In collaboration with Forbes, Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman of Pratt Industries, hosted the first-ever DTC Cocktail Reception at Pratt’s spectacular multi-story private residence in New York.

Upon arrival, guests were greeted with passed champagne and lux hors d'oeuvres from Abigail Kirsch and Mr. Pratt’s personal favorites.

The catered reception featured a 3 hour performance from DJ Mark Ronson, who spun a mix of new and old school favorites in front of a gorgeous Manhattan holiday skyline.

The evening also featured a panel discussion led by Forbes Editor and founder of Forbes 30 Under 30, Randall Lane, which featured Jarret Streebin, founder and CEO of EasyPost as well as Jesse Horowitz, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Hubble Contacts. Randall Lane discussed with Jarret Streebin and Jesse Horowitz the current state of supply chains, consumers and their predictions for the upcoming year.

Attendees were able to witness the exclusive launch of Prattbox.com, a new DTC website service offering custom direct-to-consumer packaging to small and medium businesses.

In attendance were other notable Forbes Executives as well recent Forbes 30 Under 30 classes.

Empire was responsible for securing and producing Mark Ronson’s performance, the screen content design, technical production, onsite management and talent booking/coordination.

Empire is leading producer of bespoke private events and staging headline performances in intimate environments.

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Empire produced an international, virtual award show for one of the world’s top 100 corporations. The awards show is the company’s most prestigious corporate recognition program with a multi-year legacy, recognizing its most important global B2B partnerships with participants and attendees joining live from throughout the world.

Due to the pandemic, this was the first time in the Awards’ 20-year history that they would be held virtually. The necessity to include attendees and participants from dozens of countries including China, Russia, Brazil, India and Australia in real time required highly complex technical production and precision execution, originating from multiple broadcast locations. Hosted by Ghida Fakhry, a renowned broadcast journalist and originating from an XR (extended reality) studio in New York City with multiple, additional satellite locations, the ceremony honored eight partner companies for their achievements within their regions. After recognizing the honoree companies and showing films produced by each along to live cheers from the host company teams, two overall winners were announced to receive the coveted prize, one from the UK for 2019, and one from Mexico for 2020.

All speakers, including the company’s Chairman and CEO, and its Chief Commercial Officer, as well as regional CEOs, presenters, and nominees, joined the virtual ceremony via remote connections around the world. Empire provided technical online virtual stage managers to facilitate smooth participation for each participant.

The program ran flawlessly and engaged and entertained winners in every region of the world, many of whom viewed and participated in the program through live virtual watch parties, some of which were translated live into multiple languages.

Empire served as overall producer of the program managing run of show development, visual design, technical production, broadcast, graphics, animations, LED wall screen content, talent coordination and overall project management.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid and live events, and has been a proud production partner for this corporate client for over 25 years.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) celebrated its 12^th annual Crown Awards virtually this year. Empire was honored to produce the virtual benefit program highlighting Columbia’s efforts to address the mental health effects of the pandemic, and healing in its aftermath.

The evening program was hosted by Dr. Judith F. Joseph, VP&S alumna; an expert on child, adult, and family psychiatry; and a medical media contributor. The event also featured remarks by Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, Chair of the Board of Advisors and Dr. Anil K. Rustgi, Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine; Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, the Lawrence C. Kolb Professor and Chair of Psychiatry, Columbia University VP&S; Director, New York State Psychiatric Institute; and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Irving Medical Center, introduced the short films on Mental Health. These films recognized the doctors, clinicians, researchers, and Columbia’s efforts to affect global improvements in mental health care as well as develop tools and techniques to improve mental health equity through increased access to quality care.

Tony Award-winning actress, Adrienne Warren, closed the night with songs such as “Simply the Best,” “Impossible Dream,” and “Home/What’s Love Got to Do with It” to highlight the evening’s inspiring theme and occasion.

Empire worked closely with the Columbia team to implement the design and run of show. Empire also recorded the speakers and talent (safely in person and remotely), and oversaw the technical production and livestream.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind. We are proud to support Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

To view the program, learn more, and donate, please visit ColumbiaCrownAwards.org

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Empire was pleased to help produce the 2021 New York Public Radio Gala hosted in-person at The Plaza Hotel on November 16^th, continuing a partnership in a series of events for the public radio service.

The gala invited supporters of NYPR to gather for the first time since 2019 for an exciting evening packed with entertainment and good company, to celebrate 20 years of Radiolab. Starting with a cocktail reception in the Terrace Room, guests were then led to the dinner in the ballroom by the High and Mighty Brass Band, kicking off the program with high energy performances.

This year’s program featured actress Julianna Marguiles as Gala Host, with remarks by Goli Sheikholeslami, CEO and President, NYPR; Timothy A. Wilkins, Board Chair, NYPR; Ed Yim, Chief Content Officer and SVP, WQXR; and Jad Abumrad, Creator and Host, Radiolab, and musical performances by Kishi Bashi and WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab Artists and Special Guests.

2 awards were presented, celebrating Radiolab’s past and present. Ira Glass, Creator and Host, This American Life presented an award to Robert Krulwich, Retired Host, Radiolab; and Suzie Lechtenberg, Executive Producer, Radiolab and Soren Wheeler, Executive Editor, Radiolab presented an award to Jad Abumrad, Lulu Miller, and Latif Nasser, Hosts, Radiolab.

In addition to the in-person guest experience, the main program was live streamed to a remote audience tuning in from their homes. Overall, NYPR raised over $1.1M towards supporting the organization’s vital work delivering local news to the greater area of New York and New Jersey.

Empire’s scope of work included development of the program run of show, technical production management, creative design of the live stream screen graphics and micro-site, and production and editing of 3 feature videos plus post-gala video assets including a gala sizzle reel.

Empire is a leading producer of events including fundraising galas, experiential marketing engagements, corporate conferences, festivals, concerts, and more.

When one of Empire’s longtime clients was looking for talent for their prestigious, virtual award ceremonies, they turned to Empire to secure A-list talent that would resonate and excite their global attendees. For the main host of the program, Empire secured award-winning actress, film producer, and former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra - Jonas, who hosted the events from a studio in London.

For headline entertainment, Empire delivered one of country music’s biggest superstars, Keith Urban and the sensational, Grammy Award-winning acapella group, Pentatonix.

Each artist performed from their respective studios with Keith Urban performing his hit song, “The Fighter” and Pentatonix performing their latest single, “Sing.” Empire is a leading provider of world class talent for various types of virtual and in-person events.

Empire was proud to produce New Heights’ 5th annual gala, The GameChangers Ball, as an in-person event on October 21, 2021. This year’s gala held special significance, inviting guests for an exclusive first look at their new space at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Crown Heights Brooklyn, featuring sports facilities, basketball courts, classrooms, office, and community spaces.

The gala began with a cocktail reception and a jazz performance by KingKlavé. Overlooking the basketball court, the guests viewed live basketball played by the New Heights youth members on the new court.

Guests were then seated for dinner and the main program at the community space which was transformed into a ballroom for this special occasion. Catering for the evening was presented by a special collaboration of two of the finest local caterers, Dining with Grace and Ginger Root, and desserts were provided by Brownstone Cheesecakes, a popular bakery based in Brooklyn.

While guests enjoyed dinner, the program consisted of an introduction to the new space, an awards ceremony to four special honorees, a live auction, and a call to action by New Heights executives. The honorees were Lance Thomas, New Heights Class of 2006, Board Member, Duke National Champion and NBA Veteran; Don Capoccia, Principal of BFC Partners; Amber Sabathia, Co-Founder & Executive Director at PitCCh In Foundation and Player Agent, CAA Baseball; and Bruce E. Mosler, Chairman of Global Brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield.

Working closely with New Heights, Empire served as the overall event producer, managing elements including venue, catering, décor, programming, and technical production. Empire is a leading producer of fundraising events and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

About New Heights:

New Heights Youth, Inc. is a non-profit sports-based youth-development and educational organization based in New York City.

New Heights creates opportunities and provides support for promising youth to fulfill their potential in the classroom, on the court and in the community. Their mission is to educate and empower promising underserved youth to be leaders, champions and student-athletes by developing the skills necessary for success in high school, college and life.

Specifically, the organization uses basketball as a “hook” to engage young men and women in the program, help them access high quality educational opportunities, and instill in them the values and life skills that will prepare them for success in life beyond sports.

Client Testimonial: Teaming up with Empire to produce our annual GameChangers Ball was one of the smartest decisions we made. Turning a century-old armory into a luxurious ballroom was a tall order, but Empire – and Sammy Kim in particular – planned every detail beautifully and within our budget. Thank you for guiding us on this journey and making our event vision a reality!!

​SHOWTIME has been a pioneer in LGBTQ-inclusive programming for over 2 decades and has helped bring LGBTQ stories to the forefront through series including the groundbreaking show The L Word which premiered in 2004 and ran for six seasons. Ten years later, the series was revived in 2019 with The L Word: Generation Q, bringing back some of the original show’s favorites as well as a new, younger cast.

In the summer of 2021, SHOWTIME called on Empire to help promote the 2nd season of The L Word: Generation Q by enhancing a series of weekly viewing party events in six cities across the US over a nine-week period leading up to the season finale. In Los Angeles; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Mobile, AL; Houston, TX; and New York City, Empire sent brand ambassadors, custom swag, games, photo booths, and other fun activities to a total of over 50 viewing events held mainly in lesbian bars.

At Henrietta Hudson in NYC and The Semi-Tropic in Los Angeles, fans were treated to surprise appearances from most of the show cast including Kate Moennig, Leisha Hailey, Arienne Mandi, and Jennifer Beals. SHOWTIME’s enhancements to the weekly viewing parties helped swell attendance to 3x the usual numbers, peaking at around 400 guests for the finale episode watch parties in New York City and Los Angeles.
The 2nd season of The L Word: Generation Q is available on-demand on SHOWTIME.

The Enactus World Cup 2021 took place virtually from October 14-21, 2021, showcasing and celebrating the work of 72,000 Enactus nextgen leaders from around the globe creating a better, more sustainable world.

This year’s Enactus World Cup was hosted by Jeff Houghton and Adesina Sanchez. The four-day programming gathered esteemed business leaders, Enactus Alumni, and 1,000+ students from more than 30 countries to experience Passion on Purpose. Notable speakers included the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit, Dr. Agnes Kalibata; IMAGINE Co-Founder and former Unilever CEO, Paul Polman; and Artist Voice Coach, Roger Love.

Sessions addressed pressing issues and actions needed to further advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals – specifically the needs to rethink plastic and combat the ocean crisis, the climate crisis, as well as food insecurity.

The Enactus World Cup 2021 was supported by impact partners Ford Motor Company and Unilever; Enactus innovation partners AIG, BIC, DSM, and Harmony; and the Better World Award Sponsor, Ford Motor Company Fund.

Empire worked closely with the Enactus team to create the overall event, run of show, and graphics; coordinated logistics for all speakers and talent; and oversaw the technical production and broadcast.

Enactus is the world’s largest experiential platform dedicated to developing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders and social innovators who create a better world. That translates to 72,000 student leaders around the world on 1,700+ university campuses in 35 countries, focused on creating innovative solutions to the world’s greatest social, economic and environmental challenges – and we know your involvement will help motivate and propel them all.

Enactus believes that investing in students who take Entrepreneurial Action for others creates a better world for us all. You can learn about the work of the Enactus #nextgenleaders here – everything from innovative technology used to alleviate the burden on medical workers during COVID-19 in Australia to the world’s first zero-waste shower tablets in Canada to an edible alternative to single-use plastic utensils in Morocco.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid and live events, and has been serving not-for-profit organizations for nearly three decades. Empire is proud to support Enactus.

After a year hiatus, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans decided to bring together their newest cohorts of Fellows for their annual Fall conference in Nashville, TN. Their leadership and Board of Directors called on Empire once again to serve as their production partner for this important gathering.

The Fall Conference hosted the three most recent classes of Fellows, as well as members of the Board of Directors, and a select group of alumni. The weekend was strategically designed as a multi-day retreat consisting of social, educational and conversational sessions and activities. Its goals included bringing the newest classes of Fellows together, recognizing and celebrating the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States, and fostering the sense of community and direct connections between Fellows.

To accomplish this cohesion, event programming was built around common themes of immigration, leadership, innovation, and mental health and targeted to attendees across multiple cohorts and disciplines, age ranges and professions.

Nashville was chosen as the host city both for its rich history and role as a cultural center, but also for its metropolitan government’s work with New Americans to engage and empower immigrants to participate in government and community.

The weekend kicked off on Thursday evening with Fellow arrivals and registration at the Sheraton Grand Downtown, followed by a welcome dinner and private performance by American singer-songwriter, Joy Oladokun,

Friday morning began with breakfast and optional morning activities including an outdoor exercise bootcamp at Capital City Park and a tour of Nashville’s New American communities.

Programing took place at the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition with food truck activations for lunch and a panel discussion with Robert Fisher, Senior Advisor of Results for America, Dr. Stephanie King the Director of Health Equity Bureau for Nashville’s Metro Public Health, and Fabian Bedne, Senior Manager of Community Development in the Office of Nashville Mayor John Cooper. The opening session was followed by a special blue grass performance by PD Soros Executive Director, Craig Harwood.

Curated one-on-one conversations amongst the Fellows ended the day’s program. Friday evening included the a cocktail reception where Fellows had the opportunity to meet and greet with Mrs. Daisy Soros and family before heading out to their individual class dinners at restaurants in the city. One group of Fellows went to Lyra, a restaurant in East Nashville, and the chef shared his New American story with them in the private dining room. The evening closed with an epic line dance party with cocktails and a DJ in the Skye Lounge at the top of the Sheraton Grand.

Saturday afternoon included tours at unique locations around the city of Nashville including, Thistle Farms, Cheekwood Botanical Garden, Nashville Food Project, The Healing Trust with Jen Bailey, and The National Museum of African American Music. The evening’s dinner was held at the Grand Old Opry where Fellows had a chance to experience the variety act performances in one of America’s longest running radio broadcasts and shows. The event featured Carrie Underwood as the closing performer.

The weekend came to a close on Sunday starting with a conversation between four Fellowship Alumni who are making an impact in the South and concluded with closing remarks by Mrs. Daisy M. Soros, whose heartfelt words created a shared moment for the Fellowship and instilled a sense of legacy in each attendee.

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Fall Conference was a celebration of diverse cultures and a touchstone for the newest classes of Fellows that make up the growing Fellowship community.

Empire worked closely with The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships team, and the various departments at The Sheraton Grand Downtown, and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition team to plan and execute each component of the weekend. Empire managed every detail of this occasion, which included concept development, programming, venue acquisition, budgeting, technical production, catering, décor, guest transportation and accommodations, and overall guest experience.

Empire is proud to have partnered with The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans to produce their Fall Conference to celebrate the Fellows, foster new Fellow bonds, and showcase the growing New American population in Nashville, TN. Empire is also honored to have had the opportunity to recognize the impact of Mrs. Daisy Soros and their family, and to reflect on the life of Mr. Paul Soros.

Empire is a leading producer of high-level events for many of the world’s leading educational institutions, associations, and foundations.

To learn more about the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans visit https://www.pdsoros.org

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Empire joined Internews once again to produce FilmAid’s Power of Film Awards at the Standard Hotel in NYC. Set under a semi open-air sky on a crisp Autumn night, the event was a perfect mix of purpose and pleasure. For the first time since the pandemic, FilmAid supporters gathered to celebrate its mission to harness the power of film to educate, inspire and empower refugees and other vulnerable communities around the world.

The cocktail event and program included moving remarks by FilmAid’s founder Caroline Baron and new Director, Gita Saedi Kiely, who painted her vision for tomorrow.

“We are now a global organization with projects happening in communities worldwide, with partnership and support from industry leaders like The Oscars (AMPAS) and Variety, and with life changing work that impacts hundreds of thousands of people every year.”

Tim Blake Nelson presented the Student Award to Nhial Gatriek Deng, a 2020 graduate of the FilmAid training program. Mark Ruffalo shared a heartfelt pre-recorded tribute honoring Ian Urbina with the prestigious Christopher Dickey Award for his groundbreaking work on The Outlaw Ocean Project.

Kati Marton then spoke regarding her late husband’s Richard C. Holbrooke Humanitarian Award before introducing Mariam Wardak. Mariam, received the award on behalf of the awardee, Sahraa Karimi, who was unable to attend in person. She shared an incredible story of life as a woman under Taliban ruled Afghanistan, and how Sahraa was a devoted advocate of women and cinema until her final moments boarding an evacuation flight to Europe as the Taliban took over.

Jeanne Bourgault, Internews President and CEO, closed the evening with immense gratitude and pride of the team at Internews for having joined forces with FilmAid. Their incredible work in training young people in all aspects of storytelling and communications, empowers the next generation to advocate for its own rights to effect positive change in the world.

Empire is honored to support the vital work of FilmAid and has been serving not-for-profit organizations for nearly three decades. To learn more please visit https://www.filmaid.org

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On Thursday, October 14, Empire was proud to produce World Food Program USA’s livestreamed panel discussion entitled US Against Hunger: The Future of Hunger & Global Food Systems. This engaging conversation was moderated by award-winning international journalist Femi Oke and featured Dr. Martin Frick, Deputy to the Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021; Volli Carucci, Director of Food Systems and Resilience, U.N. World Food Programme; and Chef Andrew Zimmern, chef, writer & Emmy-winning TV personality.

The virtual panel focused on the U.N. World Food Programme’s work of fighting food insecurity and addressing how food waste impacts hunger. The discussion was livestreamed through the World Food Program’s social media accounts as well as a Vimeo player on the World Food Program USA’s website.

Empire worked closely with the World Food Program USA team and served as overall producer of the virtual event, which is the final program in a series of four.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind, and has been serving not-for-profit organizations for nearly three decades.

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When Bravo was looking to promote Season 19 of their Emmy-winning competition series Project Runway, they partnered with Empire to help execute a multi-day outdoor stunt that would engage with fans and fashionistas across New York City.

