On December 2, 2015, EBONY Magazine presented the 4th annualEBONY Power 100 Gala, honoring the nation’s 100 most influential AfricanAmericans and celebrating the 70^th Anniversary of the publication.

This year’s Ebony Power 100, livestreamed on ebony.com, tookplace at the historic Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom and washosted by Johnson Publishing Company Chairwoman, Linda Johnson Rice, and CEO Desirée Rogers.

Following red carpet arrivals and an elegant VIP cocktail reception, the 500+ guests were seated for adinner program emceed by television and movie star Arsenio Hall. Attendeeswere entertained by a wide array of musical performances, each one representingthe music industry over the past 70 years. Performers included child phenom,Bobby Hill (who recently serenaded the Pope), Jidenna, who wowed with hits like“Classic Man", vocalist Judith Hill (whose forthcoming album is produced byPrince), and a rousing finalé performance by none other than George Clinton andthe Parliament Funkadelic.

DJ Kiss performed throughout the event and spun at the post-reception in the InternationalFoyer and Terrace.

Celebrities and A-listers in attendance included Zendaya andJesse Williams (who graced the cover of the annual issue), as well as AnthonyAnderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tina Knowles, Loretta Devine, Holly RobinsonPeete, Ledisi, and Verdine White of Earth Wind & Fire. Harry Belafonte, who also appeared on the cover, sent a heartfelt video tribute for the occasion.

The Ebony Power 100 was presented by Nationwide Insurance, with othernoteworthy sponsors and partners including United Airlines, Cadillac, Hennessy, HiltonWorldwide, Twitter, and Home Depot.

Empire was honored to once again serve as event producer forthe Ebony Power 100, responsible for venue selection, décor, production, talentbooking & coordination, registration, livestream, videography, eventlogistics and onsite management.

Empire is a leading producer of branded entertainment and broadcastand non-broadcast, celebrity-driven media events.

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After their successful inaugural gala fundraiser in 2013 honoring Karl Lagerfeld, and their second event in 2014 recognizing the career of Stella McCartney, the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund (LCCF) chose to honor the creative directors of the culturally iconic and internationally recognized fashion house, Valentino, with their Women’s Leadership Award. To produce this prestigious event, the LCCF turned to us for the third year to design and produce the evening.

Held again at Alice Tully Hall, the evening began with a red carpet and VIP cocktail reception. Twenty five pieces from Valentino’s Fall 2015 Collection were on display in the lobby, providing guests with a rare, up close view of the one-of-a-kind dresses. The couture was showcased in custom-designed display units, produced in Italy and installed specifically for this event.

Guests then moved into the theater, where Glenda Bailey, the editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Diane Kruger and Keira Knightley spoke about the Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, who took over the label in 2008, shortly after the retirement of the company’s founder, Valentino Garavani. Ms. Knightley presented the duo with the awards by Lalique, but not before Valentino co-founder, Giancarlo Giammetti, jumped on stage for an impromptu toast.

To close the program, Bruce Willis took the stage to introduce Debbie Harry, who performed some of her most well-known Blondie hits. Ms. Harry performed alongside a Juilliard string quartet for a unique rendition of her classic songs.

Following the stage program, guests re-entered the Alice Tully Hall lobbies, which had been transformed from the reception space in to a seated dinner for 350 guests, designed in a classic black and white palette, which allowed for a glamorous backdrop to Valentino's designs.

To learn more about the Corporate Fund and to donate please visit http://www.lccorporatefund.org.

We were honored to be involved in another program at Lincoln Center in support of the arts and continue our work with esteemed fashion and luxury brands.

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One of the largest and most influential tech gatherings in the world, the Salesforce World Tour brings together businesses and technology leaders who are focused on opportunities in cloud-based and mobile computing. Empire's Tokyo Office was proud to again produce this industry benchmark event for client Salesforce.

The event hosted over 14,000 registered guests over the course of two days at three different venues, the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Prince Park Tower, and Toranomon Hills Forum in Tokyo, and the livestream was watched by over 500,000 viewers.

Keynote speakers included Keith Block, President and Vice Chairman Salesforce, Parker Harris, Co-Founder Salesforce, with special performances by Tatsuya Tatsuya,a celebrated Japanese musician, and Konishiki, a former Sumo wrestler. There was also a special presentation on the second day by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University who was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

A branded exhibition hall was again featured this year at the Prince Park Hotel with displays by partner companies. The Toranomon Hills Forum served as a focal area where Marketing and Developer experts converged for detailed sessions and hands on demonstrations.

