Our Work

When the Brazilian financial services firm, CAIXA Internacional wanted to launch their United States presence with a splash, Empire was called in by Latin American producer contacts to help stage and produce an important press event & reception that would feature both high stature presence and fun entertainment. The event was held at the Bildner Center in the City University of New York building on Fifth Avenue in the shadow of the Empire State Building.The event featured an address by Brazil's President, Lula da Silva, a multi-media presentation by executives of CAIXA Internacional, and a performance by Brazilian Bossa Nova legend, Paulinho da Viola.For this event, Empire provided all production management, audio and backline, as well as stage management of the show and printing of banners.

The event was planned with only a few days of advance notice and almost all of the arrangements and coordination had to be conducted in Portuguese through translators. The event was a rousing success and was attended by more than 500 guests and members of the press. Empire is a leading producer of international events, both overseas and for international companies seeking to establish and maintain presence in New York City and the United States.

Empire is a leading producer of presentations featuring heads of State from around the world.

When FOX Broadcasting needed to make headlines with the launch of their new summer series, North Shore, they turned to Empire Entertainment to create and execute a stunning press stunt in the heart of Times Square. Given that the show is based in Hawaii, FOX sought to transform the busiest intersection in America into a Hawaiian atmosphere that featured all the best of what Hawaii has to offer. Working through various New York City agencies, Empire was able to secure Fence Island, a small traffic island between 45th & 46th Street, Broadway and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square and arguably America's busiest intersection.

Working with a small army of designers, carpenters, florists, laborers and technicians, Empire realized the client's vision of a Hawaiian paradise, creating a main stage finished and backed with bamboo, a real beach with clean play sand, towering palm trees and lush tropical floral arrangements, greenery and various props including surf boards, beach chairs, Polynesian totem polls and Tiki huts. The centerpiece of the entire production was a towering volcano prop, 15' high X 9' wide that stood high above the stage. The volcano itself was designed by Empire, and included smoke and flame special effects. Branding for the event was also provided by Empire and included custom printed show posters on vinyl that fit over standard police barricades, a full size surf board and boogie boards that were printed with the North Shore, FOX logo and tune-in information, thousands of real flower Lei's that had been made in Hawaii and flown in for the event as well as branded post cards and Pineapple cups as giveaways to pedestrians.

Added to this were teams of performers, all cast, contracted, costumed, trained and supervised by Empire. This cast included male and female surf instructors, a team of catering servers who passed out original Hawaiian punch concoctions in branded FOX cups, a street team of 8 surfer dudes & girls in branded beach attire who worked the busy sidewalks of Broadway giving out premium items and building traffic on the island, and a running crew, all attired in Hawaiian shirts. On stage, an awesome Hawaiian music & dance ensemble, The Tiny Bubble Band, consisting of guitar, ukulele, congas and bass performed while a cast of 4 hula dancers in grass skirts performed traditional dances of Hawaii. In front of the stage, actress Brooke Burns and other stars of the show appeared live on FOX's Good Day Live and gave interviews for Access Hollywood, Extra, WNYW and other media. Brooke also posed for photos with fans, gave autographs and even participated in some of the surf lessons and hula activities.

The two hour long event was free and open to the public, served more than 2,000 guests and created quite a stir in Times Square. WPLJ was the radio promotion partner and provided additional promotional support onsite as well as on air personalities who helped emcee the event and participated in the prize giveaway of a trip to Oahu, Hawaii.

Empire provided all services for this promotional event including site selection and acquisition, security, staging, sound, lighting, electrical power & distribution, stage and set design and fabrication / installation, creation of the sand beach, staffing, music and other talent, onsite coordination, stage management and liaison with all parties.The clients at FOX Broadcasting were thrilled with the event and the President of the Times Square Alliance, an organization that helps to develop and promote Times Square, called the event "One of the most creative visual commercial promotions to happen in Times Square for a long time."

Empire is a leading producer of press stunts and events designed to generate national publicity.

A major telecommunications company recently called Empire looking for a headline performer to act as the finalé to their conference in South Beach. The client wanted a concert act who could play songs that their entire audience would know, and who would get them out of their seats and on to their feet. She hoped to have someone like Billy Joel or Elton John perform, but those artists were beyond the reach of for the event budget.Fortunately, Empire knew the perfect alternative at a more reasonable cost: Michael Cavanaugh. Michael is the star of "Movin' Out", Twyla Tharp's Tony-Award winning Broadway smash-hit based on the songs of Billy Joel. Michael was hand-picked by Billy Joel to star in the show in which he performs all of the vocals and piano. When he performs for corporate events, Michael performs with "The Movin' Out Band" which frequently includes some well-known musicians who also play with Billy Joel. And at private shows, Michael is not limited to the Billy Joel songbook.

At our client's event, he performed a healthy dose of Billy's hits (opening the set with "Only The Good Die Young" and getting the crowd immediately onto the dance floor) while also mixing in a good number of other classic songs by artists including The Beatles, Elton John, Jerry Lee lewis, and others. Michael kept the attendees dancing for his entire 90-minute set and even accommodated the CEO who asked to come onstage and play bass with the band for a song.Michael is like a human jukebox and knows thousands of popular songs. He can perform hits from many genres of popular music, and would even be able to do a country music set if requested. He can also play solo at the piano or work his band into nearly any configuration for event spaces that will not allow for large-scale production set-ups.

Empire Entertainment, Inc. is a leading provider of upscale entertainment for corporate conferences and special events. We know that budgets are a primary concern and we are always able to suggest the best possible performer in any specified price range.

When FOX Broadcasting chose to premiere their new Summer Series, "The Jury," for Executive Producers Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, James Yoshimura and Jim Finnerty in New York City, they turned to Empire to help them put on a first class event. Empire helped to create an upscale cocktail event at the 21 Club that included a red carpet area and step & repeat wall outside the Museum of Television & Radio (where the show was screened), and a themed reception in the main dining room of the 21 Club which included celebrity guests, branded items, live music, fine food & drinks and gift bags.