In this age of social media, nothing gets more traction than a fabulous selfie. Empire built 3 oversized mirror installations adorned with colorful, eye-popping floral designs, and set them up in key locations throughout Manhattan across 3 days, kicking off on October 14^th, the premiere day of Bravo’s Project Runway Season 19.

The largest of the 3 mirrors was set up as a 3-day flagship location in the heart of Flatiron Plaza next to Madison Square Park. With the Flatiron Building as the backdrop and the Empire State Building caught in the mirror’s reflection, thousands of passersby, including Real Housewives of Potomac’s Wendy Osefo, came by to check themselves out and take a snap.

The other 2 mirrors ‘popped up’ each day with fresh new floral ‘looks’ and sassy new mottos (e.g. “IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO SLAY”) in different locations including Soho, Columbus Circle, the Meatpacking District, and Union Square. Additional notable visitors included Real Housewives of New York’s Leah McSweeney and current S19 Project Runway contestant Darren Apolonio.

Blessed with beautiful, sunny and warm mid-October weather, the mirrors were seen by tens of thousands of New Yorkers and enjoyed interactions with thousands of selfie-takers.

Empire secured the location permits, worked with florist East Olivia on the installations, and managed a team of Brand Ambassadors outfitted in branded black denim jackets and white T’s.

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In October 2021 the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Aspen Institute co-hosted the 2021 Global Inclusive Growth Summit. The day-long, virtual event was attended by a global community of purpose-driven leaders from across sectors who came together to take collective action towards rebuilding an economy that works for everyone.

Participants included Vice President of the United States of America Kamala Harris; Former President William Jefferson Clinton; H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization; Ajay Banga, Executive Chairman, Mastercard; Reeta Roy, President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation; Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa; Brad Smith, President and Vice Chairman, Microsoft; Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever; Ivor Horn, Director of Health Equity & Product Inclusion, Google; Ashish Jha, Dean, Brown University School of Public Health; Makhtar Diop, Managing Director and EVP, International Finance Corporation; Michael Froman, Vice Chairman, President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard; Dan Porterfield, President and CEO, Aspen Institute, Shamina Singh, President of The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth; Ida Rademacher, Executive Director, Financial Security Program, Aspen Institute; and many more. The multi-session program was hosted by Marketplacecorrespondent Kimberly Adams.

Conversations catalyzed new partnerships, spotlighting solutions that advance inclusive and sustainable economies around the world.

The virtual event platform hosted main stage content on topics including inclusive & sustainable growth, financial security, and putting technology to work for the common good; four interactive deep dive conversations on digitizing small businesses, corporate intrapreneurship, crypto-currency, and building financial security after Covid-19; live demos on groundbreaking tools for advancing inclusive growth; a live social feed for guests’ and commitment posts, comment & interactions; the full-program agenda; a list of speakers participating in the program and their biographies, and more.

Empire worked closely with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Aspen Institute in the months leading up to the Summit consulting closely on content and program development, speaker advance, event marketing and audience development communications. Empire also oversaw all technical production and management of the livestream program and pre-recordings, virtual event platform development, creative & visual design, editing and overall project management.

Empire is a proud production partner for the 2021 Global Inclusive Growth Summit and to support the goals of inclusive and equitable economic growth.

About The Global Inclusive Growth Partnership: The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth & the Aspen Institute

Launched in October 2019 with an inaugural summit, the Global Inclusive Growth Partnership (GIGP) combines the expertise and networks of both the Aspen Institute and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to address systemic issues across a range of topics including financial security, the future of workers and portable benefits, growing micro and small businesses, and commercially-sustainable social impact.

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs and empower a community of thinkers, leaders and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth.

The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is the creation of a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado and New York City, as well as an international network of partners. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org.

To learn more and view the programming on demand, visit https://globalinclusivegrowthsummit.com

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Over two days at The Shed, a cultural center in Hudson Yards, Unfinished Live convened leading voices in tech, media, art, policy, and the spaces-in-between for vibrant conversations about the decentralized future.

The discussions during Unfinished Live fostered a movement toward an equitable and sustainable future for all. Hosted by Baratunde Thurston, participants included Angela Glover Blackwell, founder in residence at PolicyLink and the chair of the Unfinished Network; Nabiha Syed, president of The Markup; Audrey Tang, digital minister of Taiwan; Claire Evans, author of Broad Band; Elizabeth Stark, CEO of Lightning Labs; Ian Cheng, Artist; Dan Porterfield, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute; Rashad Robinson, American civil rights leader; Gavin Wood, founder of the Web3 Foundation and Parity Technologies, Co-Founder Ethereum; Gary Liu, CEO, South China Morning Post; Yasmim Green, Director of R&D, Jigsaw; Anil Dash, Co-founder and CEO,ThinkUp; Rumman Chowdhury, Founder, Parity AI; Alex Kantrowitz, Founder, Big Technology; and Anna Sale, of Death, Sex & Money, who hosted live audio experiments, along with many, many more.

With two main stages, a podcast studio, a dedicated Clubhouse social audio lounge, interactive art spaces with a special presentation from the artists of Unfinished Camp, the multi-day program was packed with meaning and experiences. Additionally, the Project Liberty Experience, a monumental, immersive, interactive, art installation by Refik Anadol, and projection environment in The McCourt, invited guests and members of the public to envision a world where individuals own and control their data.

Empire worked closely with the Unfinished team and various Unfinished partners to deliver an inspiring and seamless experience for this high-profile convening. Empire roles for Unfinished Live included technical production for the program spaces within The Shed (staging, rigging, audio, video, livestream), design, layouts and production management. Empire oversaw show running for the main stage programs for the live show days as well as live streaming to a virtual audience. Empire worked closely with T Strategy and Plan Experiential on all aspects of show production as well as Chilean strategy and creative agency, Felicidad, to deliver an extraordinary display of Unfinished Live’s design assets and imagery.

Empire, alongside the Unfinished and Shed teams, collaboratively developed and managed a thorough on-site Covid safety plan for all staff, crew, talent and guests ensuring the health and safety of all present at the event.

Empire is a proud production partner for Unfinished Live.

About Unfinished

Unfinished works to strengthen our civic life in the digital age. With a network of partners in technology, academia, social impact, and the arts, Unfinished is imagining the future of technology, culture, and our economy to create a thriving multiracial democracy.

To achieve this, Unfinished is advancing a very concrete solution through Project Liberty, an initiative with the potential to transform how the internet works and who benefits from the digital economy. Project Liberty aims to create a new civic architecture for the next generation of the internet that prioritizes people over platforms, returns the ownership and control of personal data to individuals, reflects a commitment to ethics and shared values, and expands economic opportunities for both users and developers.

Unfinished has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network that includes: The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Ford Foundation, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown University, Citizen University, Common Goal, Guild of Future Architects, Heartland Forward, Independent Sector, New_ Public, Sciences Po, Serpentine, Amplifier, MilM2, and PolicyLink and which continues to grow.

To learn more visit: https://unfinished.com/

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On Thursday, September 23, Empire was proud to partner with Leaders on Purpose to produce the 4th Annual CEO Summit, a hybrid event taking place in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly. The annual event convenes the world’s most prominent CEOs, academics, multilateral leaders, and business visionaries, all with the goal of integrating purpose and profit.

The theme of this year’s CEO Summit, "Advancing Systemic Leadership & Shaping a Better Future for All - Together", consisted of 12 hours of programming including over 100 + leaders participating in keynote sessions, fire side chats, and intimate breakout sessions, all taking place on a custom-designed virtual platform.

Among the many highlights of the program were remarks by Leaders on Purpose CEO, Christa Gyori; Co-Founder and CSO, Dr. Tatiana Kazakova; UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore; Partners In Health Co-Founder Dr, Paul Farmer; Unilever CEO, Alan Jope; Paul Polman and many more.

Sessions from the day included a panel discussion on “Earthshot Partnerships – Breaking Silos, Building New Capacity to Problem Solve Together” with Christian Klein, CEO SAP, Dawn Nakagawa, Executive Vice President Berggruen, and Arlo Brady, CEO of Freuds. A Keynote Session, “Transparent Communication & Building Trust” with Mark Read, CEO WPP. A panel on "Economic Diplomacy in the 21st Century: Enabling a Purpose-First Environment”, in partnership with Meridian International President & CEO, Ambassador Stuart Holliday, included H.E. Rosemary Banks, Ambassador to the US, Country of New Zealand; and Karan Bhatia, Vice President Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google.

Leaders on Purpose is where purpose and strategy meet for better business and a brighter future for all. The organization supports multinational businesses in becoming future-fit, more resilient, and sustainable through embedding purpose at the core of their organizational strategy. They do this by focusing on four areas: research into strategy practices; a peer-to-peer community of CEOs; advocacy for policies to create an enabling environment for purpose centered business; and advisory on business transformation that delivers on purpose and performance. The annual CEO Summit is the organization’s flagship event bringing together leaders across sectors to in support of a purpose first economy.

Empire’s role as producer included overall project management, virtual platform development, sponsorship sales, all aspects of the technical production for the hybrid event, registration management, content development and virtual speaker coordination.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid, and live events and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

To learn more please visit https://www.leadersonpurpose.com

On Friday, August 13 in Los Angeles and Saturday August 14 in New York City, Empire produced two VIP screenings of Chance The Rapper’s new concert movie Magnificent Coloring World. Partnering with AMC Theatres, these exclusive screenings took place at Universal Citywalk on Friday and AMC Empire 25 in Times Square on Saturday for Chance The Rapper’s family, friends, and a few lucky fans who won tickets. This incredible film will be playing across the country in AMC Theatres in 35 cities until August 26.

During the relatively slow Summer month of August, Empire was anything but slow, presenting four, globally-known, superstar artists for live and in-person events in a period of four days for various clients in various locations!

Country sensation Dierks Bentley thrilled with a performance at a corporate event in Las Vegas.

Back on the East Coast Pitbull and his dancers had the entire audience on their feet at a spectacular private party.

Jason Derulo appeared for a lucky corporate conference crowd, mirrored on monumental projection screens, while the iconic Christina Aguilera, sang some her greatest hits and ballads at a private function.

Empire secured and contracted all of these artists and managed the logistics of their performances within a four day period.

Empire is a leading provider of headline musical talent and are thrilled to bring these and other artists back to the stage for in-person live events.

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To mark the release of Focus Features’ Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Focus Features partnered with Empire to bring the iconic Brasserie Les Halles back for one weekend only -- and give friends and fans of Anthony Bourdain the opportunity to celebrate his legacy in the restaurant where it all began.

No one has transcended the culinary world and single-handedly transformed how entire generations thought about and connected with food -- and the rest of the globe -- like Anthony Bourdain. Tony spent the first two decades of his adult life toiling away in hot, cramped kitchens until his essay “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” appeared in The New Yorker, gained immediate acclaim, and spawned his groundbreaking memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly which became a New York Times Bestseller and catapulted him from Executive Chef at NYC’s Brasserie Les Halles to worldwide renown as the host of multiple food and travel shows including No Reservations and Parts Unknown.

Tony’s untimely death in 2018 led thousands of his fans and admirers to revisit the Les Halles space on Park Avenue South and pay tribute to their favorite globetrotting storyteller and foodie, but unfortunately the restaurant was shuttered two years earlier in 2016, after nearly 25 years in business.

Bringing back Brasserie Les Halles for one weekend took enormous tenacity and a touch of luck. The Park Avenue South location came under new ownership in 2017 and went through a full demolition and renovation in 2018-2019. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the reopening of the new restaurant was delayed, which created an opportunity to rent the space and convert it into Brasserie Les Halles through exterior branding, interior design, and tabletop elements reminiscent of the original Les Halles’ Parisian and Art Nouveau aesthetic.

The first night of the four-day pop-up was an invite-only event for friends of Tony and Roadrunner’s filmmaker, Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville. After attending a special screening of the documentary, guests headed to the restaurant for a dinner that featured Les Halles classics including French onion soup, steak frites, and chocolate mousse, while punk rock tunes from Tony’s favorite artists like The Stooges, Ramones, and Iggy Pop reverberated throughout the brasserie.

The following three nights were open to diners who booked their tickets in advance through event partner RESY. All 900 tickets sold out in just minutes. Diners were comprised of fans, friends, and former colleagues of Tony’s who traveled from across the country and as far as Spain to attend the event.

Empire brought on Great Performances to run the kitchen and front of house staff. Focus Features, Empire, and Great Performances collaborated and consulted with Philippe Lajaunie (Owner & Co-Founder of Les Halles) and Jose de Meirelles (original Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Les Halles) to ensure that the menu stayed true to the original Les Halles.

Empire is a leading producer of experiential marketing events and experiences in New York City and around the globe.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain opened in theaters on July 16^th and opened to $1.9 million dollars at the domestic box office. The strongest opening for a specialty film this year — narrative or documentary — and top opening doc of the year.

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) held its Summer Celebration on July 15, 2021, a dazzling, virtual showcase of soaring artistry including excerpts of classical, iconic ballet pieces along with the premiere of three new works: Collage & Creed by Silas Farley, Desire by Helen Pickett, and City of Women by ABT Principal Dancer, James Whiteside. All pieces were performed and filmed in quarantined “ballet bubbles” in different locations across the United States.

The First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, delivered welcoming remarks. Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Award winner and ABT Family member, hosted the Summer Celebration with a special guest, ABT Dancer, Erica Lall.

The program also paid tribute to the ongoing ABT Heals series of live recitals for patients and hospital staff at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, highlighted the ABT Across America tour that took place in July, and honored ABT Heroes – medical advisor Dr. Robert Galvin, and Jennifer Garner, actress and ABT’s champion supporter – who have helped the Company to navigate the pandemic.

Empire worked in close partnership with American Ballet Theatre to develop the creative and run of show, coordinate and record speakers remotely, and oversee technical and video production. The program celebrated the spirit of summer and ABT’s “ballet bubbles” by bringing to life themes of nature and vibrant colors through eye-catching landscapes, dancer silhouettes, ambient nature sounds, animations, and sweeping transitions.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid and live events, and is proud to work with leading arts organizations like America’s National Ballet Company®.

To support American Ballet Theatre and its magnificent dancers, brilliant choreographers, and education programs, please visit: https://www.abt.org

ABT’s Summer Celebration program is available for a limited time on ABT’s YouTube Channel.

We were proud to partner with Japan Society for the second year to produce their 2021 Annual Dinner. This year was an online celebration that brought together influential leaders, notable public figures, and captivating performers, who are all committed to the organization’s mission of building bridges between the U.S. and Japan.

Headlining the program was a fireside chat between Japan Society Chairman, Joseph R. Perella, Chairman Emeritus of Perella Weinberg Partners, and Henry R. Kravis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of KKR. These two titans of finance discussed the ongoing issues that define and influence future opportunities within the U.S.-Japan space.

The evening also featured a conversation between former JAXA astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy marking the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's landmark Moonshot speech. This year, NASA and the government of Japan formalized the lunar Gateway partnership, supporting long-term human exploration on and around the Moon as part of the Artemis program and opening a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations.

Guests enjoyed entertainment by the Ryoma Quartet, a Japanese-Western eclectic fusion of traditional Japanese instruments—tsugaru shamisen, shinobue, drums and violin—that expressed a new form of sound incorporating rock, funk, and electro grounded in classical tradition.

Empire’s New York and Tokyo offices collaborated to direct, film, produce and livestream the 60-minute program all around the world, helping the Japan Society raise over 1.3 million dollars.

To learn more about the Japan Society please visit https://www.japansociety.org/​

When The Flaherty wanted to shift its annual Film Seminar into a virtual event, they turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a highly interactive, user-friendly platform to feature this year's films and discussions.

The 10-day film seminar took place July 9 - 18, 2021 and featured over 43 films, with filmmakers and attendees joining from 30+ countries and five continents. Programmed by Janaína Oliviera, the 66th edition of the Flaherty Film Seminar, Opacity, sought to forge openings and new possibilities of cinematic existence, especially for subjects that have been excluded or are less valued on conventional screens. The films and subsequent discussions dove deep on topics ranging from diasporic cinema and oral histories, to decolonizing the archive and indigenous storytelling and sovereignty.

On each day, The Flaherty hosted a morning and evening session with one film screening and discussion per session. All film content was revealed just minutes before the session began and subsequently removed at the end of each session to keep attendees on their toes throughout the week. In addition to the main programming, The Flaherty hosted supplementary breakout sessions and after hours programs via zoom where more attendees could dive deeper in smaller groups.

Empire’s scope of work included registration management, microsite design & development, and overall technical production.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid and live events and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

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On June 9th, 2021, Apex For Youth hosted their 29th Annual Inspiration Awards Gala to support and raise funds for underserved Asian and immigrant youth from low income families in NYC.

This year’s program celebrated “Power in Community, Resilience in Unity and Strength in Love,” featuring a star studded line up of incredible Asian Americans. Presenters included Journalist and Author, Lisa Ling, Actress, Producer and Activist, Gemma Chan, Actor Henry Golding and Non-Profit Leader, Entrepreneur & Former Presidential Candidate, Andrew Yang, sharing stories of strength in the AAPI community. This year’s Inspiration awards honored CEO & Founder of Rise, Amanda Nguyen, Actor & Producer, Daniel Dae Kim, Filmmaker John M. Chu and Golden Globe Winning Actress, Awkwafina for their incredible impact, leadership and empowering voice of this generation.

In addition to the livestream, more than 500 guests gathered across nine restaurants in NYC to celebrate the 2021 honorees, applaud the student speaker, and feast together in person. Another 300 Apex fans in Hong Kong, LA, Chicago, and Toronto hosted viewing parties, contributing to the wildly successful QR-code paddle raise conducted by President & Co-Founder of Goldhouse, Bing Chen. Overall Apex raised $1.75M towards their vital work supporting Asian youth.

It was a remarkable night of gathering, reflecting and celebrating Asian American voices and stories to recognize the crucial work of Apex for Youth.

