers and corporations operating in South America, Mexico, Central America, Spain and Portugal who need guidance and relationships with U.S. and world talent have already recognized the importance of Empire Entertainment's Latin division. U.S. corporations and private entities seeking to do business and entertain in the region now have a trustworthy partner to execute their event and event marketing needs throughout the region. Serving as a bridge between the English and Spanish/Portuguese worlds, Empire Latin America is in a position to service a wide spectrum of industries, including entertainment, public relations, communications, and advertising.

General Manager Pablo Aslan is a respected producer in the U. S. Latin market, having been instrumental in the revival of Argentine Tango in the U. S. through his work in the 1990's as a concert and record producer, as well as lecturer and teacher. He has produced and directed events for private, corporate and institutional clients, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts, Mark Morris Dance, Festival Productions, and Stratta Phillips Productions. With extensive experience in several areas of the entertainment business, and a distiguished career as a musician with performances and recordings with major international artists such as Yo Yo Ma, Shakira, and Lalo Schiffrin, Pablo is an insider in both the U.S. and Latin entertainment worlds. He holds an MFA from UCLA and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Empire Latin America scored its first big project in February 2007 when a prominent public figure in Mexico wanted to invite his old friend, Julio Iglesias, to perform at a private fund raising event. Local organizers turned to Empire Entertainment's new Latin Division to negotiate the terms of the deal and contract this international superstar. Adding to the complexity of this particular situation was the extremely short lead time, and the fact that Julio Iglesias was in the middle of a world tour at the time of the proposed event. Working as translator and mediator, Empire was able to negotiate a mutually agreeable date and coordinated the logistics and production fulfillment, working with the end client, the venue, the Mexico-based agency, the U.S. based booking agency, and Julio's tour management. Empire Latin America's unique position as language and culture translators ensured that the U.S. and Mexican parties understood each other's way of operating, avoiding confusions and misunderstandings, and helping the production move forward against a tight deadline.The highly successful event put Empire Latin America's bilingual and bi-cultural resources to play and delivered Julio Iglesias for what turned out to be a memorable celebration of music, friendship and, yes, love.

Empire Entertainment Latin division looks forward to serving your future needs throughout Mexico, Central and South America, Spain and Portugal.

When one of the world's leading software development companies staged the largest product launch in their history, they turned to Empire to help create a memorable experience. The audience would consist of developers and testers of the product, partners, as well as members of the domestic and foreign press. The event would not only announce the arrival of the new product but would also pay tribute to the years of effort in developing the next chapter in their best-selling product lines.

Empire helped to select ideal locations in New York City to meet the client's needs for this one-day, multi-event launch. With extensive working knowledge of venues throughout the city, Empire secured the elegant Cipriani 42nd Street for an important press luncheon and executive panel discussion, the Grand Hyatt for one-on-one media interviews, and one of New York's hottest concert new venues in the heart of Times Square, the Nokia Theatre. As guests arrived at the Nokia Theater, sexy and stunning world DJ, Donna D'Cruz spun a mixture of African, Brazilian and Latin beats to set the tone for this global launch. Then, Recycled Percussion, a contemporary and hard- hitting rhythmic percussion group, pumped up the energy with its high-speed amazing spectacle of power percussion.

To kick off the launch presentation, Angels & Airwaves, a new musical entity from the creative minds of Tom DeLonge (Blink-182), David Kennedy (Box Car Racer), Ryan Sinn (Distillers) and Atom Willard (Rocket from the Crypt, Offspring) took the stage to perform an incredible opening number. They performed a hard-rocking rendition of Joey Ramone's version of "What a Wonderful World," a song specially licensed by Empire Entertainment specifically for this launch event, synced to visuals projections of the new product and customers. Following the launch presentation the band played a 45-minute performance set for the after party. For this global product launch, Empire assisted with site selection and acquisition, securing and coordinating talent, onsite talent management, and procuring the appropriate music licenses.

Empire is a full-service event and entertainment production company, with special expertise in artist bookings and venue selection.

When one of the world's most respected corporations was planning a divisional summit, a conference held once every seven years, they turned to Empire Entertainment to serve as production company to manage all creative & technical production and video production. Completely branded around a logo designed by Empire, this 3-day event at The Phoenician in Phoenix, Arizona mixed business with pleasure. After a high-energy opening video shot and edited by Empire, guests were welcomed by the President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of the company. Shortly following, guests enjoyed the first two of ten regional videos that were scripted, shot and edited by Empire in advance of the event.