The 200 person event had just the right energy & buzz and attracted stars ranging from Blue Man Group (who recorded the show's theme song), Bill O'Reilly from FOX's "O'Reilly factor," Shalom Harlow, and Patrice O'Neal. Guests arrived immediately after the conclusion of the screening next door and stayed until after the bars were shut down. For this upscale event, Empire worked with FOX to provide a variety of integrated services including site selection, creative development, design & printing, menu selection (including a specialty bar with themed cocktails like "the Jury-Tini", the "Subpoena Colada" and "the Deliberation") the facilitation of bar displays and presence for liquor sponsor Belvedere Vodka, the management of security and check-in logistics, decor including branded table tops & custom linens and serving trays with miniature gavel garnishes and onsite management of the event flow. Empire also created a custom sound track for the event to fill in breaks between performances by the Todd Londagin combo. Empire worked closely with FOX Broadcasting, Vanity Fair, The 21 Club, Belvedere Vodka and other parties to ensure a smooth running event that reflected the high standards of this world class broadcaster.

Empire is a leading producer of press and product launch events for the media and other industries.

Each year, one of the world's top food & 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, a marching band salute and an evening at Ellis Island. The highlight of the annual trip is the awards dinner, typically held inside a massive tent built 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 that reflect the company's values and break up sections of the awards presentations.

This year, Empire was charged with creating a program of entertainment that represented excellence in four of the major regions of the globe and one that could segue naturally into a night of dancing and celebration. Empire was able to utilize its vast network of contacts in the worlds of international music and dance to deliver extraordinary, colorful and impactful performances from China, Ireland, India and Africa. The first performance of a traditional Chinese Dragon dance was performed by the Ying-Tang Dance Ensemble and featured colorfully costumed dragon dancers, drummers and waving flags to kick off the evening with a traditional dragon dance. The second performance was by the remarkable World Champion Trinity Irish Dancers from Chicago who amazed the audience with their high energy, and incredible timing and precision.The Natya Dance Thrater dancers of India then performed a number that was beautiful, graceful and entertaining, attired in richly colored costumes, jewelry and body paint & makeup. The last performance by the Universal African Dance & Drum ensemble featured wild energy, acrobatic stunts, explosive energy and served as a perfect ending to this international series of performances. Their segment ended with a reprise number on stage in which they were joined by the Trinity Irish Dancers and the Natya dancers who served to get the clapping audience up and on their feet. The Eturnity Band, New York City's best R&B, Funk & Motown dance band, then laid down the drum beat that kept the audience dancing until the end of the night.

Empire Entertainment is the leading producer of international talent & performers for corporate events. We have presented acts from every region of the world.

For the 4th year in a row, Empire produced the annual client conference for one of the world's largest financial company's retirement group. For this 4 day / 3 evening long event, Empire booked and produced all entertainment and provided keynote and topical speakers including: President George H. W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush, actor, comedian and political writer Ben Stein as well as 11 industry speakers and panelists.The opening evening featured world-renowned comedian / juggler and the senior Bush's favorite entertainer, Michael Davis, who thrilled the audience with his amazing juggling and hilarious humor. Michael received a standing-ovation for his performance

This year, Empire's responsibilities expanded to include all florals for the conference. Empire partnered with Tomik Productions who set up an in-house flower shop that provided all flower arrangements and linens throughout the conference for every function including two outdoor breakfasts, and lunches, the opening night cocktail reception and dinner function, the closing night cocktail reception, and an intimate breakfast with a small group of client guests and President and Mrs. Bush. Incredible custom floral arrangements were also provided for the Bush's suite, other VIP's and attendees as requested.The first morning, was a fresh and colorful citrus themed breakfast, set on the beautiful Da Vinci lawn within the hotel gardens, which featured festive citrus linens and floral displays.For that afternoon's lunch, the garden was reset with another fresh and bright theme, beautifully complimented with fresh florals and linens. These breakfast and lunch themed events were repeated the following day with the final in-house event being a cocktail reception held the last night of the conference in the conference resource center.

Empire again designed, built and installed the conference's Resource Center in which twenty one client participants / partners were provided custom-designed spaces to showcase their latest materials to the conferences 300 attendees. This space also served as a place where attendees could relax, network and check email between general sessions. Empire completely transformed a 100' X 50' ballroom space into an indoor garden, that featured Italian, English and Florida tropical themes, complete with a beautiful white email gazebo in the center of the room and an indoor fountain that enhanced the rooms ambience. These elements were complimented with a combination of various styles of outdoor garden furniture, beautiful garden-themed props, baker's racks for participants materials, computer monitors were provided as well as wireless internet connections for participants. Finally, Empire designed the General Session stage to compliment the Resource Center garden theme. The staging was then built by the client and dressed by Empire on site. The client and participants constantly complimented Empire on a job well done again this year. Many of the participants and attendees have attended this conference every year and are constantly surprised at how we conceptualize and implement a business function in a unique environment, not generally seen in the conference world.

When one of the world's largest and best-known software firms wants to dazzle its customers and business partners with a hot night in the Big Easy, it picks up the phone and calls Empire Entertainment. The client's goal was lofty: to put on a precedent-setting corporate concert, with multiple performers and a Grammy-like feel. Empire met the challenge head-on. Working closely with the client's marketing department, they arrived at a novel solution: to recreate, in concert form, last year's hit documentary, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". The film celebrates the career of the Funk Brothers, the band that played on all of the classic Motown tracks from the early 1960s right through until the 1980s, backing the likes of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Temptations. Few people are aware that the Funk Brothers tallied more number one hits than Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined. Empire partnered the Funk Brothers with Chaka Khan, Joan Osborne (both of whom were featured in the film), Aaron Neville and Ruben Studdard.

