Lowline Lab Closing Party & Underground Garden Party
In March 2017, Empire produced the Lowline’s 2nd ever Underground Garden Party to celebrate the closing of the Lowline Lab in the Lower East Side. The Lowline Lab is a one-of-a-kind testing space for the Lowline’s technology and vision. Since opening in October 2015, the lab welcomed over 100,000 visitors from across New York City and from around the world and numerous to preview the Lowline protoype as well as its numerous the organization’s research, community outreach, and cultural programmings. The Lowline Lab opened its doors one last time, after being open for a year and a half, to welcome guests to commemorate the Lowline’s accomplishments and the future of the project.
As guests entered a lush green entranceway they were welcomed to vines, branches, bromeliad plants and handmade kokodama balls suspended from the ceiling artfully installed by the talented John Mini Landscaping team. Guests enjoyed wine and cocktails sponsored by Reyka Vodka and Palm Bay Wines, and hors d’oeuvres made by Pinch Catering Designs. Under the overhead solar canopy and throughout the space, dancers, including the talented Mirror Man contortionist, presented by Vance Garrett Productions mingled with guests.
Another design element of the evening included an LED lighting tube installation along the walls, suspended from the hanging greenery, and on tabletops to create a dramatic lighting statement highlighting the Lowline’s fusion of technology and vision for an underground oasis. Following cocktails, a seated dinner inspired by the Lowline’s edible plants was served. The fun menu designed by Pinch included an Underground Tin Garden featuring fresh sushi tuna, beets and micro greens sponsored by Gotham Green that guests were invited to trim themselves. For their main course, guests enjoyed an elegant Radiant Cod dish using roasted root vegetables and trout roe.
The program featured speeches by Lowline co-founders Dan Barasch and James Ramsey, and Padma Lakshmi, who presented the evening’s honoree, Jolie Hunt, CEO of Hunt & Gather and Lowline Board Member. Jolie Hunt later took a moment to recognize the current Young Ambassadors of the Lowline Young Ambassadors Program - an innovative 6-month long program that seeks to enhance youth education surrounding science, technology engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) as well as provide communication and leadership skills. To end the dinner portion of the event, Jolie Hunt led the evening’s pledge moment to raise funds to support the future of the Lowline.
Immediately after the stage program, Pinch presented guests with gourmet ice cream cones for a sweet segue to the after-party using innovative ice cream flavors provided by experimental ice cream shop based in NYC, Ice + Vice. To continue the celebration, DJ ?uestlove took to the stage spinning for an additional 150 guests who joined in the festivities. Empire is honored to serve as the Lowline’s event producers since 2013 and proud to support the creation of the world’s first underground park.
To learn more about the Lowline, visit http://thelowline.org/
Guests received their first taste of technological innovation at registration, where they were welcomed by name on a reactive LED screen installation covering the full width of the entry wall. A large lunch café was created with a décor scheme that incorporated custom-built, ceiling-high steel LED frames draped with foliage to create smaller, intimate restaurant-style spaces that displayed both technology and nature.
A series of breakout sessions presented content targeted to attendees’ varied interests, while imagery displayed throughout the venue showcased real-life applications of how products designed to empower developers help to unleash the power of data and reimagine possibilities that will improve our world.
Every element of Microsoft Connect(); from registration, breakfast and keynote, to lunch and evening cocktails, were custom-designed to communicate exacting brand messaging and to deliver a high-touch guest experience to this important audience. The keynote and breakout sessions were livestreamed through an onsite studio built for this purpose and content was watched online by millions around the world.
Empire is proud to collaborate with Microsoft on this annual, top-tier business communication event.
To view excerpts of Connect(); 2017, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/connectevent