Empire worked closely with Apex to develop, design and run the show for the livestream, coordinate and record speakers remotely, facilitate the livestream, manage video editing and production and provide technical production and support at 8 NYC locations.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid and live events and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

For more information and to view the livestream visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFdkQbMM5-c​

On Saturday, June 19, 2021, the inaugural Juneteenth Unityfest presented by the Robert Randolph Foundation brought together a star-studded lineup of artists, influencers, activists and sponsors for a virtual festival.

The five-and-a-half-hour livestream, which took place just two days after Juneteenth was officially signed into law as a federal holiday, has garnered over one million views via juneteenthunityfest.com, and media partners LiveXLive, Ebony.com, and YouTube.

The inaugural Juneteenth Unityfest paid tribute to the breadth and depth of Black culture while also celebrating future potential.

The celebration kicked off with a stirring recording of Jimi Hendrix’s “Star-Spangled Banner” from his historic 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival appearance. Symbolic of the cultural shift in the mindset of the nation at the time, the performance was a perfect introduction to reflect the power and influence of Black voices and how they have impacted the course of American history.

Following the recording, the live performances kicked off with Nile Rodgers & CHIC, who brought the energy with the timeless hit single, “Good Times.” Festival founder and chairman Robert Randolph then welcomed viewers before turning the program over to the evening’s hosts: actress and author Amanda Seales and comedian JB Smoove.

One of the highlights of the night was undoubtedly the remarks made by Ms. Opal Lee. Lauded as the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ the 94-year-old activist’s commentary embodied the enthusiasm, determination and relentless perseverance she exhibited to preserve the significance of Juneteenth. Having stood in the White House just days ago, witnessing her life's work come to fruition, the weight of her words were incredibly emotional and provided a moment of reflection on how far the nation has come and a reminder of the work there is left to be done.

There was no shortage of talent as the night blazed on with outstanding performances by Earth, Wind and Fire, India Arie, Darius Rucker, Dave Matthews & Carter Beauford, Ledisi, Black Pumas, Aloe Blacc, Keb’ Mo’, Bebe Winans, Jimmie Allen, Khruangbin, Lucky Daye, Phony Ppl, Michael Franti, Judith Hill, Sheléa, The Soul Rebels and Korean Soul. Performances took place at partner venues including, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville, Mobeon Studio, Burbank, CA, and at various locations throughout the country.

Celebrity spotlights kept the event moving in between performances, with appearances by: Phylicia Rashãd, Wayne Brady, Billy Porter, Craig Robinson, Van Jones, Jon Hamm, Aisha Tyler, LeVar Burton, Zach Galifinakis, Jason Wright, Gail Devers, Zina Garrison, Wilson Cruz, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Mollie Taylor Stevenson Jr., Baratunde Thurston, and Roger Guenveur Smith. Lynn Nottage, Holly Robinson Peete, Jesse Williams, and Djimon Hounsou also made appearances, sharing personal anecdotes about what the holiday means to them. The landmark event closed with final remarks by Robert Randolph, followed by a recording of Jimi Hendrix performing “Purple Haze” at the 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival, which brought the event full circle. Finally, Nile Rodgers & CHIC played the festival out with a performance of “We Are Family,” summing up the sentiment of unity felt by performers and viewers alike.

A recording of the entire festival is available now via the official website and can be accessed by those who missed it until July 19. To view the recording, please visit: www.juneteenthunityfest.com.

Juneteenth Unityfest was made possible by phenomenal sponsors and partners like Heal America movement to fight racial injustice, EBONY as the official media partner, and LiveXLive as the official streaming partner. Additional sponsors included: Crown Royal Regal Apple, Amazon, P&G’s Widen The Screen initiative, and NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. Getty Images and OWN also provided special content.

A significant portion of the content and context for the festival came from the 35+ community partners who shared their stories about their contributions to the culture. Participating organizations include: AARP, The Africa Center, African American Museum in Philadelphia, Benedict College, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI), Hip Hop Caucus, HOLA, Invisible Warriors, Jobs For The Future (JFF), The Links Incorporated, Mile High United Way, Muhammad Ali Center, The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Reelworks, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Umoja Events Juneteenth NYC Festival, Unity Unlimited, Inc., Usher’s New Look, and We Are Family Foundation.

Juneteenth Unityfest was produced by Empire Entertainment in collaboration with the Robert Randolph Foundation, Red Light Management with creative direction, and writing by Paul Oakley Stovall. For more information on Juneteenth Unityfest, presented by the Robert Randolph Foundation, visit www.juneteenthunityfest.com or follow on social media, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

New 42 rang in the start of Summer with one of the first live events to be held in New York City since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Let’s Get this Show on the Street, a once-in-a-lifetime event, celebrated the re-opening of the vital cultural community in the heart of Times Square and the importance of arts education to change lives.

New 42 partnered with Empire to produce a socially distanced, public-facing concert, which was attended in-person by teachers and arts educators from all five NYC boroughs. In addition to the in-person event, Empire also produced a fully livestreamed program for the New 42 virtual audience. Working in tandem with the City of New York, New 42 and Empire were able to close 42nd Street between 7th and 8th avenues to bring the event to life.

The program featured performances by Sara Bareilles, Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, Dance Theater of Harlem, Chop & Quench featuring Sahr Ngaujak, Bill Irwin, the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music, the Brooklyn United Marching Band and DJ Duane Harriott, with video testimonials to arts education by John Leguizamo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kal Penn, Alison Pill, Michael James Scott, and Andrew Thomas and Lorenzo Carter from the NY Giants.

New 42 President and CEO Russell Granet and New 42 Board Chairman, Fiona Rudin, kicked off the program cheering the return of in-person theater and performances. The event honored the NYC Department of Education, with an award being accepted by Meisha Porter, the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. Introducing Meisha was one of Broadway’s brightest stars, Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The event also honored Jody Arnhold with the Marian Heiskell Award. Paying tribute to Jody Arnhold were Ballet legend Misty Copeland (virtual) and dance teacher DeAngelo Blanchard. The program also included a visit by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who spoke to the tremendous work that all of NYC’s teachers and arts educators have done throughout the pandemic as well as welcoming back in-person arts and entertainment to NYC!

Empire’s role included managing all technical production (staging, rigging, audio, video, livestream), permitting, layouts, scripting, talent booking & management, stage and production management, website development as well as developing and managing a thorough on-site covid safety plan for all staff, crew, talent and guests. Empire also worked with New 42 to create a safe and efficient on-site guest experience for registration and social distancing.

Empire is a leading producer of major civic and municipal events and is proud to work with organizations like the New 42 and Times Square Alliance to bring back live, in-person events.

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Empire joined Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of New York once again to produce the Catholic Charities Gala 2021 hosted by Lynda Baquero, NBC 4, New York celebrating a Renewed Spirit of Hope. The program was livestreamed on a sleek and classic-themed microsite for a virtual audience, underscoring the incredible initiatives and members of Catholic Charities that support underserved communities throughout the greater New York area.

Empire worked alongside Catholic Charities to develop and produce an engaging script, original video production and run of show for the program featuring His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York and Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, honoring Frank Bisignano, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Member of the Board of Directors, Fiserv, Inc., for his supportive and continued partnership with Catholic Charities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlighting community and youth services, the evening incorporated testimonials and interviews from program directors, volunteers, youth advocates, imagery from community centers and emergency food programs, the stories of those impacted by the organization’s work.

The program also featured a tribute video to Frank Bisignano which included interviews from his daughters highlighting Frank’s character, before His Eminence presented the Deus Caritas Est award, and a Catholic Charities Centennial Campaign Video thanking donors for their continued support.

Empire’s scope of work included script writing, development of run of show, remote recordings, four on site video productions at locations across New York, video editing, speaker advancement, live stream, program graphics, and microsite design. Additionally, Empire delivered five shortened video assets, one which would be used for an in-person gathering of vaccinated individuals at the Cardinal’s home the night of the event.

Empire Entertainment is honored to work with Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of New York to help support the vital work they do, especially during unprecedented times.

View the full livestream here: https://catholiccharitiesgala2021.org/

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Columbia University Children’s Health celebrated its annual Children’s Benefit virtually on Tuesday, May 5, 2021. Empire was honored to produce the first-ever virtual benefit program dedicated to highlighting the accomplishments of Columbia Children’s Health.

The evening program was hosted by Emmy Award-winning television host, Daphne Oz, and commenced with remarks by Anil K. Rustgi, Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine; Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine. Jordan S. Orange, Reuben S. Carpentier Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, emphasized the importance of technology and care at Columbia Children’s Health while Larry Neubauer, Chair of the Children’s Board at Columbia, also expressed thanks to fellow board members, partners, friends, and supporters of Columbia.

A short film about the Columbia Center for Children’s Digital Health Research (CCDHR) led by Melissa S. Stockwell, MD, MPH presented the Center’s mission and work of designing, implementing, and evaluating digital health tools and strategies that have a direct impact on child and population health. Compelling testimonials by Melissa Stockwell, doctors, nurses, and patient families highlighted the impact and reach of care for patients before and during COVID – and beyond.

The evening concluded with a fun, engaging conversation between Daphne Oz and special guest Jill Kargman, New York Times bestselling author, creator, and star of “Odd Mom Out,” on parenting and their experiences during the time of COVID.

Empire worked in close partnership with the Columbia team to direct, film, and produce the CCDHR film as well as to produce the overall virtual benefit, implement design and run of show, coordinate and record all speakers and talent, create the microsite, and oversee the technical production and livestream.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind, and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and initiatives for nearly three decades. We are proud to support Columbia’s Children’s Health.

To learn more and donate, please visit the Columbia Children’s Benefit giving site​

On May 27, 2021, UN Women presented their annual HeForShe Summit as a virtual event, which convened world leaders, global CEOs, activists and celebrities to share the latest groundbreaking solutions to achieve gender equality around the world.

Hosted by Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the event featured a series of captivating panel discussions of the HeForShe Champions. Topics included “Eliminating The Gender Pay Gap,” “Accelerating Women In Leadership,” “The Role of Men,” “Ending Gender-Based Violence,” “Creating New Cultural Norms,” and “Engaging Our Future Leaders” to name a few.

H.E. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, H.E. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland, H.E. Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland, and H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, were among some of the incredible leaders who issued a global call to action for gender equality.

Other notable speakers included the CEO of Barclays, Jes Staley, Chairman of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Bob Moritz, CEO of Vodafone, Nick Read, CEO of De Beers Group, Bruce Cleaver, President of Stony Brook University, Maurie McInnis, Actor and Producer, Simon Pegg, and Singer -Songwriter, Author and Businesswoman Geri Horner.

Empire is honored to be the overall producer of the HeForShe Summit since 2014 and excited to produce their first virtual convening. Empire worked closely with UN Women to develop and design and run the show, coordinate and record speakers remotely and oversee technical and video production.

Empire is a leading producer of thought leadership events and virtual events of every kind, and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

For more information and to view the livestream visit https://www.heforshe.org/en

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On May 11, 2021, Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum and Tracee Ellis Ross, actor, CEO and producer, engaged in an open conversation on art, culture, film, and design.

Empire filmed and produced the discussion, and worked closely with the Museum to develop the creative identity and hosted a special virtual toast to celebrate the premiere of Beyond the Studio.

Proceeds from Beyond the Studio directly support the Museum’s general operations and their growing schedule of digital programming. As they continue to navigate these challenging times, the Studio Museum remains committed to providing meaningful and engaging programs for audiences of all ages.

Empire is proud to support these efforts and assist Studio Museum as they continue to expand into virtual events and programming.

To learn more about the Studio Museum and to support visit this website.

Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) engaged Empire to help produce their 20^th Annual Leadership Awards Gala. The event included a virtual livestream as well as multiple VIP Zoom Receptions hosted concurrently before and after the main program. The virtual celebration honored four individuals who have helped unite the world through outstanding leadership, while raising funds to provide financial support to SIPA students.

The main program was live streamed on the Columbia SIPA website and featured pre-recorded remarks from Lee C. Bollinger, President, Columbia University, Merit E. Janow, Dean, Columbia University SIPA, Caroline Kennedy, Trustee, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Lan Yang MIA ’96, SIPA Advisor Board Member; Chair, Sun Media Group, Charles “Chuck” Schumer, U.S. Senator from New York, and exclusive messages from SIPA Alumni, including Eric Garcetti ‘92CC MIA, Mayor of Los Angeles, Jennifer Morris MIA ’97, CEO, The Nature Conservancy, current SIPA students, and many more.

This year’s recipients of SIPA’s Global Leadership Awards recognized Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, for her leadership in helping stabilize the global economic and financial system, and the late Vartan Gregorian, Former President of Carnegie Corporation of New York, for his work in furthering education, democracy, international peace and security.

The celebration also recognized inaugural recipients of SIPA’s Global Inspiration Awards, Joyce DiDonato, Mezzo-Soprano and Activist, for her activism using music, and Lang Lang, Pianist, Philanthropist, and Cultural Ambassador, for his dedication to global arts education. The program also included very special performances by Joyce and Lang Lang.

Empire’s scope of work included run-of-show development, remote and in-person pre-recordings, speaker advance, producing an Alumni feature video and overall virtual gala editing, staff training, technical production, and live streaming for the Main Gala, as well as the production and management of pre and post gala Zoom breakouts for attendees joining from the United States and China.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, hybrid, and live events.

The New York Women’s Foundation (The Foundation) held their annual Celebrating Women® Breakfast virtually this year. Empire was honored to help produce the first-ever virtual Breakfast dedicated to honoring women who are leading the way by example, empowering their communities, and spotlighting the importance of women in the world.

The event was hosted on Hopin, featuring an hour-long program with closed captioning and ASL interpretation, virtual breakfast tables, live breakout sessions, two mini-doc style videos focusing on two of The Foundation’s grantee partners, Start Small Think Big and Jahajee Sisters, and an expo hall for grantee partners. The site also featured event branding and graphics prompting guests to navigate to watch available live and OnDemand content.

The Celebrating Women Awards were presented to the New York Anchor Women: Pillars of Courage including Amanda Farinacci, Vivian Lee, Jeanine Ramirez, Kristen Shaughnessy & Roma Torre V; artist Jordan Casteel; and Poderistas, accepted by co-founder Mónica Ramírez. The program also included remarks by Ana L. Oliveria, President & CEO of The New York Women’s Foundation, Vision Award recipient Sheri Sandler and performances by Fogo Azul and the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Empire worked closely with The Foundation’s team to create the overall event, implement design and run of show, coordinate and record all speakers and talent remotely, and oversee the technical production and livestream.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual awards ceremonies and fundraisers, special feature video productions, and more.

To learn more about The New York Women’s Foundation and donate, please visit https://www.nywf.org/donate

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Empire recently presented Malcolm Gladwell for two virtual keynote addresses. In February, Malcolm spoke at an online conference for one of the world’s leading cyber-security software companies. For that program, Malcolm delivered a customized presentation entitled “A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste” in which he shared that, while Covid had obviously created challenges around the world, it had also created new opportunities for innovation for those who were forward-thinking and optimistic. Gladwell shared fascinating anecdotes to support his keynote and was humorously self-deprecating and endearing as he fielded Q&A. In April, Empire again presented Gladwell, this time for a company that develops software and other tools to enable corporate teams to work more efficiently. For that Summit, Malcolm spoke about the changing nature of work over the last several generations including the differences between hierarchical and networked team structures and the strengths and weaknesses of each. He explained that workers focused on a common goal should allow differences of opinion, respectful debate and constructive conflict to deliver better team decisions.

Empire is proud to have presented Malcom Gladwell as well as other thought leaders including Amanda Gordon, Malala Yousafzai, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Richard Branson, Adam Grant, and many more for our clients around the globe.

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Bravo’s Top Chef Drive-In & Dine Experience was the tastiest ticket in town when it was held at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles on April 29.

This very special screening of Bravo’s long-running megahit cooking competition show hosted an audience of Television Academy voters, Bravo VIPs and executives, as well as some very lucky fans of Top Chef. The latest season was taped in Portland during last fall’s Covid-19 restrictions and Episode 5 featured an appropriate elimination challenge: The Drive-In. In a very meta twist, guests of Bravo’s Top Chef Drive-In & Dine Experience received a complimentary tasting of the winning creations as seen on the giant 40-ft screens.

Bringing Portland vibes to Pasadena, a custom retro Bravo’s Top Chef drive-in sign signaled attendees to turn into the entrance of the famous Rose Bowl Stadium, where they were led through a drive-up photo booth featuring Portland’s iconic neon White Stag sign. At check-in, guests received complimentary Hedley & Bennett face masks, Top Chef water bottles, and printed menus with a preview of the special tasting that guests were to be treated to during the screening.

Before the show, attendees played Top Chef trivia and enjoyed an exclusive conversation with the series’ host Padma Lakshmi,  head judge Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons.

As the episode started, the special tastings were delivered directly to guests’ cars in Bravo’s Top Chef-branded bento boxes which included very generous portions of the Sonoran Hot Dog with all the fixins, Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang glaze, the Unidentified Dominican Object Pupusa, and a Duo of Popcorn with chicken-skin furikake and spiced caramel. Later in the show, guests received the Your Place or Mine chocolate hazelnut milkshake to cap off their meal with a sweet & sugary fix.

The screening took place simultaneously with the episode airing on Bravo, keeping the audience shifted forward in their seats, rooting to see their favorite contestant make it to the next round. Tune in to watch new episodes of Top Chef every Thursday at 8/7c on Bravo or anytime on demand.

Empire is a leading producer, setting industry standards for live and hybrid events in an ever-evolving health and safety landscape. To learn more about our work, please visit: http://www.empireentertainment.com/listing.php

This April marked the first ever virtual iteration of the Orange County Youth Environmental Summit (YES). Orange County Water District (OCWD) hosts YES annually for up to 8,000 Orange County 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, OCWD engaged Empire to help produce the week-long summit virtually this year. Empire partnered with BuzzCast to develop a safe and secure platform where students and teachers could tune into daily live presentations, meet with their class online, watch educational on demand content, download worksheets and lesson plans, and view sponsor booths to learn more about OCWD and their partners.

The mission of YES is to educate students about environmental issues, water-related and beyond, that support next generation science standards. The platform hosted on demand content and sponsor booths all week, in addition to two live streamed sessions each day from Tuesday through Thursday.