Two days before the show, Aaron Neville was hospitalized with bronchial asthma and forced to cancel. Empire worked quickly to replace him with none other than the legendary Isley Brothers' lead singer, Ron Isley. The end result was a high-energy, all-star event that ignited the 5,000 person strong crowd. The hits kept on coming: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"; "What's Going On"; "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"; "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"; "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; "What Becomes of the Broken Heart?"; "My Girl" and others. After the show, an out-of-breath member of the client's top brass exclaimed, "It is not possible to put together a better corporate show!" Earlier in the week, for this same client, Empire put on yet another all-star event: a panel discussion featuring James Carville, Ben Stein, and Todd Buccholz, and moderated by Stuart Varney. The lively debate focused on the upcoming presidential election and its economic impact of the U.S. and the world.

Empire Entertainment was once again called upon to produce a music industry party for valued clients, J Records / RCA / The BMG Music Group. This time, their client was Velvet Revolver, a new band consisting of several former members of Guns 'n' Roses: including Slash and Duff and Scott Weiland The Stone Temple Pilots former front man.Called in a week prior to the event, Empire worked to create a "Moroccan-roll" themed event on the rooftop of the hot new 'meat packing district' hotel, The Hotel Gansevoort. With extremely limited electrical power onsite and challenging 'new hotel' logistical and practical problems to contend with, Empire managed to create and execute a first class event for a crowd of music celebrities and industry personnel including Clive Davis.

The event featured original decor in a Moroccan theme reminiscent of the decor at the band's studio where their debut album was recorded. Empire and it's team designed & provided decor in both interior and exterior spaces on the hotel rooftop and floating flowers and votive candles around one of Manhattan's few rooftop swimming pools. The party went late into the evening with great rock music from DJ Frank Inglesi, and celebrities and guests lounging on Moroccan furniture arrangements beneath lanterns and among flowers and planters. Empire was complimented throughout the night by the client, hotel personnel, and attendees, for doing a great job.

Empire is a leading producer of events for the entertainment industry.

When Velocity Communications recently consulted Empire Entertainment regarding a headline performer for an event in Germany, there was one act that was perfect for the audience. Velocity had explained that the attendees of the engagement were going to be 1,200 key clients, premier partners, special guests, and staff of a world-renowned technology corporation. Most of these guests were to be non-English speaking, men in their 30's - 50's. The entertainment needed to be elegant without being boring; glamorous but still exciting enough to keep the attendees' attention. And of course, the performance needed to be essentially non-verbal to suit the international audience. Empire immediately suggested the female string quartet "BOND".

Initially hailed "the Spice Girls of classical music", the four attractive women who make up the group have demonstrated that they are not all style-over-substance by composing a vibrant worldbeat sound all their own. Their debut album, "Born" (2001) showcased the band's mix of salsa, house, and European folk stylings. Combined with the performers' supermodel looks, the music helped the album sell over two and a half million copies worldwide, and led to the group performing at high-profile events like the "Pavarotti with Friends" concert in Italy, the MTV Awards in the United States and Singapore, and at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and high profile endorsements & commercial campaigns for multiple brands including Raymond Weil watches. Empire knew that the band's unique blend of sex appeal and elegant high-energy classical music made them the ideal show for the crowd.After seeing the troupe's video, Velocity Communications and the end-client agreed they were perfect. While BOND was touring Asia at the time of the event in Germany, Empire was able to secure them for the project. As can be seen in the accompanying photo, Velocity Communications transformed The Kraftzentrale in Duisburg, Germany (a former steel foundry) into a lively, dynamic banquet and concert venue. Dramatic use of lighting on flying "Hexawing" scrim and vibrant staging set the tone for a magical evening. And BOND outdid themselves as well.

As one of the clients from Velocity wrote to us after the show, "in short, the experience was the best we have ever had. BOND was fantastic. [The end client VIP's] lined up to meet them afterwards including the CEO. And yes, the male audience lined up during the entire show to take photos. They are hot, sexy and talented. Thank you so much for taking care of us and our client." Empire Entertainment is a leading presenter and producer of headline performers at special events worldwide. We have our fingers on the pulse of the best new entertainment on every continent and excel at recommending and securing the best possible entertainers for any specific audience, regardless of their nationality.

Now in its 3rd year, 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 300,000 visitors throughout the day and served as a focal point for the growing celebration of the revival of Lower Manhattan. Larger than previous years, this year's Family Festival offered more than 70 tents of entertainment, activities, and food and stretched across 17 city blocks. Five outdoor stages presented a diverse collection of New York-based performers and community talent.

Highlights of this year's Family Festival included an arts and crafts pavilion sponsored by American Express, a children's library and storytelling with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg in the Scholastic pavilion, a baby giraffe, zebra, and leopard cub on display with South African Tourism, Club TriBeCa which featured live cabaret-style performances throughout the day, a tennis activity area created by USTA, a basketball shooting court sponsored by the Nationball Basketball Association, a life-size chess board, hundreds of street performers, face painters, kite-making, sidewalk chalk art, a public art mural, a KidzTown dedicated to children's activities and entertainment and numerous other arts and crafts tents and areas.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, permitting and street closure, integration with city agencies, security, electrical power distribution, decor, staging, sound, lighting, labor, decor, bathrooms, street cleanup, video and A/V, event design and layout, stage management, etc.

Empire is a major producer of public events and is proud to be a partner of TriBeCa Productions in the TriBeCa Film Festival since it's start in 2002.

For the sixth consecutive year, Empire Entertainment produced The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, Kids For Kids charity carnival event at New York's Industria SuperStudios in Manhattan's West Village. This year's event was underwritten by The Bandai Foundation and sponsored by The Toys R' Us Children's Fund, MTV, VH-1, Country Music Television, InStyle Magazine, JetBlue, Symrise and Mercedes-Benz Tri-State Dealers among others. The event took place in all of the photography studios of the Industria complex as well as the Diane von Furstenberg Studio and 9 large tents set up on Washington Street and West 12th Street.

