Empire partnered with Reel Works again to produce their 2016 Benefit Gala, Celebrating Women in Media. Reel Works is one of the leading digital media educators in the United States and the only filmmaking program that matches teens 1:1 with professional filmmaker-mentors to tell their stories and have their voices heard. It’s a powerful combination that changes young New Yorkers' lives by allowing them to present their unfiltered voices.

This year's gala began with a VIP reception in the historic Capitale—adorned with Corinthian columns, Venetian glass, marble mosaic floors, and 65-foot ceiling. Honorees Dr. Stacy Smith, Director of the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative at USC’s Annenberg School, Karen Horne, Senior Vice President of Programming Talent Development and Inclusion for NBC Entertainment and Universal Television Studios, and Mona-Scott Young, CEO and Founder of Monami Entertainment, mingled with guests and all were invited to enjoy cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres before to making their way into the ballroom for the program and dinner.

Empire managed the stage program working with New York City-based actor, stand-up comedian, and writer, Naomi Ekperigin. Ekperigin has been listed as one of "7 Reasons Why SNL Should Hire a Black Woman"on Buzzfeed.com and one of "8 Black Comediennes Who are Ready forn SNL" by Essence Magazine. Together we were able to highlight the work of honorees, chair members, and students.

As the evening progressed, the enthusiastic Charles Antin took the stage as the live auctioneer, helping to raise a record $480,000. The evening wrapped with the F. John Outcalt Award for Outstanding Filmmaking winner announcement and special musical performance by Diana Gordon, the songwriter named “the mind behind one of 2016’s most memorable lyrics”: “He better call Becky with the good hair” from Beyoncé’s “Sorry”.

Event sponsors included Empire Entertainment, NBC Universal, Annenberg Foundation, Samsung Hope for Children, BBDO, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, and Viacom.

Empire is proud of the continued partnership with the Reel Works organization and our contribution to making the evening the most successful benefit dinner to date.

If you are interested in learning more about Reel Works please visit: http://www.reelworks.org/​

To kick off the fifth season of hit docuseries Vanderpump Rules, Bravo Media wielded the power of the sexy series and social media to draw huge crowds of loyal fans to a one-night-only bar crawl in New York City, attended by eight of the show’s cast members. Empire was thrilled to partner with Bravo Media to plan and execute this experiential consumer event.

Vanderpump Rules follows the sexy aspiring actor/model waitstaff of Los Angeles restaurant SUR through the drama at work and off-hours. The bar crawl event, aptly-named VanderCrawl, attracted close to a thousand fans to the Meatpacking District, eagerly queueing up on the sidewalk hours in advance for their chance to meet the Bravolebs and to sip drinks prepared by them.

VanderCrawl kicked off at newly-opened restaurant/club, Kola House, and featured Tom Sandoval as guest bartender, mixing his SUR-inspired cocktail “Hot Pink”, a peach vodka and grapefruit elixir, while DJ Lily Vanili spun tunes for the crowd. Fellow cast members including Stassi, Scheana, Kristen, Tom Schwartz, and Katie chatted with fans and VIPs including latest Bachelorette, Jojo Fletcher, and her fiancé, Jordan Rodgers.

Fans followed the Bravolebs down the street to The Tippler, the second stop on VanderCrawl, for more revelry, as well as the chance to try bartender Ariana Madix’s cocktail, “Pinky’s Lemonade,” also inspired by SUR. DJ Jon Blak mixed upbeat pop hits as the Bravolebs snapped countless selfies with fans and handed out purple #PumpRules shades and branded t-shirts.

The escalating party continued around the corner at the third and final destination, No. 8, the latest hotspot by nightlife maven Amy Sacco of Bungalow 8 fame. Vanderpump Rules’ bad boy Jax Taylor was on full display as he served his SUR-inspired cocktail “Cape Fizz” from the head of the horseshoe-shaped bar.

Fans and Bravolebs had a blast that night with fans asking for a VanderCrawl 2.0 and Vanderpump Rules cast member Scheana tweeting, “I cannot get over how EPIC the #VanderCrawl was last night”. (More fan/Bravoleb photos and tweets can be viewed at #VanderCrawl)

In addition to the fans that joined the VanderCrawl, press including the New York Times, E! News, and PageSix came along for the ride, publishing play-by-play rundowns of the epic evening.

Empire is a leading producer of experiential events and innovative event marketing in New York City and across the country.

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Bulgari Japan launched the BVLGARI AVRORA AWARDS in order to recognize and celebrate women who have made an exceptional contribution to Japanese society. Named for Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, the Awards aim to inspire all women in Japan by drawing attention to Japanese women of intelligence, talent, creativity, and generosity who naturally bring out the radiant qualities of those around them, and shine a fresh light on society as a whole.