To support the live content, Empire built a broadcast studio at the Orange County Water District facility in Fountain Valley to capture kid-friendly science experiments, demonstrations about the groundwater replenishment process, and the animals that make up the ecosystem of the water district. The week included live segments with OCWD, the California Science Center, and Emily Calandrelli, The Space Gal from Emily’s Wonder Lab on Netflix.

Interactive program features engaged students with quizzes and polls throughout the duration of each session, as well as live Q&A segments with speakers to close. Corresponding worksheets and lesson plans were made available for download for each live session, as well as for On Demand video content. Over 60+ educational On Demand videos or Grab & Go worksheets with lesson plans were made available to the students of Orange County for the duration of the week.

​Empire is a leading producer of thought leadership events and virtual events of every kind, and has been proud to serve leading environmental and cause-related organizations for nearly three decades.

On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the New Museum presented their Virtual Gala honoring artists Faith Ringgold and Pipilotti Rist. The evening served as the virtual film premiere of Ringgold and Rist for the New Museum’s closest friends, family, and patrons – a global, virtual audience that was a who’s who of the contemporary art world.

The film featured the artists themselves, along with renowned voices from the world of art and philanthropy who reflected upon and honored the impact of each of these powerful women.

Among other narratives, Faith Ringgold was recognized for her consistent activism over decades through her through her story quilts, paintings and children’s books. Pipilotti Rist was recognized for her immersive installations and multi-media work, including her major exhibition, Pixel Forest, at the New Museum.

The evening concluded with an exciting live auction, remarks from Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum, and toasts by Artistic Director Massimiliano Gioni.

Empire worked in close partnership with the New Museum to direct, film, and produce Ringgold and Rist as well as to produce the overall virtual gala and interactive segments.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind and has been serving not-for-profit and arts organizations for nearly three decades.

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In April 2021, more than 2,500 of the world’s most engaged social entrepreneurs, journalists, civil servants, and social activists gathered together online for the annual Skoll World Forum.

With two plenary sessions hosted by Femi Oke anchoring the three day program, attendees heard from world leaders, activists, and notable voices including Donald Gips, Ernesto Zedillo, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Stacey Abrams, José Andrés, Maria Ressa, Audrey Tang, Gloria Walton and Mark Ruffalo among others – sharing stories and experience to fuel the global audience’s efforts to creating social and environmental impact.

The program also included performance segments from Venezuela’s Liana Malva and the UK’s House Gospel Choir.

To bring the Forum’s theme, “Closing the Distance", to life, the Empire and Skoll teams worked hand-in-hand to design and execute the event’s creative motif – using custom animations, curated footage, and creative filming techniques intended to emphasize “a sense of space and place".

Empire managed all aspects of the plenaries’ production, including speaker management and briefings, international filming (on-site and remote), COVID-19 safety protocols, budgeting, creative, host preparation, and video editing.

To learn more and experience the Skoll World Forum content, visit https://skoll.org/skoll-world-forum/2021-virtual-forum/

Empire is a leading producer of thought leadership events and virtual events of every kind, and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.

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On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, Empire was proud to produce World Food Program USA’s livestreamed panel discussion entitled Climate Starves: Hunger and the Climate Crisis. This engaging conversation was part of their US Against Hunger series and moderated by award-winning international journalist Femi Oke. The panel featured Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT); Gernot Laganda, Chief of World Food Programme’s Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction; and Laura Melo, World Food Programme Representative in Guatemala.

The virtual panel focused on the U.N. World Food Programme’s work of fighting food insecurity and addressing how climate change impacts hunger. The discussion was livestreamed through a Vimeo player on the World Food Program USA’s website and Facebook page for hundreds of viewers.

Empire worked closely with the World Food Program USA team and served as overall producer of the virtual event, which is the second is a series of four.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind and has been serving not-for-profit organizations for nearly three decades.

On Friday March 5, 2021, Empire was proud to produce World Food Program USA’s livestreamed panel discussion entitled No Woman Left Behind: The Future of Gender Inequity and Hunger. This engaging conversation moderated by award-winning international journalist Femi Oke featured Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan, Chef Tyler Florence and WFP’s Director for the Gender Office, Kawinzi Muiu.

The virtual panel focused on the U.N. World Food Programme’s work of fighting food insecurity and addressing how gender inequality impacts hunger. The discussion was livestreamed through a Vimeo player on the World Food Program USA’s website for hundreds of viewers.

Empire worked closely with the World Food Program USA team and served as overall producer of the virtual event, which is the second is a series of four.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind, and has been serving not-for-profit organizations for nearly three decades.

Empire is keeping up by creating yet another live event, this time partnering with E!. The second weekend of March marked the drive-in premiere screening of the final season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in Los Angeles.

Going out with a bang, the early screening of season 20 of the reigning reality television show hosted hundreds of their biggest fans at the Rose Bowl for a very exciting evening filled with glam, good food, and fun. Never-before-seen messages from Kim & Kris were aired to the very lucky audience before the premiere episode began.

Guest cars entered the event along a runway lined with huge neon gold glowing Ks. At contactless check-in points, guests were given an info flyer with a map and vouchers to pick up their complimentary KUWTK snack & swag kits filled with branded items including a steel wine tumbler, a You’re Doing Amazing Sweetie hat, and Bible mask, as well as other treats like Champagne Rosé gummy bears, popcorn, and water.

After check-in, cars headed to a drive-thru step & repeat where they could get their photos texted to their phone within seconds. Once parked, guests could access the menus of local food trucks brought in specially for the event and place orders via an app which would notify them when their food was ready for pickup.

After settling back in their cars with their snacks, swag, and food, guests played KUWTK trivia with their friends as a slideshow of fun facts from 20 seasons of this iconic show looped on the giant 50' screens.

Compliant with COVID-19 safety precautions and CDC guidelines, the event functioned at safe capacities, proper PPE was enforced, symptom screenings were conducted for staff and guests, ample signage and messaging communicated rules and regulations, bathrooms functioned at half capacity, no congregating was permitted, and COVID-safety leads were staffed on site to ensure all other regulations were successfully maintained throughout the course of the event.

Empire is a leading producer of live, hybrid, and virtual events across the globe. Production practices are held to the highest standards of safety precautions to protect our staff, attendees, and the greater community.

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Empire was honored to work alongside New World Symphony for their 33^rd Anniversary Virtual Gala: Brave New World, producing 25 private Zoom rooms, each with their own custom videos for New World Symphony’s top donors and VIPs in late February 2021.

Every unique program featured performances by premier musical artists, tailored remarks by New World Symphony’s Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Gala Chairs, Judith Rodin and Paul Verkuil, Q&A experiences with special guests, and more.

The hour-long receptions were hosted concurrently during which the global audience enjoyed individualized content, vibrant conversations, and champagne with friends before viewing the World Premiere of a film produced by Maestro Tilson Thomas.

Empire was proud to work with New World Symphony in support of their efforts to keep the arts and entertainment alive before and enduring this pandemic. The premiere film, Anything is Possible, A New World Story, produced by New World Symphony’s Michael Tilson Thomas was available for viewing for 72 hours following the Gala.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and hybrid events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual and hybrid audiences.

Bandai’s “Kamen Rider” remains one of the most popular metaseries in Japan, with annual reincarnations of the insect-motif masked superhero battling supervillains in an action-packed world. On February 10, Bandai crossed over into the fashion world launching “HENSHIN by KAMEN RIDER”, a new clothing line themed on the legendary Tokusatsu franchise.

Bandai, with the help of Empire, was responsible for the brand's online launch with a unique virtual pop-up experience. Using Empire's customizable Virtual Platform, customers were transported to the powerful 3D futuristic world of HENSHIN. With just a click, customers had the ability to move around the digital space and access to immersive promotional videos and limited edition sneakers and fashion line-ups.

Empire’s “Virtual Platform” is a highly immersive virtual space that can be used for any event including from pop-ups, exhibitions, and virtual seminars.

Official website:
https://henshin-k.bandai.co.jp/

Virtual pop-up store:
https://henshin-k.in3sixty.com/

©Ishimori Pro, Toei

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MediaLink and its partners teamed up with Empire to deliver personalized insight experiences to high-level executives virtually attending this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the second week of January 2021.

Empire worked closely with MediaLink to design and build the user-friendly virtual platform to host over 1,000 executives, marketers and media industry professionals alike who look to MediaLink each year to maximize their experience at CES.

The bespoke virtual platform hosted trend sessions, board room meetings, CES-related programming and breakout sessions over the course of the multi-day virtual conference for industry leaders to network and meet.

One of the innovative design features created for this proprietary, branded virtual conference center as a meeting lobby where attendees would show up for pre-scheduled meetings in dedicated spaces, but where a virtual concierge could also place attendees into meetings in real time, curating networking and orchestrating market-making. The MediaLink Hub was also created to allow easy access for registered CES attendees.

Global brand partners tuned in for live programming that featured interactive question & answer capabilities enabling session hosts to field questions from the virtual audience in real time. In breakout sessions, media and brand partners experienced deep-dive panel discussions and engaging presentations on cutting-edge consumer technology, industry trends, and more.

Leading up to and on event days, Empire’s team of producers, creatives, and technical directors managed platform content, media, and livestreams, oversaw sessions, and handled troubleshooting for active attendees.

Empire was thrilled to work with MediaLink and is a proud producer of virtual, hybrid, and live leadership conferences, experiential marketing events, and more.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has tested our modern public health infrastructure like never before. On January 12 - 13, 2021, Schmidt Futures and the Social Science Research Council hosted the Futures Forum on Preparedness to bring together health, science, and policy leaders from across the globe to debut groundbreaking research on the global COVID-19 response, reimagine the future of public health, and generate innovative, interdisciplinary solutions.

The highly informative program included six keynotes, numerous panels, one-on-one conversations with top public health leaders, and remarks by Schmidt Futures co-founders Eric and Wendy Schmidt. Notable speakers included Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization; Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Former President, World Bank Group; Dr. Fareed Zakaria, Host, CNN; U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME); Dr. George Gao, Director-General, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Vivek Murthy, Co-Chair of President-Elect Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board; Former U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Matthew Hepburn, Vaccine Development Lead, Operation Warp Speed, among others.

Working on an accelerated timeline, and entirely remotely, Empire’s team of producers, creatives, and technical directors supported Schmidt Futures and the Social Science Research Council, handling logistics for more than 50 participants from around the world, technical production, and livestream broadcast into a Zoom webinar.

Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative that bets early on exceptional people making the world better. The Social Science Research Council aims to foster innovative research, nurture new generations of social scientists, and mobilize necessary knowledge on important public issues.

Empire is honored to work with Schmidt Futures and support its critical mission.

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On Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020, Empire was proud to partner with Every Mother Counts to produce their LoveEMC benefit. It was a special evening of community and camaraderie in support of EMC’s programs that help improve access to safe and respectful maternity care for every mother, everywhere.

Celebrating EMC’s 10 year anniversary, this virtual event was hosted by NYC’s stand-up comedian, Erin Jackson, with moving remarks by EMC’s CEO and Founder Christy Turlington Burns. It featured special musical performances by Feist, who sang an acoustic version of “Human Touch,” the iconic Patti Smith and her daughter Jesse Paris Smith who sang “Wing,” and all female supergroup, Latin Grammy winners Flor de Toloache with their hits, “Indestructible” and “Our Love.”

In an extraordinarily challenging year, the program featured EMC’s “Delivering Hope” film series which took guests on a journey to understand and honor maternal health heroes from some of the countries where EMC works. It also showed a raw, hard hitting and passionate look at Birth Justice, grounded in the Black Lives Matter uprising of 2020.

From the incredible performances, moving video content and powerful remarks, there were text to pledge moments to solicit donations as well as the launch of their silent auction hosted by Sotheby’s which inspired the audience to give generously.

Empire worked in partnership with EMC to produce the high level, virtual experience, including shaping the run of show, developing original video packages, graphics and animations, recording speakers and performances, editing all content and managing the technical delivery of the livestream.

Empire was honored to work with EMC and support their mission to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere. To learn more and donate to EMC, please visit everymothercounts.org.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual fundraising events.​

On December 14, 2020, Empire was honored to produce The Nutrition for Growth Year of Action Program Launch. The Governments of Canada and Bangladesh, in partnership with Japan and supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, invited the global nutrition community to convene and kick off a year of milestone events to refocus and recommit to good nutrition.

Hosted by Elizabeth Nyamayaro, former United Nations Senior Adviser on Gender Equality, over 20 speakers from 14 countries in both the public and private sectors joined the moderated discussion and presentation to champion nutrition and sustainable development. These thought leaders assembled to represent the diversity of cultures, perspectives, and fields committed to unlocking global progress.

Featured speakers in today’s program included The Honorable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, Canada; The Honorable Zahid Maleque, Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh; Assistant Minister Ono Keiichi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan; Henriette Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF; Mamta Murthi, Vice President for Human Development, The World Bank; Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Joel Spicer, President & CEO, Nutrition International; and Andrew Morley, CEO World Vision International, among others.

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Empire was overjoyed to work with the Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of New York once again to help produce the 75th annual Cardinal’s Christmas Celebration held virtually this holiday season. The evening highlighted their many programs that support underserved women and children over the holidays and throughout each year.

The evening was hosted by Rosanna Scotto, Host, FOX 5 NY News, and featured festive choir performances by Saint Raymond Elementary Junior Choir and Young People's Chorus of New York City; remarks from Catherine Kinney, Luncheon Chair, Cardinal’s Christmas Celebration; Francis La Salla, Corporate Chair, Cardinal’s Christmas Celebration; Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York; and His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; and a heartfelt tribute to the late Mary Higgins Clark, author, philanthropist, and dear friend of Catholic Charities.

Typically, the annual celebration is held as a luncheon chaired by Mary, whose passing this year left many bereft in an already challenging year. Dedicated in Loving Memory, the program included stories about her life and achievements through the lens of her son and daughter, Dave and Patricia Clark. Additional contributions from her granddaughter, Elizabeth Clark, and Former Assistant, Nadine Petry, illustrated Mary’s empathy for the women and children served by Catholic Charities, and the importance of her faith.

Empire wrote, directed, and produced the Mary Higgins Clark tribute video and five other feature videos in addition to the producing the overall gala, including the Saint Raymond Elementary Junior Choir performances; the Catholic Charities Youth Programs Montage, narrated by Philip Dorian, Director of Agency Relations, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York; and the Catholic Charities Good Counsel Homes video, narrated by Christopher Bell, President & Founder, Good Counsel Homes, which featured moving testimonies from three current residents; and Jazmine Cherry, Case Manager, Good Counsel Homes.

The St. Nicholas Project video highlighted Catholic Charities’ work providing resources to recipients in need, which included testimonials from Mr. and Mrs. Esquivel and former recipients and volunteers of the Project, before leading into a text-to-pledge appeal by Jason and James Togba, brothers served by Catholic Charities Alianza Youth Services.

To close this beautiful program, His Eminence read The Birth of Christ as is Luncheon tradition. Students from St. John Chrysostom School reenacted the Christmas Tableau in the emotional feature video while wearing face coverings as the Cardinal narrated, reflecting the severe change in social-norms over the course of this year. The Nativity Scene faded into a closing choir performance of Silent Night, and the program ended with a digital donor scroll and tribute pages.

Empire is a proud event producer of galas and benefits, specializing in virtual and socially distanced on location video production, project management, virtual platform design, and more.

Empire was honored to be selected by New York Public Radio (NYPR) to produce a series of three virtual events to support NYPR’s programming. For the first event, Empire collaborated with NYPR to produce the inaugural Lehrer Prize for Community Well-Being, which was established in honor of Peabody Award-winning host Brian Lehrer for his 30^th anniversary on-air with WNYC.

The Lehrer Prize aims to recognize a standout idea, individual, effort or group that contributed meaningfully to improving the quality of life in the New York City region. During the program, Mr. Lehrer featured three award nominees, each with their remarkable story told through a mini-documentary video followed by a live conversation with Mr. Lehrer through Zoom. The 2020 award nominees included Allison James-Frison, Founder of Girls; Live, Love, Laugh, Inc. which helps girls ages 6 to 16 in the Newark area achieve sustainable health and happiness early on in their lives; Pedro Rodriguez, Executive Director of La Jornada, a food pantry in Queens which scaled up during the pandemic despite the risks to feed 10,000 families per month; and the winner of the Lehrer Prize, Heather Butts, Co-Founder and Executive Director of H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths, whose attention is on the imperative need for wholistic approaches to healthy living, especially focused on young adults 18-21 who’ve grown out of foster care, public schools, and other support systems.

The program was emceed by WQXR host Terrance McKnight and included a special conversation with chef & humanitarian José Andrés, Founder of World Central Kitchen; remarks from Goli Sheikholeslami, President and CEO of New York Public Radio; a musical performance by Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins, President and Founder of Music Kitchen, with Pianist Donna Weng Friedman; and an upbeat “Thank You” montage comprised of video submissions featuring the many faces of show hosts from sister stations WNYC and WQXR radio.

Empire collaborated with NYPR on the production of the program, and scripted and produced the mini-documentary videos highlighting the work of the three award nominees. The mix of pre-recorded and live segments was streamed through NYPR’s studio The Greene Space to a Lehrer Prize event page, designed and built by Empire for the virtual event and hosted on the New York Public Radio website.

Empire is a proud producer of virtual, hybrid, and live programs and fundraisers, thought leadership conferences, experiential marketing events, and more. Click here to make a donation to New York Public Radio.

On December 8th, 2020, the fourth and final episode of the 2020 Unfinished Live digital series streamed live on to an international audience. This final episode focused on the questions of “What is possible now?” “What does a moral nation do?” “Who do we want to be?” “What are you protecting?” and “What's a question that changed your life?” Writer, Artist and Activist Baratunde Thurston again served as host live from Los Angeles.

The audience was invited to contemplate and connect with culture-shapers, impact leaders, changemakers and artists for a fast-paced hour of live segments, dynamic films, showcased lived experience, creative expression, and real-world candor. Through conversations, exchanges and roundtable discussions, experts joined everyday voices in a nuanced exploration of possibility and discovery.