More than 1,500 people attended Kids for Kids which featured a kids dance club created by MTV/VH-1/CMT, delicious foods from dozens of participating New York City restaurants brought together by Jonathan Morr, an Art Room in which artists including Chuck Close, Francesco Clemente and Jeff Koons worked with children to create original paintings and sculptures, a street carnival where children played games with celebrities like Julianne Moore, James Gandolfini and Brooke Shields, a JetBlue flight simulator activity, video karaoke, a toy redemption area donated by Toys R' Us, a fragrance laboratory created by Symrise, a storytelling room sponsored by TARGET and a kids yoga room designed by Béyul and staffed by yoga instructors from Karma Kids. The afternoon event also featured several performances on a main stage including Kid Pop, Big Truck Music, The Power Rangers and a headline concert by Maverick recording artist Ben Jelen.

Empire Entertainment managed and coordinated most aspects of the four hour long event including the tenting, security, staging, labor, cleaning crews, emergency medical service standby, and signage. Decor for the event was provided by Robert Isabell.Kids for Kids 2004 was a tremendous success for all involved and helped to raise $1.3 million in funds to support critical pediatric AIDS programs.

Empire is a key producer of high-end, not-for-profit events and a strategic partner to businesses looking to create event-marketing opportunities in collaboration with charitable causes.

When one of the world's largest restaurant companies sought to present a very special, yet informal and fun party on the eve of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, KY, they called Empire Entertainment to deliver the right entertainment. Working with this client, Empire was able to secure The Blues Brothers, featuring Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi along with the Sacred Hearts Band to perform a no-holds-barred concert of Blues Brothers hits including "Kady," "Sweet Home Chicago," "Going Back to Miami," "Rubber Biscuit" and "Soul Man." Dan and Jim wore their full Blues Brothers costumes of black suits & ties, Ray Ban sunglasses and black hats and performed with all of the stage choreography seen in the original motion picture featuring Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi.

The event took place in a large, tented site on the grounds of a magnificent private home in Louisville. The band performed on a stage set based on a "House of Blues" theme and delighted the audience members, who came from around the world, and began dancing almost immediately after the music began. Dan and Jim agreed to pose for meet & greets with 160 guests and customized many of their between song comments to the audience and the host, even inviting the host's daughter and her friends onstage to dance with the band. Following the Blues Brothers' performance, a surprise country & western superstar took the stage and performed several songs before Nashville-based dance band The Kadillacs played dance music for the remainder of the evening.

For this project Empire was responsible for negotiating for and contracting the Blues Brothers, handling all logistics including travel, hotels, ground transportation and hospitality and coordinating production with a top Louisville staging & production vendor. Empire also stage-managed the entire evening's activities.

Empire is a leading producer of major concert events and is regularly called upon to create unique events surrounding major sporting events such as the Kentucky Derby, The Superbowl, Indianapolis 500, World Cup Soccer, and The Olympic Games.

When one of Empire's magazine clients sought to present a special value-added event for one of their top advertisers, they turned to Empire Entertainment to help them present one of today's hottest musical stars at the historic Paramount Theatre. Empire worked with the client to secure the rapidly rising and extraordinarily talented Warner Brothers Recording artist, Jewel, to perform a solo headline concert that included her hit songs "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant For Me" as well as a variety of songs in styles ranging from blues and country to folk and ballads. Her performance to a nearly packed house revealed not just her great musical talent but also her knack for humorous story telling and interactive rapport with her audiences. Her 90-minute-long performance included a guitar and harmonica duo with her brother Atz, who lives in Seattle, and won a standing ovation and encore from the audience, all of which were the retailer's shoppers.

For this performance Empire negotiated all contract terms including promotional rights for both parties, handled all logistics and production arrangements, managed all aspects of the live performance, and helped to get Jewel styled for the performance with some exceptional clothing from the retailer. Empire was successful in negotiating an excellent deal for Jewel to perform by combining incentives that included a national advertising page to offset hard dollar costs.The show was an incredible success that thrilled Jewel's fans, increased customer loyalty for the retailer and provided a unique and fitting way for the magazine to thank it's advertiser as well as reinforce its presence in the Seattle Market.

Empire is a major producer of event marketing programs and the leading producer of contemporary music for corporate marketing events.

Live Lab is a "Creative Solutions Provider" joint venture created by Choreographer Tee Scatuorchio, Musical Director Mike Levesque and Empire Entertainment. Live Lab designs original productions for trade shows, business meetings and other forms of event marketing initiatives. Live Lab productions are exclusively represented by Industrial Artist Management. Live Lab's most recent show for Panasonic at the CeBit International Trade show in Germany, demonstrated once again it's range and versatility. Working with the vibrant message of Panasonic's sponsorship of the 2004 Olympic games, Live Lab assembled an all-star cast of marching drummers, trumpet players and Ribbon Gymnast dancers from such Broadway hits as, "Movin' Out" and "Cabaret" to create an original stage show that served as a framework for presenting Panasonic's business messages. The show drew some of the biggest crowds at this year's CeBit electronics trade show and was wildly successful. Live Lab's show for Panasonic at the IFA show in Berlin, Germany in September 2003 featured Beat Box and Hip - Hop worked into a Formula One Racing Pit theme. Live Lab is expert is crafting shows that not only provide great entertainment but entertainment that delivers content in a smart and seamless production. Whether it's a show lasting only 3 minutes or a half hour, Live Lab conceptualizes, directs, choreographs, composes music, casts, costumes, and above all, produces quality shows based on years on extensive experience. Live labs recent and upcoming shows include productions for Choice Hotels, Carlson Worldwide, Nick At Nite's Upfront Show, Gerber Foods, Panasonic IFA, Panasonic CES, Merck's Zocor & Singular Launches, Arthur Ashes Kids Day/CBS TV and others. When You Want shows that Include: Beat Poets, Beat Box, Ribbon Gymnasts, Tap, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Percussion, Vocalists, Broadway Style Song and Dance and other emerging forms of performance, call Live Lab!