From initial concept through to the star-studded inaugural Awards event in Tokyo, Empire assisted Bulgari by facilitating the planning, creation, and execution of every facet of the Aurora Awards. Launched on International Women’s Day, a series of print and film interviews with the participants were published throughout the year to promote each Awardee's inspiring message to women throughout Japan.

The culmination of the year was the dazzling BVLGARI AVRORA AWARDS ceremony hosted by Bulgari Global CEO, Jean-Christophe Babin, and produced by Empire at Tokyo Midtown and the Ritz Carlton. The 10 Inspiring Women and their Recommenders, together with over 100 top celebrities and media, walked the Golden Carpet and later participated in a gala party where Awardees shared their stories in diverse fields from charity and business, through to music, cinema, and the arts. The highlight of the evening was a private concert from acclaimed guitarist, Tomoyasu Hotei, staged in tandem with a stunning Bulgari jewelry show.

Empire was honored to be intimately involved in the successful planning and launch of the BVLGARI AVRORA AWARDS, once again proving its expertise in producing high-profile events around the world. With their success, the Awards are set to become an annual event, and we look forward to more inspiring women and their stories.

For the 4^th consecutive year, Empire produced the Lowline Anti-Gala at the Lowline Lab in the Lower East Side. The Lowline Lab is a long-term laboratory and exhibit open to the public that showcases the solar technology to sustain a variety of plant life. Over 100,000 visitors have come to experience the preview of the urban underground park since its opening.

New York City officials approved plans this past summer to build the world’s first underground park in the Lower East Side. This is a huge step forward for the Lowline to convert a historic underground trolley terminal into a subterranean public space. The Lowline is targeting to open in 2021, and in order to get there they threw their annual Anti Gala fundraiser to help raise crucial funds for the project.

Approximately 225 guests were greeted into the loosely-themed Wonderland event by peculiar characters dressed as a flirtatious Cheshire Cat, slick Mad Hatter, tap dancing Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, sleight-of-hand magician White Rabbit, and Playing Cards painting the roses red while walking through the mysterious fog-enchanted surroundings.

Guests made their way into a seated dinner where they enjoyed a delicious meal by Pinch followed by a performance by Hammerstep—a hip hop, beatboxing, tap-dancing duo—and a burlesque performance.

The program featured speeches by Lowline Co-Founders, Dan Barasch and James Ramsey, and Board Member Jolie Hunt, who hosted the pledge, garnering over $50,000 in proceeds that directly benefitted the building of the Lowline.

DJ JD Samson closed out the event with her cool beats that kept the party dancing into the night.

Empire is honored to serve as the Lowline’s event producers since 2013 and proud to support the creation of the world’s first cutting-edge, underground park. To learn more about the Lowline, visit http://thelowline.org/

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Returning to New York City for the first time in 20 years, the World Chess Championship celebrated the competition with a splashy Opening Ceremony at the iconic Plaza Hotel.

Hosted by actor, director, producer, and chess fan Adrian Grenier, the reception was decked out in a classic black and white theme, a subtle nod to Truman Capote’s famed Black & White Ball held in the same venue 50 years ago.

The highlight of the evening was the introduction of the competitors, Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Sergey Karjakin of Russia. The guests were thrilled to meet the youngest competitors in tournament history, at 25 and 26 respectively, and were privy to the official Draw Ceremony, granting Magnus Carlsen the first move at the next day’s game.

Joining the players on stage were the President of World Chess, Ilya Merenzon, FIDE Vice President, Israel Gelfer, as well as sponsor representatives Michael Stanton (EG Capital Advisors; Member of the Supervisory Board), Andrey Guryev (CEO and Chairman of the Management Board PJSC Phosagro); and Megha Malagatti (Global Communications Director of S.T. Dupont); all of whom enjoyed an intimate VIP reception in a Penthouse Suite immediately prior to the stage program.

Guests were also treated to unique musical performances by Russian pianist Nikola Melnikov and Norwegian violinist Isa Caroline Holmesland (of the Oslo Strings), both of whom came to New York City specifically for the event to symbolically represent the battle between the two players' home countries.

The stage program concluded with one final iconic New York City element, a surprise performance by the world: the famous Harlem Gospel Choir decked out in black and white robes inspired by chess pieces, extending the festive theme of the evening. Guests enjoyed the performance while sipping custom cocktails made with Beluga Vodka, a sponsor of the event.

This year’s World Chess Championship took place at the Fulton Market Building in Manhattan, where after almost three weeks of play, 12 games, and a day of tie breaks, Magnus Carlsen retained his title as the World Chess Champion which he has held since 2013.

For those not in New York City but who still wanted to experience the event, the championship was the first sporting event broadcast in VR.

Additional information about the tournament and upcoming events can at https://worldchess.com/nyc2016/.