Featured speakers for episode four included Singer, Songwriter & Musician Bruce Springsteen; Black Futures Lab Principal Alicia Garza; Artist, Poet and Chef Precious Okoyomon; Serpentine Galleries Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist; Playwright, Actress & Professor Anna Deavere Smith; Chairman & CEO of Unfinished, Frank McCourt, Creative Producer, Director & ED of Sankofa.org Gina Belafonte; Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer of Unfinished Alison McCauley; Photographer, Artist & Education Worker Bayeté Ross Smith; and President of Unfinished Labs Braxton Woodham.

Unfinished Live has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network to create both the series and the impact platform (see below) including The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Ford Foundation, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown University, MilM2, McCourt and PolicyLink.

Empire is proud to serve as producer of this important series, managing the development and production of each episode as well as the overall project.

About Unfinished

Unfinished ​is an impact network and media platform devoted to the simple idea that if we open our minds and create the space for possibilities, we can advance powerful solutions to the most critical challenges of our time. By tapping into the power of communities, creative media and new technology, we connect thought-leaders, culture-shapers, policy-makers and innovators to provoke ideas, elevate unheard voices and pursue collaborations for greater impact.

To learn more visit: https://unfinished.com/

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On December 14th, 2020, Empire was honored to produce the livestream program for the Greenberg Prize to End Blindness, a joint effort by leading scientists and figures from the worlds of business, politics, culture, art, music and entertainment to rid the world of blindness.

Founded by Sanford and Susan Greenberg, the evening marked the culmination of years of challenging scientific work and celebrated thirteen doctors and researchers for their contributions to permanently and universally eradicate blindness. Their breathtaking advances were spotlighted through a series of powerful videos illustrating their discoveries and innovations as well as their impact both locally and worldwide.

In addition to the Visionary Prize and Outstanding Achievement winners, participants included writer Margaret Atwood; former Vice President of the United States Al Gore; Founder and Chairman of Tishman Speyer Properties Jerry I. Speyer; three-term Mayor of New York City, The Honorable Michael Bloomberg; United States Senator Chris Coons; artist Frank Stella; Nobel Laureate Richard Axel; and Grammy Award-Winners Art Garfunkel and Diane Schuur.

The program also featured a moving tribute to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with footage of Justice Ginsburg reading from Sanford D. Greenberg's memoir, 'Hello Darkness, My Old Friend' and a recitation of remarks Justice Ginsburg was planning to deliver at the event.

Empire is honored to have teamed with executive producer Sanford Greenberg in creating the overall program, shaping the run of show, and writing a moving script, as well as coordinating speakers and talent logistics and managing overall visual design, original video packages, graphics & animations, editing, captioning for all guests, and the technical delivery of the livestream and website.

For this expansive project, Empire and Sanford Greenberg collaborated with various partners including High10 Media, Pressure Creative, Presidential writer Jake Maccoby, and many others.

Empire is a leading content producer of virtual, broadcast and livestream productions as well as distinguished awards & recognition programs.

To learn more visit: https://endblindness2020.com

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Over the course of three days from December 8-10 (EST) / December 9-11 (JST), Empire Japan (Tokyo) and Empire US (LA) had the opportunity to work together with Eurasia Group to produce GZERO Summit. An annual event bringing together top global speakers and business leaders for wide-ranging discussions on the preeminent issues shaping our leaderless GZERO world, for the first time ever in a fully remote, online format.

Over 1,500 participants registered for the event to listen to panel and roundtable discussions on a wide range of topics including how COVID-19 has drastically changed the state of the world. Special guests from Japan included Hiroshi Kajiyama, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Taro Kono, Minister in Charge of Administrative Reform; and Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of State for Economic Revitalization. From abroad illustrious names such as Eric Schmidt, Former CEO & Executive Chairman, Google; Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources, Canada; and Kevin Rudd, 26th Prime Minister of Australia, graced us with their presence during the live event.

Empire teams worked with Eurasia Group to identify and customize the event platform, manage registration, FAQ and Zen desk, speaker advance, video production in Tokyo and production of all panel discussions live our in-house LA Studio. This ambitious gathering of more than 60 speakers, over the course of three days across eight separate sessions was a huge success.

To learn more, visit: https://www.gzerosummit.com

As the business environment has changed, companies are being forced to rethink the way they are organized. How do we reconnect with our customers, partners, employees, and communities in this new way of life? On December 9 - 11, 2020, Salesforce.com hosted a virtual conference entitled “Salesforce Live” to address these issues and more.

This virtual conference offered discussions and opportunities about the future of business and introduced case studies of leading companies that are transforming their businesses and organizations.

Empire worked closely with Salesforce to develop and produce the opening session of the virtual conference. Using a motion tracking system to link a CG space in real time, Empire created a virtual national park where Shinichi Koide, Chairman, President & CEO Salesforce Japan, gave his welcoming speech.

Empire was responsible for the overall CG production, directing, filming and editing. We are proud to have worked with Salesforce once again and continue to act as a leader in producing virtual events.​

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On November 12, 2020, Empire had the opportunity to work together with Slack to produce “Slack Tour Japan Online”. With over 3,000 registered attendees, this online conference introduced new ways of working with their communication platform and explored the latest in digital transformation.

Slack CEO and co-founder Stewart Butterfield, along with Slack CPO Tamar Yehoshua, led the opening session followed by a keynote by Seiji Sasaki, President of Slack Japan. Other sessions spotlighted special guest speakers who provided tips on how to work remotely, transform their organizations, and increase productivity.

The highlight of the online event was the sponsor information hub, where participants experienced the collaboration between Slack and partner companies' services and solutions in a 3D space.

Empire was responsible for the overall planning, design, content distribution, production of the sponsor information hub and online communication platform.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

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This year Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes company, and the global leader in the digital transformation of life sciences, chose to take their annual NEXT user conference virtual and global, welcoming more than 2,500 attendees in 2020.

The 3-day program featured 15 keynotes and over 50 breakout sessions & panel discussions across four distinct tracks, one of which highlighted the customer experience and insights in COVID-19 clinical trials. Speakers included Dassault Systèmes Vice Chairman and CEO Bernard Charles, Medidata’s co-CEO and Co-founder Glen de Vries, and Former Commissioner of the FDA, Scott Gottlieb.

Empire was tasked with coordinating, recording, editing, packaging, and streaming all 65+ sessions, as well as building out graphics packages for each session type.

Empire also worked with Medidata’s Global Marketing teams to bring the Medidata brand to life on a 2-dimensional platform. The virtual “Innovation Lounge” was created for attendees to connect and network with sponsors and Medidata sales & customer support teams. The site also featured a customized theater for Medidata’s Japanese audience with translations and live discussions.

Empire is proud to collaborate with Medidata on this annual, top-tier business event.

To learn more about Medidata NEXT please visit: medidata.com/en/events/medidata-next

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On November 24th, 2020, the third of four episodes of the Unfinished Live digital series streamed live on the web to an international audience. This episode focused on technology and humanity and asked the fundamental question “Is technology driving progress or chaos?”

Writer, Artist and Activist, Baratunde Thurston, again served as host live from Los Angeles and explored the topic with a cast of technologists, impact leaders, changemakers, artists and the the viewers.

The audience was guided through a fast-paced hour of live segments, dynamic films and provoking performances to showcase lived experience, creative expression, and real-world candor. Through conversations, exchanges and roundtable discussions, experts joined everyday voices in a nuanced exploration of possibility and discovery.

From the tech industry to public policy to the technology itself, episode three included; 2020 Presidential candidate and Founder of Humanity Forward, Andrew Yang; Host or the TED Radio Hour at NPR, Manoush Zomorodi; Co-founder & President of the Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris; Axios Chief Technology Correspondent, Ina Fried; President, Color Of Change, Rashad Robinson; Artist & Senior Technical Training Specialist, Contentful Amelia Winger-Bearskin; Co-founder & Co-director of the AI Now Institute, NYU, Meredith Whittaker; Political activist & Founding Member of Pussy Riot, Nadya Tolokonnikova; Executive Director, Aspen Digital, Aspen Institute Vivian Schiller, Professor and Director, Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, Gil Weinberg; Founder, Code for America Jennifer Pahlka; Artist & Filmmaker, Lynn Hershman Leeson; CEO of Genetic Alliance, Sharon Terry and Shimon the Robot.

Unfinished Live has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network to create both the series and the impact platform (see below) including The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown, MilM2, McCourt and PolicyLink.

Empire is proud to serve as producer of this important series, managing the development and production of each episode as well as the overall project.

About Unfinished

Unfinished ​is an impact network and media platform devoted to the simple idea that if we open our minds and create the space for possibilities, we can advance powerful solutions to the most critical challenges of our time. By tapping into the power of communities, creative media and new technology, we connect thought-leaders, culture-shapers, policy-makers and innovators to provoke ideas, elevate unheard voices and pursue collaborations for greater impact.

To learn more and to RSVP for an upcoming episode visit: https://unfinished.com/​

In early November 2020, Empire made it snow in two cities for advance drive-in screenings of the series premiere of Bravo’s highly anticipated The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Held just two days apart, each event featured real snow and a huge glowing marquee sign at the entrance where VIP guests, press, and close to a thousand fans queued to enter the pop-up drive-in theaters.

The consecutive drive-ins were held on November 5^th in Los Angeles on a grass lawn outside the Rose Bowl and presented by AT&T, then on November 7^th in downtown Salt Lake City across from the Vivint Smart Home Arena and presented by Dish. All attendees were treated to complementary Bravo snack boxes filled with multiple flavors of popcorn, candy, a beverage, and a branded face mask. As an added bonus, each event featured a drive-up photo booth experience for sharing snaps instantly on social media, #RHOSLC.

The Salt Lake City screening was attended by many of the hometown Housewives themselves including Jen Shah, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow, and Whitney Rose, who brought along their own entourages (aka party squads) for the big premiere event.

An après ski theme was featured throughout the event from the big entry statement to the photo booths and screen content with prop skis, snow-capped mountains, and giant snowflakes.

Both attendees and staff were kept safe with strict social distancing measures and mask-wearing in place from load-in to load-out and enforced by security personnel. Covid-19 Safety Guidelines were also communicated to all attendees during online registration, follow-up emails, and via onsite event signage and pre-show screen content.

Empire had so much fun creating these drive-in premiere screening events and is a proud producer of live and virtual events in accordance with Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols and Guidelines.

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Empire was honored to work with The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to successfully translate their annual meeting and gala into a virtual version — a recalibrated event commemorating the Bulletin’s 75th anniversary.

The event was truly a unique and interactive virtual experience that allowed guests to engage with the Bulletin’s global audience of thought leaders. Through carefully curated “virtual tables,” leading experts in the fields of nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies hosted intimate conversations throughout the evening: one during the virtual dinner course, and another over a virtual dessert.

In addition to the intimate “table” style conversations, the event included speakers and an audience from around the world including South Korea, Israel, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and elsewhere.

Program remarks were delivered from the Bulletin’s President, Rachel Bronson, keynote speaker, Yoriko Kawaguchi, Rieser Award recipient Haven Coleman, co-author of "Adults Won’t Take Climate Change Seriously. So We, the Youth, are Forced to Strike", and Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown. The Bulletin community gathered to toast the Bulletin’s 75th anniversary with a special message from William J. Perry who served in the Clinton administration as the 19th Secretary of Defense for the United States.

Table experts included Award-winning journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author Lesley Blume, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Beatrice Fihn,

George Church, the Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer of today’s "Genomic Era"; Lynn Eden, a senior research scholar (Emeritus) at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation; Laura Holgate, vice president of materials risk management at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and Asha George, the executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, where she plays a leading role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining directly from Australia was the Honorable Gareth Evans, a distinguished honorary professor at the Australian National University.

To learn more and to support the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists vital mission of equipping the public, policymakers, and scientists with the information needed to reduce man-made threats to our existence, while at the same time elevating the role of science in the formation of public policy, visit https://thebulletin.org/

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

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On November 10th, 2020, the second of four episodes of the Unfinished Live digital series streamed live on the web to an international audience. Focused on big societal issues and how conversations can lead to impact and positive change, Unfinished Live is a new kind of intelligent digital programming that combines storytelling and content with live audience interactivity and calls to action.

One week after the U.S. presidential election, the second episode topic was Democracy and Voice and examined the urgent questions about the future of democracy.

Writer, Artist and Activist, Baratunde Thurston, served as host guiding the audience through a fast-paced hour of insight discussions, films, and artistic commissions that invited the audience to participate and ask how do we citizen?

Bringing together a wide range of disparate voices and perspectives, episode two included artists Yo-Yo Ma, Carrie Mae Weems, Alfredo Jaar and Hank Willis Thomas, Artist & Co-Founder of For Freedoms; the preacher, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Co-Chair, Poor People's Campaign; Architect, Forward Together Moral Monday Movement, the innovators, Eric Liu, CEO & Co-Founder, Citizen University, Krista Tippett, Host and Creator, On Being and David Bornstein, Journalist, Author & Co-Founder, Solutions Journalism Network; the academics, Kristen Soltis Anderson, Author, Speaker, Commentator & Co-Founder, Echelon Insights, Arthur Brooks, Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School & Arthur C. Patterson Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School.

The program consisted of live host segments, dynamic films and thought provoking performances to showcase lived experience, creative expression and real-world candor. Each conversation reminded us: Who is the “we” in ‘we the people?’ What do we owe each other? When can the healing start? Where do we go from here? What is the democracy of the future? Through conversations, interviews, exchanges and roundtable discussions, experts joined everyday voices in a nuanced exploration of possibility and discovery on the episode’s topic.

Unfinished Live has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network to create both the series and the impact platform (see below) including The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown, MilM2, McCourt and PolicyLink.

Empire is proud to serve as producer of this important series, managing the development and production of each episode as well as the overall project.

About Unfinished

Unfinished ​is an impact network and media platform devoted to the simple idea that if we open our minds and create the space for possibilities, we can advance powerful solutions to the most critical challenges of our time. By tapping into the power of communities, creative media and new technology, we connect thought-leaders, culture-shapers, policy-makers and innovators to provoke ideas, elevate unheard voices and pursue collaborations for greater impact.

To learn more and to RSVP for an upcoming episode visit: https://unfinished.com/

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Empire was proud to partner with BOMB Magazine to produce their 39^th Anniversary Virtual Gala on October 2nd, 2020. The program was livestreamed directly to BOMB’s website and focused on emphasizing BOMB’s theme, The Artist’s Voice, bringing together the close community that BOMB has supported during their 39 years.

BOMB Magazine’s gala featured artists and collaborators previously interviewed or featured in their magazine editions. Empire worked closely with BOMB to develop and produce an original pre-recorded video production and run of show for the program. It featured remarks and performances by Betsy Sussler, BOMB’s Editor in Chief, Jibz Cameron aka Dynasty Handbag, Wallace Shawn, Deborah Eisenberg, Claudia Rankine, Eric Bogosian, Rowan Ricardo Phillips and many more. Artists like Katherine Bernhardt, Kenny Scharf, Dindga McCannon and Lee Quinones showcased some of their art pieces for auction on Artsy, while contributors like Frederic Tuten, Jonathan Lethem, Linda Goode Bryant and Monica De le Torre participated in a fun zoom call together recounting their incredible experiences with BOMB over the years.

The show honored Rachel Harrison, Henry Taylor and Lawrence Weiner with a toast to Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi, and a highlight performance from Rufus Wainwright of “Only the People That Love".

Empire Entertainment is honored to have the opportunity to work with BOMB Magazine to help fundraise and support their message especially during these unprecedented times. https://bombmagazine.org/

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Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) celebrated its annual Crown Awards virtually this year. Empire was honored to produce the first-ever virtual benefit program dedicated to honoring Columbia’s front line heroes who valiantly responded to the COVID-19 pandemic: doctors, nurses, physicians, researchers, administrative and support staff.

The evening program was hosted by VP&S alumna and ABC News Chief Health and Medical Correspondent, Dr. Jennifer Ashton. It also featured remarks by Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, Dr. Steven M. Corwin, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, and included contributions from Dr. P. Roy Vagelos and Mrs. Diana Vagelos expressing thanks to the partners, friends, and supporters of Columbia.

Accepting the 2020 Crown Award was Dean Emeritus of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine (VP&S) and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Dr. Lee Goldman, whose leadership was transformational for the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The award paying tribute to his 14-year tenure was presented by Anil K. Rustgi, Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine; and Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC).

The program also featured musical performances by VP&S students. Brian Stokes Mitchell and his pianist, Tedd Firth, closed the night with songs such as “The Wheels of a Dream,” “Feeling Good,” and “The Quest” to highlight the evening’s uplifting theme and occasion.

Empire worked closely with the Columbia team to create the overall event, implement design and run of show, coordinate and record all speakers and talent (safely in-person and remote), and oversee the technical production and livestream.

Empire also created the microsite with elegant textures to host the livestream. The site featured a colorful, clean format with digital program and donate link above the program player window.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual awards ceremonies and fundraisers, special feature video productions, and more. We are proud to support Columbia’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

To learn more and donate, please visit ColumbiaCrownAwards.org

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Shibuya is known for its epic (and often rowdy) Halloweens, when hordes of costume-clad revelers flock to the area around the world famous Scramble Crossing. This year, in order to allow for a safer and more socially distanced Halloween, Empire co-produced the “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Festival” from October 26-31.

Taking place on the “Virtual Shibuya” platform, authorized by Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward under the slogan #StayVirtual, Tokyo’s famous high streets of Shibuya were transformed into a Halloween entertainment showcase. The use of 5G and the latest cutting-edge technology connected the real Shibuya to a virtual space, combining digital and real worlds into an immersive experience.

Viewers tuning into “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Fes” with their own avatars had a chance to experience a variety of online events: a mystery-themed game with the virtual mayor of Shibuya, “HACHIKO”, designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, a virtual costume contest, shopping for limited edition goods and more.