When the top figures in the Entertainment Industries want to throw a blowout party, they turn to unrivaled event designer Colin Cowie to design an unforgettable room and wonderfully conceived party. But when Colin Cowie needs to realize his fanciful visions, he relies upon Empire Entertainment to provide the backbone of his entertainment, technical production and talent wrangling team. Such was the case last week when television superstar Oprah Winfrey decided to throw a surprise 71st birthday party for music industry legend Quincy Jones. For this ultra exclusive event for 250 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Colin Cowie transformed the Rodeo Ballroom into a multi-leveled vision of brown, black and purple floral arrangements. In front of a reflective black dance floor was a 40' X 28' stage upon which some of the top names in music would perform. The foyer and outside patio were similarly designed and featured an assortment of dessert stations, bars, cigar lounge areas and everywhere were vertically hung plasma monitors running a montage of a special Q71 logo that Empire created for the evening which was also reflected on custom match boxes, and napkins.

Quincy Jones was completely surprised when he arrived to find 250 of his closest friends crouching in the darkness. As soon as they yelled surprise! the DJ kicked in the music and the party started swinging. The guest list was a who's who of Hollywood and music royalty. Everyone from Barbra Streisand, Eddie Murphy, Jon Travolta and Elton John to George Lucas, Billy Crystal and Stevie Wonder crowded the dance floor. Oprah Winfrey hosted the evening and played several touching video tributes to Quincy as well as presenting an enormous chocolate piano that had been flown in earlier in the day.Guests listened to the enchanting Diana Krall perform a mellow set of music during a buffet dinner that included Joe's Stone Crab flown in from Miami and barbecued ribs fresh from Texas. After dinner Earth, Wind & Fire took the stage and brought the entire audience onto the dance floor for hits that included "Boogie Wonderland," "Sing a Song," "Let's Groove," and "Shining Star." After Earth, Wind & Fire's set ended Verdine White and others joined the rest of the guests on the dance floor as DJ Tom Finn kept people dancing until late into the night. Later in the evening, Stevie Wonder took the stage with keyboardist Greg Phillinganes for a couple of impromptu songs and sung to a beaming Quincy Jones.

For this demanding project, Empire consulted on all talent negotiations, integrated the competing needs of the various acts to work within a very small space and brought in world class sound, labor, video projection and other technical services, handled all logistical and dressing room arrangements and managed the flow of the evening with Empire co-President, J. B. Miller, personally calling the cues from the dance floor.

Empire is the leading provider of talent booking and technical services for diamond class events worldwide.

When a consortium of major entertainment companies that produce syndicated television programming wanted to make a splash for the New York advertising community during Spring Upfront season, they turned once again to Empire Entertainment to produce their star-studded, signature event.The Syndicated Network Television Association, whose members include Buena Vista Television, Twentieth Century Television, Universal, Paramount and others, again chose Empire Entertainment to produce their main event, following a day of presentations of their 2004 programming including shows like That 70's Show, Family Feud and Ellen.

The event, which took place in the ballrooms & foyer of the New York Grand Hyatt, was designed as a hyper-modern lounge party with décor inspired by Philippe Stark and the Delano Hotel of South Beach. The 600 or so attendees came to drink, eat, dance, and mix & mingle with some of the hottest stars of syndicated television including Ellen Degeneres, Regis Philbin, Chris Matthews, Keifer Sutherland, Tony Danza and many others. Empire created an incredible visual feast in this space that was based on colors of chocolate, cream, caramel, flaming red & rich gold. Upon arrival, guests walked through a foyer that was set with lounge furniture and dessert and coffee stations. Once they stepped through the ballroom doors, an enormous wall of white curtain that served as a faux entrance, separated the room and created a backdrop for the large central island bar on the opposite side. Into this curtain were mounted a series of plasma monitors displaying the images of the featured television programs. Turning the corner into the room guests saw a seated area of custom square tables in draped gold organza linens topped with red & cream bunches of roses before an expansive buffet of sumptuous foods.

Behind this buffet, Empire created custom screen surrounds for three large vertical projection screens that fit the contours of the ballroom's columns. Onto these screens were projected the nine sponsor logos and the 27 promoted syndicated television programs. Empire designed a matrix projection that changed throughout the night and offered each of the nine syndicated networks and 27 shows equal time on the main screens. At the center of the room stood a huge, u-shaped white bar with a white frosted plexiglass surface that was lit in flaming red from underneath. This bar was adorned with modern white, angular stools and the rear of the bar was adorned with a towering floral display designed by Michael Kowalski which stood in front of a curtain of white onto which was projected an undulating flame lighting effect. The room also featured several comfortable seating areas of funky velvet and leather couches, club chairs, ottomans and coffee tables. The other end of the room featured two custom-designed stages positioned on either side of a large dance floor. On one stage Todd Londagin (of the Flying Neutrinos) and his all star jazz combo performed upbeat and sophisticated swing jazz, while on the other stage, stunning vocalist Toby Williams (of the band Cocktail Angst) sang duets with Todd from across the room. Each stage was surrounded by comfortable club style seating arrangements and a drink shelf that was built around the bar to allow guests to sit up close and drink while watching the band. For the final portion of the evening, DJ David Chang spun a groovy mix of disco, R&B, hip hop and dance music while dancers and guests flocked the dancefloor and mixed with the guests. All of the hosting companies were thrilled with the success of the event and most people, including many of the celebrities stayed until after the house lights were turned back on.

Empire is a leading producer of trade events and event marketing programs for the television, film, music and video gaming industries among many others.