Empire’s Tokyo-based Asia division, working closely with Salesforce's Japan and US teams and Salesforce's agency, was responsible for the event's design, production, and direction.

Empire once again proved to be the leading producer of global conferences and events in the Asian region and is proud to be the partner of choice for this and many other such global premier events.

Fast-growing sleep startup Casper approached Empire to assist them with their latest marketing activation, The Nap Tour. To showcase their award-winning mattress while providing naps to those in need of rest, Casper built a custom trailer called the “Napmobile", complete with four luxurious sleep pods, each containing a Casper mattress, dimmable lighting, privacy shades and recorded bedtime stories. The Napmobile made stops between September and November in seven major cities: Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, and Miami.

Empire took the lead on identifying the locations for each city and executing all strategic scouting and permitting logistics. For such a unique activation with a sizeable footprint, there was considerably planning involved in accommodating space for the installation, while capturing high foot traffic appropriate to their target demographic. Empire's scope of work ranged from preparing multiple location options with Casper prior to tour to the execution of all required permits, security, insurance and logistic considerations for load-in/load-out. Locations were unique to each city and examples span from renting out private parking lots in Boston and Philadelphia; obtaining city permits for public parks and plazas in New York and D.C.; contracting private empty lots in Williamsburg and Miami; and participating as a vendor at the Atlanta Arts Festival.

During the Nap Tour, the campaign gained more attention than we had expected from local passersby in each city as well as from those following Casper on social media. Each activation day saw an average of 300 - 400 nappers in addition to multiple indirect impressions. The program was also picked up by local press outlets covering the eye-catching installations.

Empire is proud to serve leading brands with innovative event marketing activities and branded installations in the U.S. and around the world.

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The Coalition for the Homeless has been working tirelessly for over three decades to provide aid to homeless and at-risk New Yorkers. More than 3,500 men, women and children receive assistance each day through the Coalition’s direct initiatives, which include providing housing, emergency food & clothing, crisis services, job training and special programs for kids such as Camp Homeward Bound.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2015, the Coalition for the Homeless hosted their 21st annual ARTWALK NY, bringing together more than 800 Coalition supporters, artists, collectors, art-lovers and celebrities in the Flatiron’s Metropolitan Pavilion for an evening of festivities including a live and silent auction of over 100 pieces of donated contemporary art.

For the sixth consecutive year, Empire Entertainment served as overall producer of ARTWALK NY. Artists Patricia Cronin and Deborah Kass were honored for their contribution to contemporary art, and Richard Gere and Alec and Hilaria Baldwin were honored for their continuous philanthropic support of the Coalition over the years.

To the delight of the partygoers, the evening’s program started off with a bang when Alec Baldwin jumped onstage to offer up Richard Gere as the first “item” for sale starting at a mere $50,000. Later, when the real live auction began, Sotheby’s Aileen Agopian auctioned off a stunningly curated selection of art pieces donated by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Jenny Holzer, Deb Kass, Glenn Ligon, Ed Ruscha, Patricia Cronin and Andy Warhol.

The evening, generously sponsored by Tiffany & Co., began with hors d’oeuvres by Pinch Food Design and libations graciously provided by VDKA 6100 Peroni, Slope Cellars and Grace Hightower and Coffees of Rwanda. Several of New York’s best restaurants, including Michael’s, The National, Palma, The Odeon, Tijuana Picnic and David Burke Kitchen provided tasting stations.

Throughout the night, guests bid on and purchased works from established and emerging artists while grooving to tunes spun by DJ May Kwok.

Working closely with Coalition for the Homeless’ events team and title sponsor Tiffany & Co., Empire Entertainment served as executive producer of the event and was responsible for aspects ranging from event design, layout, production and logistics to décor and restaurant coordination.

To learn more about the Coalition for the Homeless or to get involved and donate, visit www.coalitionforthehomeless.org

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Under the sponsorship of the Cabinet Office of Japan,the Cyber³ Conference Okinawa 2015 was held on November 7-8, 2015. Aspart of this event, host venue of the G8 2000 Okinawa Summit, The Busena Terrace, hosted the Cool Japan Dinner, during which enra gave a magnificent performance for theGovernor of Okinawa Prefecture as well as 300 other leaders in politics,business, society, and media from throughout Japan and around the world.