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To celebrate the opening of the New Balance flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo, Empire brought vertical dance pioneer group BANDALOOP.

The perspective-changing dance company presented a graceful and dynamic performance, choreographed for an awe-inspiring activation on the exterior walls of the store. Two dancers presented various performances during the day, the first in the morning before the official opening of the doors as the immersive act stopped busy Harajuku crowds in their tracks for a social media-worthy photo. More exciting Empire-produced performances are soon to come from this boundless and innovative group.​

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Forbes Japan, one of the world's most authoritative business news authorities, celebrated entrepreneurs and startups at their Annual "Japan's Startup of the Year" Award Ceremony. Empire was called upon to produce this special celebration.

Held at the beautiful Tokyo Palace Hotel, this event hosted around 300 managers, investors, and entrepreneurs from 19 different companies across Japan. The Award Ceremony celebrated startups that are pushing the Japanese economy into the future through innovation and entrepreneurial efforts. Finalists were selected by the Forbes Japan editorial team with input from online readers.

The Award Ceremony included awards for the “Japan Entrepreneurs 2017 BEST 10”, “The Rising Star Award”, and the “Most Influential Venture BEST 3”. Ranking first for Japan Entrepreneurs 2017 was Shintaro Yamada, Founder and CEO of Mercari Inc. For The Rising Star Award, the winner was David Uze, CEO of Trillium. And ranked first among the Most Influential Ventures was Soichi Kariyazono of Globis Capital Partners.

The winning startups were featured in the magazine's January 2017 edition.

Empire is the premier producer of some of the most prestigious award ceremonies throughout the world.

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To continuously grow their entrepreneurial spirit and become a dominant global player in various cloud-based products and platforms, Uhuru, one of Salesforce.com's largest system integrators in Japan, asked Empire to design their newest office and produce an Opening Party for over 100 of their top clients.

Empire used its vast knowledge of event production and communication strategy to create a beautifully unique space.

Based on the given theme of “Future x Nature”, Empire worked closely with the office's real estate team, creating four distinct spaces: the reception area, meeting room, seminar space, and the working space.

The final design incorporated combinations of organic materials (plants & wood) and the use of contemporary designed furniture from IROCO Design including astroturf carpeting, ceiling plants, and molo paper seating.

Empire Entertainment continues to be a leading producer in all areas of event production.

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For the second year in a row, Empire produced ContextMedia: Health’s Fall Agency Party at the IAC Building in New York City. Completed in 2007 by architect Frank Gehry, the IAC Building featured the world’s largest HD screen at the time in its lobby, where the event was held. Guests mingled and danced while engaging with ContextMedia’s digital platforms throughout the space.

ContextMedia is a health information services company which builds digital media technologies to deliver lifestyle education to patients to improve health outcomes. The company empowers healthcare professionals to engage patients while curating content personalized for each member office. It is the fastest-growing company in the industry, offering sector-leading technology to their customers.

Upon arrival, guests were welcomed by the IAC’s massive 120 feet video wall, which displayed digital context throughout the night. They were also greeted by an interactive media column that allowed guests to use the technology first-hand and customize their experience.

Among these installations was a seated photo booth, digital graffiti wall, and customized Snapchat filter. Once guests took photos, they could share them in real-time to their social media accounts with #CreatewithCMH via the interactive custom-designed sharing station. Guests could also draw images on the digital graffiti wall that appeared on the media wall that spanned the entire lobby.

Entertainment for the night was provided by DJ PS1, a native New Yorker with a passion for DJing and music production. DJ PS1 has spun at some of New York City’s top night clubs including Cain, Pink Elephant, Marquee, and Avenue. At 18, he embarked on a nationwide tour and hasn’t stopped since.

Empire is proud to produce conferences and events for some of the world's leading healthcare and technology companies.

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This fall, Empire delivered the B-52s to perform as closing entertainment for a corporate conference’s awards show at a hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

Empire worked closely with the client’s production company to select, negotiate for and ultimately contract the 1980’s dance artists. Any mystery concerning the band’s longevity and ongoing appeal is immediately solved when exposed to a B-52s concert experience. From groundbreaking songs like “Rock Lobster”, “Dance This Mess Around”, and “Private Idaho“, to chart-topping hits like “Love Shack” and “Roam", the B-52s’ unforgettable dance-rock tunes start resonate with audiences that came of age in the 1980’s whenever their music begins.

After thirty-five years and over twenty million albums into their career, the B-52s remain one of rock music’s most beloved and enduring bands.The band still features most of its original lineup including principals Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson.

The B-52s delivered a high energy show of their greatest hits, keeping guests on their feet throughout the performance.

Empire continues to be a leading provider of top tier musical entertainment and talent for corporate clients, production companies and private interests, and was proud to partner again with the B-52’s on another successful event.

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