Every year one of the world's largest software companies holds a major conference and event in Las Vegas to bring together managers & developers. One of the highlights of this conference is the final night event for which Empire provides the entertainment. In 2003 Empire delivered The Blues Brothers featuring Dan Aykroyd & Jim Belushi to play for this group at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. This year's event was held outside on the Brooklyn Bridge setting and inside the ESPN Zone at the New York, NY Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The event fell on a perfect moonless night on the Las Vegas strip and Empire delivered legendary, Grammy nominee Los Lobos to bring their high-energy fusion of Mexican and East Los Angeles-flavored rock and roll to this audience.

Empire constructed a large stage at one end of the Brooklyn Bridge with self climbing truss, supporting both front and rear lighting with moving light package and state-of-the-art DV-dosc line-array speaker system, providing clear audio coverage for the entire bridge without the need for cumbersome delay speakers.These state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems created an ideal concert experience for the audience of 1800 as well as the hundreds of onlookers on the Las Vegas strip itself. Los Lobos gave the audience a screaming set of their hits including "Don't Worry Baby," and their cover of Richie Valens "La Bamba," but also included other covers such as The Who's "My Generation," and Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl." The band's screaming guitars and hard-rocking beats and Spanish & English vocals had the international audience on their feet and they brought them back for three encores.

The combination of the music, the setting and the night was the perfect, high-energy highlight of an evening in Las Vegas. For this production Empire recommended and contracted Los Lobos and provided all production including outdoor staging, sound, lighting, backline, power distribution and logistics and onsite event management.

Empire is a leading provider of headline concert entertainment for corporate meetings & events. We are very skilled and experienced at matching the right talent to each audience and setting.

At a two-day long global summit for a multinational technology company's top business partners, Empire was engaged to identify, contract and produce a headline musical artist who would appeal to the demographics of the audience, and provide an intimate concert experience in the 530 seat recital hall at Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.Empire recommended and subsequently contracted the acclaimed headliner Lyle Lovett and his band of extraordinary musicians. Lyle was selected because of the intimate and quiet nature of his music which suited the acoustically live recital hall perfectly, the vast intelligence behind his music which would appeal to a very upscale and intelligent audience, and his dry humor which we knew would endear him to the audience and create a memorable and meaningful experience that would reflect well on our client, the host company of the conference. Lyle Lovett's performance achieved this and more as he won a standing ovation for playing music ranging in style from country and blues to gospel and bluegrass, and interspersing his songs with wry commentary that had the audience laughing throughout the show. Lyle's extraordinary musicianship and the amazing talent of his band which included drums, percussion, fiddle, steel guitar, electric guitar, upright bass, cello and piano, was not lost on the audience, members of which came from more than 20 countries. Since the show took place on St. Patrick's Day, Lyle wore a bright green suit for the occasion. After the show Lyle was gracious and warm at a meet & greet in the Founders Room, taking photos with each and every VIP attendee, telling more stories and signing more than 50 CDs as gifts to the clients.

For this project Empire handled the talent selection, contracting, logistics, and all staging, sound, lighting and electrical power, coordinating our efforts with the client's events logistics company and Benaroya Hall. The evening was a resounding success and everyone from Lyle Lovett and his band, to the clients, their partners and the staff at Benaroya Hall, were delighted to have been part of such an extraordinary evening.

In 1998, Empire Entertainment was called upon by buy-in-bulk supermarket chain BJ's Wholesale Club to secure entertainment for their General Managers Meeting. Upon learning that Empire is a full-service event production company, BJ's asked for a comprehensive production proposal for the next year's event. Finding Empire's bid to be more creative and cost-effective than the incumbent vendor, BJ's elected to have Empire produce the 1999 conference and every meeting since.

In March 2004, BJ's celebrated their 20th year in business at the Ft. Lauderdale Marriott Marina where Empire produced the company's biggest and best General Manager's Meeting yet. For the arrival night, Empire provided a Casino evening at the hotel to kick off the conference in a way that would permit the GM's to mingle and network with each other after having not seen each other since the previous year. As the meeting theme ("Celebrating 20 Years: Here's Looking at You BJ's") was based around the film Casablanca, Empire provided décor for the Casino, including an entrance to the room with ornate hardwood doors flanked by gorgeous teak wood panels. Decorative arched signage overhead read "Rick's Café American" in script lettering. Magnificent oversized gold frames (5.5' x 7') hosting authentic Casablanca movie posters created stunning vignettes behind the craps tables and roulette wheels around the room. Vintage black wrought iron street lamps and groupings of live Areca palms uplit with colored theatrical lighting completed the setting. And to top it off, the Casablanca DVD was played on the two enormous video screens that flanked the stage for the next day's general session.

Along with the video screens, Empire provided the sound, stage, lighting, and teleprompting for the session that included multimedia presentations by top executives of the company. Using decorative pipe and drape and uplighting, Empire masked the rear two-thirds of the stage so as to create a more dramatic effect when the headline entertainment for the conference performed later in the week. For the attendees' final night, Empire presented and produced singer/impressionist Gordie Brown as the evening's entertainment. Empire had requested that Gordie customize the performance for BJ's 20th Anniversary, and he obliged, doing an incredible impression of Humphrey Bogart stating the meeting theme "Here's Looking at You, BJ's". He also had the crowd in stitches, telling them "Congratulations on 20 great years BJ's. I understand that the competition is celebrating tonight, too. But they're in a hotel down the street with a balloon artist". Gordie received a standing ovation and the attendees were still talking about him when they came back to the ballroom the following afternoon for a surprise finalé performance by Kool & The Gang. After fantastic renditions of hits including "Ladies Night", "Jungle Boogie", "Get Down on It", and others, the band asked the GM's if they were ready to celebrate 20 great years of being in business. Receiving an enthusiastic response from the crowd, the band kicked into their classic party hit "Celebration". The crowd jumped to their feet, and many actually jumped to the stage to dance with the band. It was a perfect ending to a perfect celebration of 20 years in business.