With enra’s experience performing at the PrimeMinister’s Official Welcome Dinner for International Olympic Committee representativesduring the Tokyo 2020 Evaluation Commission Visit in March 2013, the CabinetOffice wanted to book enra again, and with their enthusiastic interest, we madeit happen.

Leading up to this event, Empire worked closely withenra’s creative director on the details of the show and to make it asuccess that the Japanese government would be proud to show the world. Inresponse, the distinguished guests from all over the world that saw enra livein Okinawa filled the venue with thunderous applause.

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Empire recently worked with Fitch Ratings to present the third edition of the Why? Forum, an exclusive thought leadership forum. This year’s Why? Forum focused on emerging markets, featured presenters such as Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Fareed Zakaria, and took place at the new Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. As with past Why? Forum events in New York and London, this year’s Why? Forum explored the ‘reasons behind the rating’, focusing on emerging markets, the global economy and investment risks and opportunities around the world.

Empire worked closely with Fitch and its branding firm Addison to design the insightful and engaging stage program and to the transform the minimalist space into a Fitch-branded environment.

Fitch Group CEO Paul Taylor kicked off the Forum welcoming guests and introducing the afternoon’s Leader Panel. Moderated by renowned journalist Dr. Fareed Zakaria, the informative and riveting panel also featured economist Austan Goolsbee, Retired Citigroup Vice Chairman Bill Rhodes and Fitch Rating’s James McCormack. Topics ranged from income inequality and anticipated Federal Reserve and Central Bank moves, to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and changing demographics.

Following an audience Q&A with the Leader Panel, Paul Taylor returned to the stage to introduce the afternoon’s keynote speaker, former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice. Dr. Rice covered subjects including U.S. immigration policy, the Middle East, Russia and China. Afterward, Dr. Zakaria returned to the stage to lead a candid conversation with Dr. Rice.

At the conclusion of the stage program, Nate Silver, founder of the website FiveThirtyEight, gave a brief presentation recapping the prior night’s elections and forecasting the upcoming 2016 Presidential Elections. In summary, don’t always trust the polls.

For this unique program, Empire served as overall producer, helping to secure the keynote speaker and panelists, handling all technical production, scenic and staging, catering, and guest logistics. Empire also worked to negotiate approvals for the use of footage, photos, digital and social media content for press and web purposes.

To learn more about this innovative series, check out the Why? Forum website at www.whyforum.com

On November 5, 2015, Empire Entertainment once again served as producer for Keep a Child Alive’s Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Generously sponsored by Jynwel Charitable Foundation Limited, Microsoft and Givenchy Parfums, this year’s 12th annual Black Ball featured extraordinary performances by Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Wale and LION BABE and was emceed by comedian, actor and director, Chris Rock.

Hosted by Keep a Child Alive’s co-founder and 15 time Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys, who was joined by close friend and comedian, Chris Rock, who served as emcee, keeping everyone in stitches throughout the program. “It’s the funniest I’ve seen him. You can definitely tell he’s prepping for those Oscars,” said one guest of Rock, who has been named to host the Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016.

The Black Ball was once again designed by Creative Director Earle Sebastian, who chose an Afrofuturism theme for this year’s elegant cocktails, dinner and stage design. Design elements included a kinetic soft wall that undulated to a series of oscillating fans and a neon-lit Soweto Sound System created with New York-based design studio Mogollon.

A proud Alicia Keys and Keep a Child Alive CEO, Peter Twyman, took the stage early in the evening to deliver inspiring remarks about the power and potential of young people living with HIV and an impassioned plea for support.

This year’s Black Ball honored Patrice Motsepe and Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, individuals who are transforming African communities by addressing issues of social and economic inequality and envisioning a future when all Africans can realize their full potential.

A star-studded guest list of over 700 came out to support Keep a Child Alive’s mission with guests including Clive Davis, Gayle King, Tyson Beckford, Carmelo Anthony, Lewis Hamilton, Nigel Barker, Padma Lakshmi, and Mr. Brainwash.

Guests dined on a delicious dinner designed by guest chef Marcus Samuelsson and catered by Creative Edge. This year’s Black Ball raised $3.8 million dollars through table/ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, pledges and a live auction hosted by CK Swett. The live auction featured a selfie with Chris Rock, a visit to the set of Fox’s hit TV show, Empire, an extremely rare hand-crafted bottle of Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII Cognac, and an original painting by Kehinde Wiley. The Black Ball has raised over $28 million since its humble beginnings in 2004.