Empire's crews had visited company branches around the nation to creatively capture and share the idiosyncrasies of each office environment - the hilarity of the inside jokes easily made these two videos, as well as the remaining eight videos shown later on, a hit. After dinner, rocker, activist and opening night keynote speaker Bono set the bar high for the conference as he entreated attendees to encourage philanthropy among clients. Set against Empire's customized backdrop of six fabric columns and a large-scale suspended logo, Bono's speech had a resounding effect on the audience and he received a standing ovation.

With an elaborate lighting package, the mood changed from Sunday's night hot red colors honoring Bono's "(Red)" campaign to a more business-like look for the next day's intensive business sessions. After addresses from top executives and world-renowned reporter, Tom Brokaw, and personalized breakout sessions tackling important issues in the industry, attendees were ready for a little fun. Guests laughed their way through a Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update"-style video, cleverly produced by Empire with witty, customized company humor. To elevate the energy again after dinner, Empire staged the theatrical production of a game show with a script, scenery and costuming developed by Empire, conference attendees were laughing and cheering through an incredibly memorable evening as their top executives and regional managers played the roles of host and contestants onstage.

Still elated from the hilarious antics of the game show, guests moved into the afterparty, curious about the concert stage and satellite screens Empire had installed. Utter shock gave way to pride as they rocked out to a band composed of executives in their very own division singing hits like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "We're an American Band." Guests danced and partied the night away as dance band Brian Kirk & The Jerks kept the music going. Though attendees were a bit groggy the next morning from the prior night's festivities, they were impressed by morning keynote remarks from General Colin Powell on the illuminated red, white and blue stage. After a final round of breakout sessions, attendees returned to the ballroom for the awards presentation, with the most anticipated award of "Best Video" going to the Boston region, as Bono's instincts accurately predicted. Empire's closing video of live action moments and memories captured throughout the conference nicely rounded out a successful and seamlessly executed event.

Empire is a worldwide producer of company meetings, managing all aspects of a conference including stage production, technical production, video, photography, site selection, contracting, logistics, catering, décor, talent coordination, security and on-site supervision.

Keep a Child Alive is an innovative charitable organization that is dedicated to providing life saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and families living with HIV/AIDS in Africa, and other parts of the impoverished world. In November 2006, Empire was privileged to support KCA, helping to produce their third annual Black Ball fundraising benefit. This year's program was generously sponsored by the Condé Nast Media Group and held at the Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

The event began with a cocktail reception and gallery viewing of a Michael Thompson photography exhibit. The photo series, entitled "I Am African," featured celebrities such as Gwenyth Paltrow, Elizabeth Hurley, Richard Gere, Seal, Heidi Klum and others in African attire and was featured in 18 Condé Nast publications. During cocktails African-inspired music was provided by New York's City DJ Tipka. Following the cocktail reception, the 600 plus guests entered the stunning Hammerstein Ballroom lit by candlelight where guests enjoyed a three course dinner and truffle dessert.

The star-studded dinner was attended by notable celebrities including Valentino, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Anne Hathaway, Zhang Ziyi, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Petra Nemcova, Russell Simmons, Kimora Lee Simmons, Tyson Beckford, Helena Christiansen and many others who showed up to support KCA's efforts. Following the dinner and a second concert seating and reception in the first balcony, an extraordinary program began that saluted humanitarians and remarkable leaders in the fight against AIDS. Wanda Sykes emceed the program with her sharp style and wit and introduced speeches and appearances by Leigh Blake (President & Founder of Keep a Child Alive), Iman (Global Ambassador for Keep A Child Alive), Dr. Stephen Lewis (U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS), Elijah Wood, Russell Simmons, Jeffrey Wright, and Ed Norton. The program also honored Carol Dyanti, of the Ikageng Ministries, Soweto, South Africa, Dr. Paul Farmer, of Partners in Health and Richard D. Beckman, President of the Condé Nast Media Group for their courageous support in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

After the speaking program, rock band Louis XIV kicked off the concert performance. Saul Williams, a spoken word artist, delivered a powerful piece, followed by a jamming performance with Alicia Keys and her band which included "Paradise," "Broken Wings," and Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child." Other highlights of the concert included Alicia's duets with other talented artists: "Welcome to Jamrock" and "Road to Zion," with Damian Marley, and "Africa," with African Queen, Angelique Kidjo. A high point of the show was when David Bowie took the stage to sing "Fantastic Voyage," and performed an incredible duet with Alicia Keys on "Changes". Following the concert, the guests danced the night away during an afterparty with old school hits spun by DJ Cassidy.

Empire 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 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.