Empire is a premier producer of corporate conferences and entertainment for special events. We seek to provide the kind of value to our clients that creates long term client loyalty and encourages them to look exclusively to Empire for any and all of their meeting & event needs. BJ's Wholesale Club is one of many public companies that has turned exclusively to Empire for their production and entertainment needs for five or more consecutive years.

Each Spring most of the major broadcast and cable networks come to New York City, the advertising capital of the world, to present the coming year's programming to a community of advertisers, media buyers and planners in an effort to promote advance advertising sales. Because these presentations take place prior to the production of programming which will air later in the year, these presentations are called Upfronts. Upfront season is a time when the world's most sophisticated marketers and media organizations compete with one another to out-wow the been-there, done-that advertising community. When National Geographic Channel, the nation's fastest-growing cable network decided to hold their first Upfront event, they knew they would have to do something bold, daring, innovative and reflective of their programming in order to stand out from the crowd. Naturally, they hired Empire Entertainment to help them achieve their goal.

Working directly with the National Geographic Channel's marketing and advertising sales teams, Empire worked to develop a highly interactive, participatory and stylish event that brought to life their 2004 positioning and slogan "Dare to Explore," and utilized the careful selection of yellow & red colors that derive recognition from the venerable National geographic Magazine yellow border. Empire created an astounding event at Gotham Hall in Midtown, NYC. The event featured a giant central yellow "Border Bar" built with surfaces that matched the logo colors, which were adorned with garnet red glasses in which were served 'Venom shots' and other unique cocktails created for the evening. Surrounding the bar were comfortable seating areas of ottomans and cocktail rounds, and around the perimeter of the room were a series of immersive activities, each one themed to a different National Geographic Channel series or special.

The shows / activities included Tycoon Toys in which guests enjoyed flights on jet fighter simulator, Techno Structures in which a team of master Lego builders had created towering buildings and replicas of the Rome Coliseum and the Pyramids of Giza and guests could make their own creations, Totally Wild in which guests interacted with animals ranging from a bear cub to albino python and falcons, Expeditions to the Edge in which guests played life & death trivial pursuit against the clock hosted by real paramedics, Seconds from Disaster at which guests experienced a virtual simulation of a helicopter crash, Pharaoh's Curse where guests took their photos in front of a digital backdrop of the Great Pyramids with a mummy and Pharaoh in costume, Inside the Secret service where guests honed their shooting skills on a laser targeting range and their hand to hand combat techniques with a real combat trainer to the Navy Seals, a Paratrooper station at which guests got to meet a real life Army paratrooper and try on parachutes and other gear, and Interpol Investigates at which guests got to try the latest spy gear, had their fingerprints taken by FBI experts and took a real time polygraph test with a specialist.Also mixing and mingling with the guests was a staff of real experts including medics, a race car driver, mountaineers, explorers, animal experts, NYPD and emergency workers and an assortment of other characters.

In addition to these activities, Empire provided outstanding catering in four large themed food stations representing the major regions of the world, Europe, Middle East/Africa, Asia and the Americas. Each station had an assortment of foods reflecting that region of the world and was decorated accordingly. A giant projection screen with a giant yellow border around it towered 24' above the event and served as a focal point for a presentation of NGC's amazing new programming and footage. And of course there was extraordinary lighting reminiscent of moving targeting lasers and an amazing, eclectic soundtrack that ranged from tribal drumming to techno beats.

When one of the world's largest and best-known software firms wants to reward its highest achievers, it flies them to Kauai for an Empire Entertainment-produced event. Once again, Empire secured disco fave KC and the Sunshine Band – top pick of the firm's CEO – and KC delivered: 300 sales representatives danced the night away. Empire's production team had an equally strong delivery. The site's ballroom was small, and not outfitted for an act of KCSB's proportions. But Empire sent a landing party months ahead of time to inspect the site, then had it specially equipped to handle a major touring act – full light show, speaker stacks, stage large enough to accommodate 15 players and 4 dancers up front, etc. The room was miraculously transformed: Somehow, the excitement of Madison Square Garden fit gracefully into a room just 60' by 120'. KC performed a high-energy 75 minute set rife with hits including "That's the Way I like It", "Shake, Shake, Shake", "Get Down Tonight", "Give it Up", and "Boogie Shoes". The afternoon before the show, Empire leveraged its warm relationship with KCSB to persuade the reclusive Harry "KC" Casey to "drop by" and enjoy beverages at a cocktail party called by the firm's CEO. KC mingled much to the attendee's delight, setting the tone for the concert and celebration that evening.

One of the most eagerly anticipated annual media events in New York is the exclusive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue party, which is held each year in connection with the release of the best-selling Swimsuit issue. In 2004, Sports Illustrated turned to Empire to help them produce the party at the New York club Deep. The event featured appearances by all of the current issue models including international athlete Anna Kournikova, as well as many former models and cover girls including Vendela, Marissa Miller, Roshamba, Molly Sims, Daniela Pestova, Bridget Hall, and Cheryl Teigs. This incredible high-profile event was sponsored by Pontiac and Captain Morgan's Rum and was webcast live and taped for broadcast on the Spike TV network.

For this complex live event, Empire was engaged to handle most of the major elements including: catering (by Great Performances), decor, which included managing a hydraulic, mounted Pontiac GTO to food stations, step & repeat sponsor banners, model dressing rooms, staging, lighting, management of the complex audio issues and integration with club and broadcast systems, video projection, a network of plasma monitors placed throughout the club, and an elaborate red carpet installation.

Empire worked closely with Sports Illustrated creative, the club and other vendors to deliver a seamless event. Empire is a leading producer of press and media events as well as client events for media and communications industries looking to entertain a demanding audience of media buyers and planners.