Additionally the stage hosted performances and talk shows from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kento Mori, BiSH, Rinne, Nulbarich, international DJs; Ellen Alien (Berlin), Surgeon (Birmingham), Dasha Rush (Berlin), Ken Ishii and collaborations with NHK's Bit World, KidZania and Netflix. “Virtual Shibuya au 5G Halloween Fes” hosted over 400,000 viewers from all over the world.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual, digital and hybrid events. Please contact us for more information on Virtual and IRL Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

Official Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSA9H_TGgAQC6ANogSiNa5Q

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On October 27th, 2020, the first of four episodes of the Unfinished Live digital series streamed live on the web, YouTube and NowThis to an international audience. Focused on big societal issues and how conversations can lead to impact and positive change, Unfinished Live is a new kind of intelligent digital programming that combines storytelling and content with live audience interactivity and calls to action. The topic of the first of these groundbreaking episodes was Economy & Justice.

Writer, Artist and Activist Baratunde Thurston serves as host of the series, guiding the audience through a fast-paced hour of insight discussions, films, and artistic commissions that invite the audience to participate and imagine ​what’s possible now.

The first episode explored questions including whether capitalism is working for us all and whether we can reimagine a better economy together. Bringing together a wide range of disparate voices and perspectives, the first episode featured ideas and artistic contributions by documentary photographer, Aaron Huey, Founder & CEO of Coalfield Development, Brandon Dennison, Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary Julián Castro, Ford Foundation President, Darren Walker, JUST Capital CEO, Martin Whittaker, Filmmaker Abigail Disney, New York Times writer, David Leonhardt, Executive Director & Co-Founder of GreenWave, Bren Smith, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman as well as workers, activists, small business owners and social innovators.

The program consists of live host segments, dynamic films and thought provoking performances to showcase lived experience, creative expression and real-world candor. Through conversations, interviews, exchanges and roundtable discussions, experts join everyday voices in a nuanced exploration of possibility and discovery on each episode’s topic.

Unfinished Live has partnered with an unparalleled, impact-driven partner network to create both the series and the impact platform (see below) including The Aspen Institute, The Shed, For Freedoms, Imperative 21, Ashoka, Georgetown, MilM2, and PolicyLink.

Empire is proud to serve as producer of this important series, managing the development and production of each episode as well as the overall project.

About Unfinished Live

Unfinished ​is an impact network and media platform devoted to the simple idea that if we open our minds and create the space for possibilities, we can advance powerful solutions to the most critical challenges of our time. By tapping into the power of communities, creative media and new technology, we connect thought-leaders, culture-shapers, policy-makers and innovators to provoke ideas, elevate unheard voices and pursue collaborations for greater impact.

To learn more and to RSVP for an upcoming episode visit: https://unfinished.com/

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On October 21, 2020, Tradeweb Markets hosted a virtual event entitled Trading Through the Noise: Data Insights on the U.S. Election featuring FiveThirtyEight.com Founder and renowned election statistician, Nate Silver, moderated by CNBC Senior Analyst & Commentator Ron Insana.

The virtual event offered Tradeweb’s global clients a fast-paced discussion on how to make insightful, data-driven decisions during the uncertainty of this year’s U.S. Presidential election.

Tradeweb CEO Lee Olesky and President Billy Hult welcomed the audience, set the stage, and introduced the speakers. Next, Ron Insana outlined the context of the financial markets and the stakes of trading decisions in the uncertain political environment.

Silver shared insights into the election and its possible outcomes drawn from his research and polling assessments. Ron and Nate then engaged in a lively discussion on what we can expect to see now, during the election and in the immediate aftermath. Tradeweb’s audience had the opportunity to ask their questions directly to them.

The event was designed to help Tradeweb’s clients navigate the fourth quarter of 2020 given the information overload and partisan noise surrounding the presidential election and to provide valuable insights from those with unique perspective. The event focused on evaluating empirical data and key economic and market indicators through a range of election outcomes — including two starkly different candidates representing substantially different economic approaches.

Following the main event, a small group of VIP guests moved to a separate virtual space for a more intimate discussion with Nate, Ron, Lee and Billy.

Empire worked closely with the Tradeweb Markets team and served as overall producer of the virtual event, responsible for securing the guest speakers, developing the content and topics, producing the visual design and screen content and managing the technical production. The entire production was conceptualized, designed and produced in less than three weeks.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events of every kind and has been serving the global financial services industry for nearly three decades with thought leadership content.

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ArchCare’s first ever Virtual Gala, hosted by Rosanna Scotto, Co-host of FOX 5’s Good Day New York, was livestreamed on October 22, 2020, to a custom-designed event microsite.

The entirely original virtual program featured His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Scott LaRue, President & CEO of ArchCare; tributes from comedian Jim Gaffigan & his wife Jeannie; Tino Martinez; Mike Piazza; Nicole Henry, and more.

The evening celebrated ArchCare’s Healthcare Heroes and the challenges they faced throughout the past seven months of Covid-19. Their efforts were spotlighted through a series of powerful video vignettes illustrating the everyday lives and motivations of a few of the incredibly heroic individuals working at each of ArchCare’s programs including Managed Care, Home Care, Nursing Homes, Specialty Hospital, and PACE Centers.

Before the program began, guests joined the microsite to preview the evening’s agenda below the video player window and view the donor scroll. The evening opened with a welcome video and invocation by Monsignor Joseph P. LaMorte followed by the ArchCare Gala’s traditional performance of “God Bless America” - sung by the New York Tenors.

The program of speakers and videos highlighted Healthcare Heroes’ tireless efforts and honorable commitment to helping the most vulnerable populations in extremely dangerous and uncertain times. ArchCare’s administrative departments supported frontline workers and volunteers forging an inspiring motto, “you be there for them, and we’ll be there for you.”

For the text-to-pledge moment to solicit donations, a moving performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” by the New York Tenors paired with onscreen visuals and donor recognition inspired the live audience to give generously.

ArchCare recognized Quest Diagnostics for its partnership before the evening was closed with a spirited sing-along video compilation to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles, performed by Sing for Your Seniors.

CMI Event Planning + Fundraising is a longtime producer of ArchCare’s in-person Gala. This year, CMI and Empire worked in partnership to produce the high-level, virtual event ArchCare needed. Empire worked with ArchCare and CMI to develop and produce the entire program including shaping the run of show, writing a moving script, producing original video packages and graphics / animations, editing all content and managing the technical delivery of the livestream and microsite.

Empire Entertainment was honored to work with ArchCare and help support their work.

Empire is a leading producer of highly effective virtual fundraising events.

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On October 17, 2020, Empire was honored to produce the Center for Hearing and Communication’s Virtual Gala, “Communication Without Limits.” This inspirational lineup of speakers and entertainment helped raise money to provide comprehensive services to those affected by hearing loss, deafness, or listening challenges.

The Gala honored Alex Lacamoire, award winning music director, arranger, orchestrator and composer best known for his work on Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights. Actor, singer, and songwriter Joey McIntyre emceed the program, sharing a personal story about his son who was born with a hearing loss and the way CHC transforms the lives of so many families like his who are coping with the challenges of hearing loss.

Heather Baker, CHC board member and recipient of CHC’s services, shared a personal and moving story of how CHC impacted her life, while CK Swett, the auctioneer encouraged all to donate throughout the night raising over $700,000 to date! Other highlights include hearing health messages from ABC Anchor, Bill Ritter; actors Richard Kind and Kassie DePaiva; Grammy award-winning trumpeter, Chris Botti; singer Caroline Vreeland and NBC Weather Anchor, David Price. The CHC kids sang a special tribute of Hamilton’s “My Shot” and held a fun and inspirational Zoom call with Alex and CHC kids, where they shared their experiences and celebrated their limitless abilities.

There were special appearances by Hamilton cast and crew, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbueler, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kurt Crowley, Lin - Manuel Miranda and others with surprise messages for Alex, and performances by ELEW and a beautiful finale of Alex and Joey singing “You Will Be Found,” from Dear Evan Hansen.

Empire worked closely with the CHC team to create the overall event and run of show, video packages, oversaw technical production and livestream, speaker and talent logistics and facilitated captioning and interpreting for all guests.

Empire is a leading producer of fundraising virtual galas and proud to support the Center for Hearing and Communication in their commitment to improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss and auditory and listening challenges.

To learn more and donate to the Center for Hearing and Communication, please visit chchearing.org/

​Thanks to Longchamp, Pokémon GO, the famous AR video game, will be taking up residence in the French capital. The French luxury brand launched a whole collection featuring Pikachu, arguably one of the world’s most iconic animated characters. Prior to its worldwide release, Longchamp Japan called upon Empire to help design and execute the perfect pop-up experience.

Located at the Longchamp La Maison Omotesando, guests were greeted with an original Longchamp x Pokemon face masks and an adult size statue of Pikachu. From floor to ceiling guests were surrounded by all things Pokemon.

The collection, the “LE PLIAGE® CUIR POKÉMON" and “LE PLIAGE® COLLECTION POKÉMON, includes bags and small accessories in the black and white LGP canvas and embossed leather. The Longchamp x Pokemon collection released internationally on October 14 and available for advance purchase from October 9 in Japan at the Longchamp La Maison Omotesando and Ginza locations as well as Longchamp Japan’s online store.

Empire was tasked with the planning and the overall production to ensure a smooth event from start to finish. We are proud to once again work with Longchamp and continue to act as a leader in producing global fashion brand events.

Longchamp x Pokémon https://www.longchamp.com/jp/ja/longchamp-pokemon/

Official Online Store https://www.longchamp.com/jp/ja

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Empire was honored to work with Carnegie Hall on their Opening Night of the 130th Anniversary Season: A Virtual Gala. Empire provided private Zoom rooms for Carnegie Hall’s Gala Committee members, each with their own custom videos featuring performances by premier artists. Empire is honored to work with Carnegie Hall and support their efforts to keep the arts and entertainment alive during this pandemic.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

Empire produced The Korea Society’s 2020 Annual Gala, which was presented virtually for the first time to its members and sponsors. The event was hosted by Juju Chang, co-anchor of ABC News Nightline, on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. It celebrated the alliance between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the U.S.A. with a special keynote speech by South Korea’s President, Moon Jae-in and remarks by the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Harry Harris.

The program included remarks from Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Board Chair of The Korea Society, and Tom Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society. Three feature videos were produced including a highlight of The Korea Society’s past activities and achievements, a commemoration of the Korean War and honoring its veterans, and a recognition of Korean culture’s influence on the global stage. The Korea Society presented the Van Fleet Award to honor contributions that strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance in the sectors of security, economy, and culture.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, The Korea Society presented the Van Fleet Award to the U.S. Korean War veterans, honoring their contribution and sacrifice to strengthen the defense alliance between the U.S. and ROK. Ambassador Chang Won-Sam, Consulate General of the ROK in New York, presented the award to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, former U.S. Congressman, who accepted the award on behalf of all U.S. Korean War veterans. General (Ret.) Walter “Skip” Sharp, former UNC/CFC/USFK Commander, presented the award to Mr. Salvatore Scarlato, President of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), who accepted it on behalf of KWVA.

The Korea Society also recognized the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) as a Van Fleet Award recipient to acknowledge its commitment in enhancing cooperation between American and Korean business communities. Hon. Mark Lippert, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, presented the awards to Yongmaan Park, Chairman of KCCI, who accepted it on behalf of the organization.

The global superstars BTS received the final Van Fleet Award for their contribution to strengthening cultural ties between Korea and the U.S. with an inspirational acceptance speech focused on the universal language of love and their desire to communicate messages of unity through music.

The virtual gala concluded with an invite-only VIP Reception, which took place across four virtual rooms on Zoom. Each room held a lively panel discussion exploring carefully curated topics around diplomacy, trade, soft power, and security. The panels were moderated by The Korea Society’s Board members and guests in attendance had the opportunity to participate in a brief Q&A session.

Empire is honored to have worked with The Korea Society, all featured guests, and attendees who have made valuable contributions to the ROK and U.S. relationship. Highlights of the program can be seen here.

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As part of National Vote Early Day, on October 24, 2020, ten days before the U. S. Presidential election, Climate Reality Project, EARTHDAY.org, and Hip Hop Caucus teamed up with Empire to produce a livestream program on Twitch, entitled Your Vote, Your World to encourage young people from coast to coast to participate in the democratic process.

The program featured Al Gore, Don Cheadle, Stacey Abrams, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Thomas Middleditch, Kal Penn, Questlove, Mark Ronson, Shepard Fairey, Jonathan & Drew Scott, and Lil Dicky as well as musical performances by Dave Matthews and Ozomatli.

The two hour long, audience interactive program included an enlightening interview of Al Gore by the 15-year-old youth leader and climate activist, Alexandria Villaseñor, as well as 10 questions asked to Al Gore by powerful voices like Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, Calum Worthy, and representatives from NAACP.

The program also featured a performance by the cast of Hamilton from Michelle Obama’s organization When We All Vote. Other organizations participating included OneUpAction, Plus1Campaign, Voto Latino, American Public Health Association, Broadway Green Alliance, and student organizers from colleges around the country who submitted videos encouraging their peers to vote. In bringing together all of these diverse voices and organizations, Your Vote, Your World demonstrated the importance of voting in a fun and accessible way.

The program was livestreamed on Amazon Music’s Twitch account, and this feed was streamed through the event’s microsite and the organizations’ social media accounts, as well.

Hosted by Adesina Sanchez and Danni Washington, the show was engaging in its messaging and calls to action with a lot of interaction with viewers in the chat feature. Throughout the two-hour livestream, viewers tuned in from approximately 30 states and 10 countries with thousands of live viewers across Twitch, and the various partner organization’s social media feeds. Across all platforms, the program has amassed over 350,000 views. You can view the teaser video here.

As overall producer, Empire developed the run of show, created a youth-oriented script with social impact leader, Terry Torok. Jonathan Hutchinson produced original video packages and graphics, and edited together the various video submissions from celebrities, political leaders, college organizers, and partner organizations.

Empire is honored to have worked with the Climate Reality Project, EARTHDAY.org, and Hip Hop Caucus to support the important work they do, especially during this significant moment in history.

Empire is a leading content producer of virtual, broadcast and livestream productions.

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On September 29, 2020, Empire produced a day-long virtual conference for GoDaddy users. Over 11,000 people registered for the free conference to hear about what GoDaddy is doing to help entrepreneurs with their web presence. CEO Aman Bhutani led off the morning plenary, with special guest, Radio Personality and Author Guy Raz wrapping the session. Guy also came back for the closing session to take live questions from the attendees. In between the two plenaries, there were working sessions with GoDaddy engineers and partner organizations talking about best practices for online sales. There also were chat lounges, speaker directories and a place to sign up with one-on-one sessions with a GoDaddy Guide for personalized assistance.

Empire worked with GoDaddy to structure the event, build the registration and event site to their specifications, and produce the event using several studios. Support kits were sent to the speakers, including ring lights, microphones, headphones, cameras, custom printed fabric backdrops and laser-cut acrylic logos.

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With the help of Empire, Suntory's SIPSMITH held the “SIPSMITH Founders Seminar” as a virtual online event on September 16th, 2020.

The virtual seminars took place in Japan and London, where SIPSMITH founders conducted product demonstrations, distillery tours and a Q&A session for Japanese bartenders.

Also included in the program was a fun and creative section where our Japanese bartenders presented their own original SIPSMITH's cocktails.

Empire was responsible for the planning and management of the video & communications system, direction and session facilitation.

SIPSMITH: https://www.suntory.co.jp/wnb/sipsmith/

Swan Lab: https://swanlab.jp/

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On September 24 & 25, 2020, Empire produced a two-day virtual leadership retreat for Dartmouth College’s Call to Lead Campaign.

The series of virtual plenary discussions, workshops and activities were designed to steward, educate and motivate Dartmouth’s most active Campaign volunteers to continue their good work and keep up momentum at a challenging time for philanthropy. The event was hosted by Dartmouth’s Call to Lead Campaign Executive Committee and was intended to sharpen focus and accelerate activity in the Call to Lead campaign’s 7th year, as well as facilitate the move to digital engagement for the majority of the year ahead.

The Leadership Retreat began with a plenary discussion of what is at stake for higher education in these unprecedent times. Dartmouth College President Phillip J. Hanlon and Laurel Richie, Chair of Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees outlined Dartmouth's plans to proceed with purpose, empathy, and a heightened sense of possibility. Key members of the College’s leadership, board of trustees, and volunteers were then invited to actively participate in smaller, more intimate customized workshop sessions across areas of the virtual event platform.

Leveraging the unique capabilities of virtual event technologies to provide new and powerful opportunities for connecting and interacting, building community and celebrating, Empire created a fully custom, visually rich virtual event center, modeled on Dartmouth Hall, that incorporated a variety of virtual tools including a robust speaker directory, customized attendee profile pages, and a “Leadership Library” filled with resources that allowed Dartmouth College to plan, promote and execute the Leadership Retreat as a launch pad for future virtual events.

The virtual event platform, Virtual Dartmouth Hall, will serve as a facility for Dartmouth Advancement to conduct engagement events for Dartmouth’s Global Alumni, Volunteers, Senior Leadership, Administration, Faculty, Staff and Students, facilitating their ability to efficiently and effectively convene various Dartmouth cohorts for a multitude of purposes on one easily-accessible online platform.

The designed and branded platform will serve as a hub for alumni resources that can provide the ability to search an alumni directory, event attendee bios, content from a collection of multimedia digital resources and more.

Building on Dartmouth traditions and values, this virtual space represents the rising of a new building and dimension to Dartmouth life.

The Empire team worked closely with Dartmouth College in every aspect to curate the overall event, the virtual event platform, develop Run of Show, and handled logistics for all speakers and college leadership.

To see all of the above moments and more, visit this page https://vimeo.com/467823801/60f355f448​

Empire produced the inaugural Catholic Charities Virtual Gala hosted by Lynda Baquero, NBC 4, New York, to engage and thank supporters from the greater New York area. Empire worked alongside Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of New York to develop and produce a heart-warming script, original video production and run of show for the program which featured His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities; and Eugene McQuade, Catholic Charities Board of Trustees Chairman.