After the auction Alicia Keys and her band put on an electrifying concert performance that, true to Black Ball tradition, featured several amazing musical guests.

Neo-soul duo LION BABE joined Keys to open the concert with an old school classic, “Tell Me Something Good.” Rapper Wale then came out to perform “Lotus Flower Bomb,” segueing into a duet with Keys on “What You Won’t Do for Love.”

Grammy Award-winning rocker Lenny Kravitz took the stage next, pumping up the crowd with “Let Love Rule,” “American Woman” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way?”

Moments after the concert ended, Swizz Beatz and DJ Runna took to the stage to DJ the Afterglow party, keeping all the guests dancing into the early hours of the morning.

Empire has been proud to serve as the Producer of the Black Ball since its inception in 2004 and to partner with Keep a Child Alive and Alicia Keys to grow it into one of New York’s most anticipated, annual fundraising events.

To learn more about Keep a Child Alive and support their mission, please visit www.keepachildalive.org. #KCABlackBall

A leading technology company hosted its premierevent for developers around the world at Spring Studios in New York City with asimultaneous live broadcast online reaching over 340,000. A platform forannouncements about the future of its tools and services in the DevOps era, theevent generated unprecedented engagement from the developer and IT communitiesworldwide.

Spring Studios, a photo studio and recent additionto NYC’s trendy Tribeca neighborhood with a modern design and 22’ floor-to-ceilingwindows overlooking the Hudson River, provided the perfect setting for an eventdedicated to vision, collaboration and the boundless possibilities of the cloud.

To balance the sun-filled window backdrop with theneed to beautifully illustrate data-driven content, three large-scale,high resolution LED screens were custom-built to fit within the existing windowframes. This view was then “extended” along the sides of the room with large-scaleNew York City-scapes encased in custom-built plexi panels, echoing the windowframes. This design delivered the visual wow! factor required while alsoensuring the data-driven content was presented with uncompromised clarity.

The visual aesthetic and brand messaging wereintegrated into every aspect of the event. Guests received their first taste oftechnological innovation at registration, where an animated floor of LED tiles welcomedguests to the event. The lunch space décor echoed the keynote walls, with asuspended plexiglass panel installation that spanned the length of the room. Afternoonbreakout sessions offered custom content tracked to attendees’ variedinterests and needs, and “Inspiration Stations,” located throughout the eventspace showcased insights into how the company’s partners and clients are using theirproducts in real-life applications.

A live production studio built on site streamed theKeynote event as well as post-interviews and discussions to the global online developercommunity.

From registration, breakfast and keynote to lunchand evening cocktails, every element of this program was custom-designed tocommunicate exacting brand values and messaging and to deliver a high-touchguest experience.

Empire is a leading producer of conferences and top-tier B-to-B eventsworldwide.

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The acclaimed American Museum of Natural History in New York City seemed the only appropriate backdrop for this celebratory event in which the world’s largest private equity firm marked its 30th Anniversary.

Over 1,500 employees came together in the famed Milstein Hall of Ocean Life (more commonly known as the Whale Room) to memorialize their accomplishments with a custom-created menu and bar experience, an energetic DJ and an interactive photo booth, always a guest favorite. The room was transformed by custom floor-to-ceiling branded banners and backdrops highlighting the company’s achievements thus far. Soaring floral arrangements, reflective linens and sleek furniture fit perfectly with the water-themed space.

In keeping with the light mood of the fete, the company’s Founder and CEO took the “world’s largest selfie” during his stage remarks, capturing an image of all of the employees with his beloved flip phone (aided by cutting-edge technology that actually captured a 360° image of the entire room by piecing together live and pre-captured shots). The image was immediately projected on large screens in the space, prompting amusement from the crowd about their not-so-tech savvy leader.

After the remarks and just as the festivities were ramping up, the top 75 partners and advisers in the firm, accompanied by their spouses, quietly headed upstairs to the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda (also known as the “Dinosaur Room”) for an elegant and intimate seated dinner. Once the filet mignon and desserts (customized with chocolate-sauce written notes) were enjoyed, it was time to dance! Guests enjoyed a live band while taking in the elegant décor, including soft lighting highlighting the existing architecture as well as the refined florals, linens, and lounge furniture.

The custom evening was one to remember, fit only for a firm that is one of the fastest-growing in its industry and managing over $365 billion in assets.