Since 1999 Empire has been recommending and securing entertainment for Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s annual DealerFest conference. The conference draws more than 1,000 Sears Dealer Store owners and spouses each year. In past years, venues ranging from Reno and Nashville to New Orleans, Empire has presented performers including Legends In Concert, Neil Goldberg's Cirque, comedy-juggling duo the Raspyni Brothers, country music legends Roy Clark and Juice Newton, comedian Brian Regan, and even a seven foot tall walking and talking robot to welcome guests to the event. This year, Empire presented one of the most successful nights of entertainment yet, with up-and-coming comedian Jim Gaffigan opening the show, followed by a headline concert by classic headline rock act - America. Jim Gaffigan, who has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman an unprecedented eight times, and is now appearing as "Roy" on Fox's hit "That 70's Show", had the crowd in stitches with his jokes about Cinnabons being so big that he doesn't know whether to eat them or sit on them (his conclusion "hey....I can sit on it, AND eat it!").

With the crowd warmed up and in a good mood, America took the stage, exciting the crowd with timeless hits including "Sister Golden Hair", "Ventura Boulevard", and "Horse With No Name". The band cleverly dedicated "Lonely People" to the notoriously lonely Maytag repairman (Maytag was Sears' sponsor for the evening), and then, at the client's request, made a more serious dedication of their hit "I Need You" to a couple in the audience who were celebrating their 38th Wedding Anniversary. The couple slow-danced in front of the stage as the band played the song in their honor.When the band's set was over, the crowd jumped to its feet for a standing ovation and called the band back out for an encore. The band was as personable as could be at the meet and greet, taking photos with Sears VIP's and signing CD's and photos for them.

Empire is a leading resource to companies looking to program appropriate entertainment for a variety of different audiences.

Empire produced The Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, for a global software firm. The client needed tremendous bang for its buck as well as an electrifying act that would charge up the 1,200 company sales representatives as well as the company's executive team and CEO. Empire worked hard to deliver a living legend that was a perfect fit for the legendary House of Blues setting. The James Brown Revue exploded onto the stage and performed a high-energy 80 minute set with a band that featured two drummers, percussion, rhythm section, horns, dancers, backing vocalists and the one and only Godfather of Soul, James brown. James performed many of his time-tested funk & soul hits including "Sex Machine," "I Feel Good," and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." The capacity audience danced throughout the show. Empire toiled behind the scenes to arrange an exceptionally large meet and greet with Mr. Brown and approximately 50 VIPs and worked with the House of Blues to ensure a smooth production and an exceptional experience for the attendees.

This show was the second time that Empire had produced James Brown for a corporate event so our familiarity with his operation and set-up benefited our client greatly. Empire is a leading producer of headline musical entertainment for classic corporate events and have produced a wide variety of living legends and master musicians from Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to Al Green and James Brown.

Empire was engaged recently by the Starlight Children's Foundation, to produce headline singer / songwriter and Grammy Award-winner John Mayer to perform at a fundraising event for 400 people at Downtown New York's chic Capitale space. Working with the Starlight Foundation and CS Events, Empire consulted on the booking and contracting of John Mayer, and provided all production and stage management including staging, sound, lighting, electrical power & distribution, lighting design to include sponsor gobos, video projection and coordination with John Mayer, Capitale, the Foundation and other parties. John Mayer performed a 45-minute acoustic set, seated with his guitar, in which he performed all of his current hits including "Your Body is a Wonderland" along with a couple of new songs.

The enthusiastic audience gave John a standing ovation and he even brought them to their feet to dance at the end of his set. The evening also featured a silent auction, a live auction, a presentation by the event co-Chairs and a standup set by comedian Robert Schimmell, a cancer survivor and parent who lost a son to cancer. All told the smooth-running evening raised over $900,000 to support the work of the Starlight Children's Foundation and John Mayer's performance was a highlight of the evening.

Empire Entertainment is a leading source for headline talent and professional production services for fund raising events.

On Saturday, January 10, 2004, one of the coldest days of the year, Empire Entertainment again teamed up with National Geographic Channel and the Wildlife Conservation Society to present enrichment toys made from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree to enrich the lives of zoo animals in a national press event for National Geographic Channel.This year the event was held at the Bronx Zoo, and despite the bitter cold, the press and public came out to watch as Dr. Mike Heithaus, host of National Geographic Channel's new show Crittercam, and Dr. Pat Thomas, curator of mammals at the Bronx Zoo, explained how the toys were prepared for the Siberian Tigers. Zoo-keepers baited a four inch disk cut from the trunk of the Christmas Tree with meat, deer hide and a spritz of Obsession (a scent tigers cannot resist). To the delight of the crowd, the Zoo's two female Siberian Tigers were drawn to their enrichment toy right away, and began stripping it of all the goodies the keepers had provided to the delight of the gathered audience.

Presentations continued throughout the day. The Bronx Zoo's Grizzly bears got the top twenty feet of the tree baited with bright red apples and drizzled with honey and molasses. The Asian Small Clawed Otters came out of the hollow logs where they were napping to play in the water with tree limbs filled with treats. One of the Zoo's newer residents, Biscuit, a Snow Leopard born in June of 2003, was a little leery of his enrichment toy, a disk just like the tigers'. But Dr. Mike and Dr. Thomas got the crowd to wait quietly while they whispered facts and anecdotes about Snow Leopards in the wild, and after a few minutes, Biscuit and his mother did come out to take a look.The Zoo's Polar Bears were presented with the final enrichment toy, a disk and branches baited with fish and meat, which they dug right into. Then the press and public were invited to the Zoo's cafeteria for cookies, hot cocoa and coffee, all compliments of National Geographic Channel.Empire worked with The National Geographic Channel, their PR firm, the Wildlife Conservation Societyt (operators of the Bronx and Central Park Zoos in New York City) and a variety of vendors and partners to deliver a smooth event. Empire provided event design and overall logistical management, supervised the mill process to get the world's most famous tree cut into toys that were safe for the animals, delivered staging, sound, lighting, video projection and placement of signage and branding as well as providing all staff to manage the day long event and the distribution of National Geographic Channel gift bags.

Empire is a leading producer of creative and innovative event marketing campaigns for corporations around the world.