The program was livestreamed on an elegant microsite with a royal and scintillant theme at 7pm ET and offered moving video features emphasizing messages of giving help and creating hope that underscored the incredible efforts and tireless work put in by volunteers and members of Catholic Charities New York to support underserved communities throughout New York.

Highlighting community and youth services, the evening incorporated testimonials and interviews from program directors, volunteers, youth and family advocates, the stories of those impacted by the organization’s work, and imagery from community centers and emergency food programs.

Catholic Charities has served communities in need for over a century, providing vital services to help New York’s most vulnerable, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Monsignor Kevin Sullivan has directed the organization through the attacks on 9/11, through Super Storm Sandy, and now through the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s gala also focused on programs like Feeding Our Neighbors, providing nearly 900,000 meals to those in need since March through a wide network of pop-up food pantries aiding communities with food and even cash assistance throughout the pandemic.

Empire Entertainment is honored to work with Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of New York to help support the vital work they do, especially during these unprecedented times.

View the full livestream here: https://catholiccharitiesgala2020.org

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In September of 2020, the MIT Solve team took the Solve Challenge Finals virtual in order to continue their mission of supporting innovators solving global issues in each of their communities. Empire was inspired to work alongside MIT Solve to help produce such an important program.

Hosted by Hala Hanna, Managing Director, Community, MIT Solve, this year’s Solve Challenge Finals were held virtually on the Hopin platform, enabling guests to view programming on the main stage, host concurrent breakout sessions for working group discussions, browse information on Solver solutions, network, and more.

Programming throughout the day included a presentation by Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Co-Founder and CEO, Center for Policing Equity on the tragic case and death of Breonna Taylor, fireside chats featuring Harry D. Moseley, Global Chief Information Officer, Zoom Video Communications and Jessica Hubley, Founder & CEO, AnnieCannons discussing the pressing issue of equal opportunity in remote settings, performances by Madame Gandhi, Artist and Activist, and more.

The closing plenary was livestreamed to the Solve website and social media platforms drawing an audience of nearly 13,000 intellectuals from around the globe. The event featured special remarks by Alex Amouyel, Executive Director at MIT Solve and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.

Finalists were chosen from over 2,000 solutions submitted for the 2020 Global Challenges, offering the selected class of 2020 Solver teams and Indigenous Communities Fellows over $2 million in prize funding.

Sponsors included Patrick J McGovern Foundation, General Motors, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Morgridge Family Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal, Vodafone Americas Foundation, The Elevate Prize, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and more.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital conferences. Please contact us for more information on Virtual Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

A fully virtual Enactus World Cup 2020 took place on September 8-11 and featured the projects of 72,000 Enactus students worldwide who, despite being displaced from their campuses by COVID-19, continued their work to create positive impact through newly founded social enterprises. This annual experience features Enactus student enterprises launched to drive positive impact and provides opportunities for this next generation of leaders to have direct dialogue with esteemed global thought leaders to advance their learning and inspire their action.

“The work of Enactus nextgen leaders has always been important, but never more so than right now,” said Rachael Jarosh, President and CEO of Enactus. “This is a time for leadership, at all levels. That’s why Enactus is deeply honored to welcome so many purpose-driven leaders to Enactus World Cup 2020. Together, we are advancing awareness, leadership and work of the next generation—and inspiring greater action along the way.”

Enactus World Cup 2020 programming includes IMAGINE founder and former Unilever CEO Paul Polman; political scientist, author, and host of GZERO World, Ian Bremmer; the CEO of XPrize, Anousheh Ansari; and the founder of The Deepak Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, Deepak Chopra. These esteemed panelists and business leaders addressed pressing issues including COVID-19 and the impact of the pandemic on progress toward climate change, oceans, the future of education and work, rethinking plastics and the action needed to further advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The event was supported by presenting sponsor (since 2012), KPMG; Enactus impact partners Ford Motor Company and the Ford Fund, and Unilever; and Enactus innovation partners Advantage Solutions, AIG, Bellisio Foods, BIC, Harmony, the John Dobson Foundation and DSM.

Enactus is the largest experiential learning platform dedicated to creating a better world while developing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders and social innovators. A network of global business, academic and student leaders unified by a vision to create a better, more sustainable world, the organization also provides a platform for next gen leaders to develop leadership skills while working with leading companies worldwide. In 2019, Enactus projects impacted 2.9 million lives, helped launch 3,000 small businesses, eliminated 5.9 million tons of CO2, and much more.

Empire worked closely with the Enactus team to create the overall event and run of show, handled logistics for all speakers and talent, oversaw technical production and broadcast, and developed and designed the virtual venue platform.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events; we strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

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LegalForce with the help of Empire held the "LegalForce Conference 2020," one of Japan's largest conferences on Management and Legal Affairs, online on September 8th.

A total of 10 presentations was prepared, including a keynote address by Mr. Sayama Nobuo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Skymark Corporation and President of Integral. The main session was divided into two tracks, Track A, which focused on "The Relationship between Management and Legal Affairs" and Track B, the "Specific Measures to Strengthen the Legal Function." Both sessions were streamed LIVE in parallel.

Empire was in charge of the video system, live streaming system, session management and direction.

Check it out here:
https://legalforce-cloud.com/page/seminar/lfc2020/seminar_lfc2020.html

Empire is a leading producer of virtual events; we strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

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As a sweet surprise amidst the pandemic, Krispy Kreme announced that its first global flagship shop – the highly anticipated Times Square Flagship Shop located at 1601 Broadway (at West 48th Street) – is scheduled to open in NYC on September 15, 2020. The 4,500-square-foot shop will deliver an immersive Krispy Kreme doughnut theater experience, including hot and fresh Original Glazed Doughnuts produced inside the shop 24 hours a day.

Empire was brought on board to produce and livestream the Sweet Peek virtual tour for press on August 25, 2020. In showcasing the flagship’s deliciously interactive and one-of-a-kind hot doughnut experience, Empire worked closely with the FleishmanHillard team to create and develop the run-of-show, storyboard, and script to highlight all of the shop highlights.

Empire’s scope of work also included talent advance and rehearsals, technical production, live broadcast, motion graphics, and filming & editing of footage into the virtual experience.

Empire is delighted to have worked with Krispy Kreme and FleishmanHillard to help bring more joy to the heart of New York City.

Please visit the Krispy Kreme Times Square shop starting September 15!

For more information on Virtual Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide, please contact us at info@empireentertainment.com.

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As part of adidas’s new initiative, “END PLASTIC WASTE”, adidas Japan, in collaboration with Empire artist Shinpei Kashihara has co-created artwork for adidas Japan's first “Sustainability Area”.

Opening on July 28th in the adidas Brand Center RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK, adidas Japan’s largest store, guests were greeted by large banners on the 1st and 2nd floors. Designed by single-stroke painter, Nande, “by using a single stroke, human beings, nature and society can all be connected.” This design, combining the motifs that symbolize Tokyo, Sports, and the adidas logo, created a new “gateway” to Shibuya, Tokyo.

The mural of the Sustainability Area, designed by Shinpei Kashiwara with Chikako Kai of the Creative & Artist Unit “RON TOPAS Creative LAB”, beautifully decorated the store. Under the “END PLASTIC WASTE” message, recycled polyester and fabrics were used in these designs.

Empire is proud once again to work with the Adidas Brand and continue to act as a leader in producing global sports brand events.​

渋谷の宮下公園がリニューアルし、

On July 14, 2020, Empire produced a three hour virtual broadcast for the United Nations Office for Partnerships and their Women Rise For All program. The sessions were moderated by former CNN Host Zane Verjee and included Deputy Secretary of the UN Amina Mohammed, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, President of Switzerland Simonetta Sommaruga, Former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Minister of Education and Culture for Mozambique Graça Machel.

The Empire team worked with the UN team to create the overall event and Run of Show, handled logistics for all speakers, worked with talent (Andra Day sung “Rise Up”), and developed the virtual venue website along with Gramercy Tech. The website will continue to be a place for the Women Rise for All program to house information on their programs, resources, and hold meetings and events.

To see all of the above moments and more, visit this page.

For the 10^th consecutive year, Samsung hosted their annual Solve for Tomorrow competition. The nationwide challenge motivates students to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to approach solutions to real-world issues impacting their communities.

In honor of their 10^th Anniversary, 20 National Finalist schools were chosen to pitch their project prototype to an esteemed panel of judges. The students were all ready to fly to New York City when the Covid-19 pandemic began. Rather than not finish out the year, Samsung virtually hosted their competition and partnered with Empire to produce a virtual finale event, which was livestreamed to hundreds of viewers worldwide through Facebook Live and YouTube.

Event highlights included opening remarks by the President and CEO, Samsung Electronics North America, as well as motivational speeches and performances by remarkable science communicators, filmmakers, musicians, and entrepreneurs. The event concluded with Samsung executives applauding the national winners and an uplifting video from Teachers, Mentors, Students and Program Partners sharing a special congratulatory message.

Empire’s scope of work included run-of-show development, speaker advance, rehearsal sessions, technical production and broadcast. The show included a mix of pre-recorded, and live content, featuring six Samsung executives, from their homes.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

Please contact us for more information on Virtual Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

A recording of the Samsung Solve broadcast can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/SamsungSolveForTomorrow/videos/271275417569694/

Empire was thrilled to help recreate the magic of summer camp from home with Camp Romper this year! Having worked on the live event last year, Camp Romper returned to Empire to help produce virtual craft, cooking and storytelling live streams to keep the summer camp energy going online. These hour-long sessions took place for three consecutive Saturdays starting on June 13^th.

The event series targeted parents and kids, with an audience mainly consisting of Camp Romper fans, followers and website visitors. Registration was open to the public for each individual session free of cost through the Camp Romper website. Email confirmations were sent to registered guests with instructions on how to join, along with any information or lists of ingredients or materials needed to participate.

Each session featured different summer camp activities including crafting pom poms, keychains and bag accessories out of old t-shirts with The Neon Tea Party, making no-bake granola bites and guacamole with Sprouts Cooking School, and finally, a Drag Queen Reading Hour with Harmonica Sunbeam.

Empire’s scope of work for the Camp Romper virtual event series included consulting on run-of-show development, consulting on virtual platform selection, technical production, rehearsals, live streaming, and the guest’s virtual experience.

Empire is a leading producer of live, virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

Please contact us for more information on Virtual Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

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"Hope is a powerful force that connects us. It gives us the energy to move towards the future, and the strength to live in the present.” In this spirit, Bulgari, with support from Empire, hosted the “CONVERSATIONS FOR HOPE” talk show series. Leading voices from diverse fields across Japan were brought together for live streamed conversations offering a message of hope and sharing personal ways of dealing with the present for a brighter future.

In response to social distancing measures, Empire worked closely with Bulgari Japan to swiftly create a virtual program that was streamed to tens of thousands of viewers throughout Japan. A total of four talk shows were broadcast, including opening remarks by Bulgari Group CEO Jean-Christophe Babin and President of Bulgari Japan, Walter Bolognino. The first three sessions were moderated by awarded novelist, Mieko Kawakami and the fourth, a special “CONVERSATIONS FOR HOPE” talk show in collaboration with GQ JAPAN was moderated by GQ JAPAN’s Editor-in-Chief, Masafumi Suzuki.

Panelists included Fumio Nanjo, Ayaka Hirahara, Miyake Mai, Kazumi Kurigami, Mari Natsuki, Yasuyuki Shuto, Koyuki (video message), Tamasaburo Bando (video message), Naomi Kawase, Mari Yamazaki, Lily Franky & Ai Tominaga. The online talk show garnered substantial media coverage.

Click HERE for the full talk shows.

Empire, alongside their trusted partners and vendors, created a mobile Illuminate Our Heroes experience at the doorstep of hospitals in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Yonkers, New Jersey and Long Island to recognize the many individuals serving at the frontlines of the COVID-19 response effort.

Beginning May 11, in honor of National Hospital Week, the tour was a means to deliver frontline workers a much-needed boost and a message of support from New York’s live events, entertainment and production community. The interactive 15 minute multimedia show thanked frontline workers for their dedication and sacrifice during this crisis, playing all-time favorites like, “Here Comes the Sun", and “New York, New York".

Upon special request, Empire arranged an intimate performance by America’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer & The Apollo Theater’s Grand Prize Winner Christian Guardino, who delighted essential workers at Mather and Stony Brook University Hospitals with his renditions of “Rise Up” by Andra Day, “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel, and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.

“In a time when our live entertainment & event industries have been so deeply affected, we know that our ability to recover quickly and bounce back is largely thanks to the heroic efforts of frontline workers. Empire and our partners have come together to deploy our production capabilities to show our gratitude to the heroes that come together every day to protect us”, said Matt Stevenson, Empire’s SVP of Production.

Stops included St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center in Wayne, New Jersey; Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, New Jersey; NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx; BronxCare Hospital Center in the Bronx; NYU Langone Sunset Park and University Hospital of Brooklyn; SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn; NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens; St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers; NYU Langone Health: Tisch Hospital; Kimmel Pavilion & Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital in Manhattan; NYU Winthrop in Long Island; Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson, Long Island; and Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, Long Island.

We couldn’t have been more moved by the spirit of our heroes throughout this experience. Thank you to everyone involved in making this possible, including a special thanks to our partners: AVS Production Group, 4Wall Entertainment, Aggreko, Boum Creative, AV Trucking, and BNW Rigging.

Empire is a leading producer of live experiences. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

Please contact us for more information on Virtual or Socially Distant Events.

Empire secured comedian Patton Oswalt to host the WebbysFrom Home on May 19, 2020. With Covid-19 still keeping people at home,the Webbys decided not to call the event the 24^th Annual WebbyAwards, but instead “Webbys From Home”. Patton opened the show with hilarious opening monologue videotapedin his home garden, telling the at-home audience to get comfortable in the“black sweatpants you’ve been wearing for the past month” and to enjoy anice glass of “pinot bleachio” during the show.

The Webbys From Home then continued in the tradition of theusual live show, with an incredible array of celebrities, luminaries, and webpersonalities taking turns honoring the best of the internet over the pastyear. Michelle Obama presented a Webby Special Achievement Award toD-Nice, and Demi Lovato presented one to Miley Cyrus. Comedian JudahFriedlander presented Tom Hanks with an Award for his work on #nicetweets,and everyone’s favorite doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, presented to Avi Schiffmann as the2020 Webby Person of the Year for the Covid-19 tracking device and website theyoung man brought to the internet (over 600 million visitors sofar!). Schiffmann honored the Webbys tradition of sticking to a 5-wordacceptance speech, stating, “You can learn anything online”. When EllenDegeneres was honored for her "Heads Up” online video game she quipped “Wow,what a wonderful Webby Award!”. Others who appeared on the show as presentersand winners included Trevor Noah, James Corden, FKA Twigs, John Krasinski, JillScott, and even Sesame Street’s lovable green icon, Oscar the Grouch.

As always, the Webbys also had several poignant momentsalong with the lighter ones, and honored several groups that they deemed“Covid-19 Heroes” including, Shopping Angels, Nextstrain.org, Invisible Hands, Black FairyGodmother, and The Swab Squad. To see all of the above moments andmore, visit https://webbysfromhome.com

Empire has been honored to produce the previous 15 liveWebby Awards programs with appearances by Prince, Anna Wintour, David Bowie,Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller, Lisa Kudrow, David Letterman, Sarah Silverman,Gillian Anderson, and dozens more, and to have contracted Patton Oswalt forthis year’s special Webbys From Home presentation.

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The Clinton Foundation hosted the 12th annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) meeting on Saturday, April 18, 2020. William Jefferson Clinton, Founder and Board Chair of the Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, and Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, brought together leading voices in government, public health, and philanthropy to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and how everyone can work together to overcome the complex health, economic, and social issues that it presents.

The CGI U meeting was initially slated to take place at the University of Edinburgh in April 2020. In response to social distancing measures, the Clinton Foundation worked closely with Empire to swiftly transition to a virtual program that was publicly broadcasted to thousands of viewers worldwide.

Empire’s scope of work included run-of-show development, speaker advance, pre-recording sessions, technical production, broadcast, and the guest’s virtual experience.

The highly informative program consisted of opening and closing remarks by President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, three panels, two one-on-one conversations, a town hall with President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton featuring questions from CGI U students, and virtual breakout sessions hosted on Zoom for CGI students and alumni to discuss their Commitments to Action and responses to the pandemic. Program highlights and notable speaker participants include the following:

• One-on-one conversations by President Clinton with California Governor Gavin Newsom and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on the response to the pandemic
  
• Two panels moderated by Chelsea Clinton featuring:

• Devi Sridhar – Professor & Chair of Global Public Health, University of Edinburgh Medical School
• Dr. Vivek Murthy – 19th U.S. Surgeon General
• Chen Kuan – Founder and CEO, Infervision
• Ophelia Dahl – Co-Founder, Partners in Health
• Jenny A. Durkan – Mayor of Seattle
• Dr. Syra Madad – Senior Director, System-wide Special Pathogens Program, NYC Health + Hospitals
• Dr. Paul Farmer – Co-Founder, Partners in Health
• Christelle Kwizera – Founder and Managing Director, Water Access Rwanda

• Karen Bass – U.S. Representative, State of CA, 37th Congressional District, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
• Joaquin Castro – U.S. Representative, State of CA, 37th Congressional District, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
  
• Ambassador Eric Goosby, M.D. – U.N. Special Envoy on Tuberculosis, Former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events. We strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

Please contact us for more information on Virtual Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

A recording of the CGI U 2020 broadcast can be viewed here: https://events.clinton-foundation.org/cgiu2020/

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On April 1, 2020, Dartmouth College hosted its first-ever virtual gathering of the President’s Leadership Council, Board of Trustees and core community. The purpose of the event was to share how Dartmouth’s leadership, faculty, staff and students are navigating the impacts of COVID-19, and to showcase how Dartmouth is holistically addressing this complex global challenge.

Working together, Empire and Dartmouth swiftly reimagined this previously scheduled in-person meeting as a highly-engaging, informative virtual event that would deliver high-caliber production value to over 100 participants in locations around the world, despite the requirement that all participants would be separate in their homes and offices.

Using a Zoom Webinar technology platform, the virtual event was managed by the Empire team from a secure control room designed with redundant network connections, master and backup computers for graphics and videos, and a production team that could direct the program similar to a live news broadcast. A broadcast switcher outputted the Zoom event and recording devices captured the content and speakers. Empire set-up a separate communication line between the control room, production team and presenters to create a direct line of communication for timing and cueing for all remote participants. In conjunction with Dartmouth, Empire provided Zoom credentials to delegates (presenters) and participants (guests) to enable secure log-in and to control access to the event.

Event highlights included a State of the College Report by Dartmouth College President Philip Hanlon, an update on remote learning and innovations by Scott Pauls, Director of the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning & Douglas Van Citters, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education, Thayer School of Engineering. Elizabeth Smith, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences delivered remarks on undergraduate research in this new era and Lee Coffin, Vice Provost for Enrollment & Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid provided updates on Dartmouth admissions.

A live, moderated question & answer session offered event participants the opportunity to submit questions through the Zoom platform which allowed each of the presenters to respond to them in real-time. Laurel Richie, Chair of Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees provided closing comments and urged Dartmouth Alumnae to remain engaged with the Dartmouth Community during these critical times. The event concluded with an uplifting video performance of the Dartmouth Alma Mater and Dartmouth Faculty offering well wishes.

Empire worked closely with several Dartmouth departments and teams, as well as with its Senior Leadership to execute the virtual event including managing concept, run of show development, scripting, presenter advance, screen content production, technical production, budgeting and the guest’s virtual experience.

Empire is a leading producer of virtual and digital events and we strive to deliver the same high production value, immersive and interactive qualities we are known for in live events to virtual audiences.

Please contact us for more information on Virtual Events and to request a copy of the Empire Virtual Events Guide.

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On February 3, 2020, Jerusalem Venture Partners celebrated the Grand Opening of the International Cyber Center at 122 Grand St in SoHo, New York. The international venture capital firm partnered with NYC Economic Development Corp. to establish a state of the art center to champion New York City as the next global cybersecurity capital.

Empire was proud to serve as overall producer for the Grand Opening celebration. Over the course of the evening, JVP welcomed hundreds of guests to view the modern center and interact with the 28 companies calling Margalit Startup City their home.

Dr. Erel Margalit, Chairman and founding Partner of JVP and of Margalit Startup City, welcomed New York City Deputy Mayor of Housing and Economic Development, Vicki Been, a valued partner in the development of the Cyber Center, and James Patchett, President and CEO of NYCEDC to remark on the ongoing relationship with JVP and the future of New York City as a global epicenter for cybersecurity development.

Academy Award winner and Entrepreneur, Gwyneth Paltrow, joined Dr. Margalit onstage for a fireside chat to discuss the importance of the increasing role of women in tech, expansion of cyber security protecting not only governments, but small businesses and individuals as well.

Due to the popularity of the grand opening ceremony, Empire activated the retail space next door and transformed the raw space into a glittering after-party space filled with food from Breads Catering and Israeli DJ Omri for guests to enjoy the rest of the evening.

The newly renovated 122 Grand office space offered a modern palette for Empire’s creative design. The windows facing Broadway and Grand were branded with the Margalit Startup City logo to create an impressively imposing presence on the iconic New York City street.

Empire is a leading producer of high end corporate and tech industry events and we were honored to work with JVP to help produce the successful grand opening of JVP International Cyber Center.

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For more than 40 years, Robb Report has consistently transported its global community to the most extraordinary destinations, experiences and events. In late 2019 it more than lived up to that reputation by hosting an exceptional event: a special invitation-only gathering of the world’s largest megayachts in the Red Sea, for a celebration of food, music and culture.

Robb Report created a luxury resort on a former Egyptian outpost in the Red Sea (Sindalah Island, now part of the NEOM economic zone) to host 400 guests from 38 countries over four days. Invitees ranged from business leaders and politicians to oceanographers, artists and philanthropists. A program of unique discussions and experiences was unveiled, from open-air concerts featuring a line-up of Grammy Award-winning musical names to exceptional culinary events with some of the world’s finest chefs.

Empire was thrilled to work with the Robb Report to contract and deliver performances by John Legend and Norah Jones for this exceptional event.

Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton hosted an exclusive pop-up restaurant, serving a seven-course tasting menu inspired by the local region, while Egyptian-American Michelin-starred Michael Mina and Saudi female chef Almaha Aldossari welcomed guests to their own relaxed Beach House dining experience.

From art masterclasses with Lucy Freud, daughter of artist Lucian Freud, to cultural excursions with local guides, plus numerous sporting opportunities from kite surfing to fishing, invited guests enjoyed four days of unparalleled luxury and adventure.Exploring one of the great diving locations, all were able to experience first-hand the stunning marine world of the Red Sea—which has some of the best-preserved coral reefs on the planet—whether by transparent kayak, snorkeling or scuba diving.

A bespoke spa was also created by luxurious Swiss specialists Waldhaus Flims, which took care of those who just wanted to relax.

By bringing over 65 of the world’s largest superyachts to the region, Robb Report has created the most rarefied, annual marine event in the world: the best of the best on the ocean.

December 2019. New York City, Hilton Midtown UJA Federation of New York recently hosted their Annual Wall Street Dinner at the Hilton Midtown in New York City for over 1,900 attendees.

This year’s dinner honored Vice-President and Co-Founder of BlackRock; Barbara Novick – the first women to receive the Gustave L. Levy Award; and Co-Chief Investment Officer and Head of Real Estate of Angelo Gordon, Adam R. Schwartz, who received the Alan C. Greenberg Young Leadership Award. The evening also featured remarks by Keynote speaker, Andrew Ross Sorkin, financial columnist at the New York Times as well as remarks by Lloyd Blankfein, Dan Och, Suzanne Peck, David Moore, John Paulson, Michael Gordon, Stacy Bash-Polley and Rob Kapito.

Upon arrival at the New York Hilton, guests were greeted by staff holding UJA branded paddles, along with a giant LED wall featuring the evenings honorees and keynote speaker. Once passing through registration, guests entered their receptions, which showcased the UJA brand, and impactful signage featuring their “Stand Up. Stand Together” campaign. Guests then made their way into the elegant Grand Ballroom banquet hall featuring an attention – grabbing branded Dais set up at the front of the room.

Following the stage program, guests proceeded to the afterparty, dancing to a live set by DJ Taela Noemi, experiencing unbelievable slight-of-hand magic by Doug McKenzie and enjoying desserts in the transformed cocktail space. Dessert stations and candy bars lined the room while party-goers played VR games, competed in a card toss for exclusive prizes and posed in the photo booth. This year’s Wall Street Dinner raised over $31 million to tackle many of the major challenges facing people in need in New York, in Israel, and worldwide. Empire was proud to work closely with the UJA Federation and Wall Street Division to deliver a lively and memorable evening.

To kick-off the opening night of Art Basel in Miami Florida, Mastercard collaborated with Empire to bring Mastercard’s Taste of Priceless experience to life for Mastercard’s senior leadership, clients and guests at the 1 Hotel South Beach. During the event, Mastercard presented the two original Taste of Priceless macaron flavors in the colors of Mastercard’s iconic interlocking circles that perfectly embody the key attributes of the company’s brand personality as well as its symbol. Conceived by Kreëmart, and crafted by Ladurée, the macaron flavors of Passion (red) represents the company’s energy and commitment to helping people get closer to the things that they love. And Optimism (yellow) signifies its confidence and efforts to making the world a better place. Together, they champion Mastercard brand’s platform to Start Something Priceless.

In addition to the flavorful brand expression, Empire continued to creatively present Mastercard’s multisensory identity into to a tangible “Priceless” experience for event guests through sound, touch and sight with a custom designed interactive video wall including Mastercard’s sonic brand and floral arrangement symbol.

Earlier this year, Mastercard removed its name from its logo, leaving only the iconic symbol of two overlapping circles; debuted a global sonic identity that’s being heard around the world; and reimagined its culinary strategy by opening its first permanent restaurant, Bistro by Mastercard in the Rome International Airport, and its flagship restaurant, PRICELESS, with a pioneering, fully immersive restaurants-in-residence model at Spring Studios in New York City.

Prior to this event, Empire was proud to collaborate with Mastercard at The New York Times Food Festival, by building out a custom designed immersive experience where Mastercard featured the taste of Priceless. Festivalgoers were invited to look for Mastercard’s signature red and yellow colors onsite in Bryant Park and visit the Mastercard tent for a first taste of Passion and Optimism; Mastercard holders were also treated to additional “Priceless Surprises.”

Available first in New York City, Mastercard cardholders will soon be able to purchase the custom macarons on priceless.com with pickup available from Ladurée’s SoHo location. Additional pickup locations in the U.S. and internationally are slated for Q4 2019.

Created by Josh Littlejohn MBE, co-founder of the Scottish charity and sandwich shop Social Bite, the 2019 World’s Big Sleep Out campaign hosted over 50,000 people sleeping out on the same night in dozens of cities around the world to raise money and awareness about homelessness and internationally displaced people. Empire was thrilled to produce the New York flagship event featuring Will Smith in the heart of New York City: Times Square.

The event was run in partnership with the Institute for Global Homelessness (IGH), UNICEF USA, Malala Fund, Coalition for the Homeless, and Social Bite. This year’s Sleep Outs took place in iconic locations such as Times Square (New York) and Trafalgar Square (London), alongside the major cities of Edinburgh, Dublin, New Delhi, Los Angeles, and many others.

Empire was proud to support the cause and produce the Sleep Out in Times Square, working closely with the Times Square Alliance, The Mayor’s Office of Citywide Events, SAPO, NYC Parks Department, NYPD, and many others who helped ensure the event’s success and safety. Hundreds of people slept in sleeping bags, generously donated by Modell’s Sporting Goods, across four Broadway plazas spanning from 43rd to 47th Streets, braving the below-freezing overnight temperatures.

To kick off the event, a live program featured performances by Broadway star Jeannette Bayardelle, local NYC buskers, pianist James Matthews, On Site Opera, The War & Treaty, and Jay Buchanan. Comedian Dulcé Sloan hosted the program and charity partners such as UNICEF USA, Breaking Ground, Coalition for the Homeless, and Ali Forney Center, as well as NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer gave speeches in support of the Sleep Out.

The program ended with a bedtime story from award-winning actor Will Smith, who performed a rendition of the iconic “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song.

On Sunday morning, participants arose from their sleeping bags at 5:30 AM with a sense of what it means to be homeless in New York City. The sleeping bags have since been donated to nonprofit organizations including Coalition for the Homeless, The Bowery Mission, and The Church of St. Francis Xavier.

Empire is a leading producer of nonprofit events and we are honored to have played an integral part of this campaign.

To support or learn more about The World’s Big Sleep Out, please visit: https://www.bigsleepout.com/

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Medidata, the global leader in the digital transformation of life sciences and a Dassault Systèmes company, hosted their 14th Annual NEXT Conference at Spring Studios in New York City, welcoming more than 2,000 attendees.

Medidata NEXT, “Where Science Meets Technology Meets the Future,” is the premier conference in the field where like-minded professionals, developers, data scientists, researchers, executives, and Medidata product experts connect, learn, and inspire each other.

Medidata took over every available space at Spring Studios, filling the venue with multiple sessions about the hottest topics on precision medicine and new ways to develop new therapeutics. An “Innovation Lounge” was created where attendees could fill up their coffee, grab a bite to eat, and network among sponsors and colleagues. Custom-built product demos showcased Medidata’s current suite of solutions for biotech and pharmaceutical companies that enable them to bring new therapies to market more efficiently and effectively.

Composed of overlapping general sessions and six distinct breakout tracks, Empire was tasked with optimizing the space for both large and small audiences for various sessions. Among the solutions deployed was a production design that allowed for the general session space to be converted into two separate, fully-equipped breakout session spaces and back again multiple times over the course of two days. Accomplishing this technical engineering feat while ensuring flawless execution required detailed planning and advance technology design.

Empire and Medidata’s marketing and event teams worked together seamlessly to bring the Medidata brand to life across every inch of Spring Studios. Bold, expressive signage stretched across the exterior, interior walls, and a series of bright LED screens, presenting Medidata’s brand and projecting a visual identity that reinforced their position as the leading innovator and disruptor in Life Sciences.

Empire is proud to collaborate with Medidata on this annual, top-tier business event.

To learn more about Medidata NEXT and to view highlights of NEXT 2019, please visit: https://youtu.be/6dxYr9sd5cQ

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In November 2019, Endeavor held their annual Gala, bringing together 500 network members, including global entrepreneurs, top investors, and international industry leaders. Empire was proud to once again support this year’s gala to raise critical funds to support the high-impact entrepreneurship movement around the world.

The Gala once again took place at Spring Studios in New York City's trendy Tribeca neighborhood. At cocktails, guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres served on innovative hand-carried serving vessels by Pinch Food Design and a full bar featuring a selection of white, red and sparkling wine provided by Bacchus Wine Fund.

Afterwards guests made their way upstairs to a seated dinner in the massive, minimalist studios. The dinner program included keynote remarks by Endeavor Global Chairman, Edgar Bronfman Jr., and Co-Founder and CEO, Linda Rottenberg. Dan Schulman, President and CEO of PayPal, was presented with the High-Impact Leader of the Year award and participated in a fireside chat. New this year, The Linda’s, honoring Endeavor Entrepreneurs who most embody the Endeavor spirit of “dreaming crazy, scaling up, and paying it forward,” were announced and presented a custom award created by an artisan from Endeavor Entrepreneur company Artemest.

After dinner, guests moved downstairs to the Gala after party High-Impact Night sponsored by Dellin the cocktail space, which had been transformed into an upscale lounge afterparty featuring music by Hannah Bronfman.

Empire and the Endeavor team collaborated closely to ensure that the organization’s mission was showcased at the Gala in addition to highlighting entrepreneurs in their network. This year the first- ever Endeavor Store was introduced, featuring products from Endeavor Entrepreneurs. A live plant lounge with hundreds of plants was powered by Endeavor Entrepreneur company Bloomscape, adding an impactful décor element to the space. Guests experienced an interactive, live art activation as Italian artisan, Maria Giannini, from Endeavor Entrepreneur company Artemest, created unique paper marbling alongside attendees. Guests could also share their Endeavor story in a recording studio using state of the art microphones from Endeavor Entrepreneur company, Antelope Audio.

Empire is a leading producer of innovative not-for-profit galas and is proud to support Endeavor Global’s work. Endeavor is transforming the economies of 35+ growth markets by helping entrepreneurs scale, create jobs, and multiply their impact by becoming outstanding role models, mentors, and investors to the next generation of founders.

To learn more, visitwww.endeavor.org

Empire once again partnered with Techonomy to help produce theirninth annual flagship conference in Half Moon Bay, CA. Techonomy Media usesthis annual event as a platform to host pioneering conversations on the subjectof technology’s influence on our socioeconomic status and culture.

Each day of the conference kicked off with morningactivities ranging from coastal bike tours and surfing to early morning yoga and golf.

This year’s three-day conference focused on topics includingStarting Up to Challenge Amazon, Investing and Entrepreneurship for a WarmingPlanet, Why AI Has to be Humble, and Turning Tech Toward Humanity.

Innovative professionals and industry leader speakers includedJane Long, Senior Contributing Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, andCasper Klynge, Tech Ambassador at Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whospoke on the topic of Will Geo-Engineering Become Necessary and What SiliconValley Means to Diplomats.

As in years past, the visual design of the event wascarefully curated. Décor and furniture selections were inspired by this year’stheme, "Reset + Restore", which drew inspiration from the Year of Hygge,the Danish lifestyle trend that focuses on qualities of coziness andcomfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment and well-being.Coastal Hygge accents underscored the vast, sweeping views of the Northern Californiacoastline, surrounding the venue.

Attendees were invited to choose from among several dinner partieson the first night, each focused on a specific theme. Themes includedSuperminds for Climate Change, Life at Work: Culture, Balance & Humanity, AGeek Dinner: Cutting Edge Tech (AI, Quantum, etc.), and Super Human: Health& Wellness.

Techonomy Media advocates for a greater understandingthrough the publication of editorial content and video journalism across avariety of platforms including online, print, and through its conferences &events.

To see more about this year’s conference visit https://techonomy.com/2019/11/techonomy-2019-full-webcast/

Empire is a leading producer of forward-thinking conferenceand head-of-state and C-level thought leadership programs.

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In November 2019, Empire served as the producer of The Studio Museum in Harlem’s annual Gala for the second year, with artistic direction by Red Maple Leaf. The black-tie evening took place in the elegant 45,000 square-foot, glass-enclosed River Pavilion that features stunning views of the Hudson River serving as the perfect backdrop for this year’s event. Over 750 artists, philanthropists, cultural leaders, civic leaders, and business leaders attended to celebrate The Studio Museum in Harlem and their important work with artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally.

The evening began with a cocktail reception where, upon entering, guests’ attention was drawn to a large statement installation located in the middle of the cocktail space, surrounded by lounge furniture, curated décor and photo experiences.

To signal the start of dinner, high drapes were pulled back to reveal the impressive views. Guests were invited to the dinner space with a swell in music performed live by AffinitiNYC and were greeted with a striking main stage, equipped with a large LED screen, and centerpieces highlighted by pinspots on each table.

The evening’s program, honoring businessman and philanthropist, Leonard A. Lauder, featured remarks by Gala Co-Chairs, Jacqueline L. Bradley, Kathryn C. Chenault, Carol Sutton Lewis, and Dr. Amelia Ogunlesi; Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator; and Raymond J. McGuire, Chairman of the Board. The fourteenth annual Joyce Alexander Wein Prize, was presented to Torkwase Dyson; extending the Studio Museum’s mission of supporting experimentation and excellence in contemporary art.

The evening ended with dancing to another live set by Affiniti NYC, and desserts were enjoyed in the transformed cocktail space.

The Gala raised over $3 million in support of the Studio Museum’s operating costs, including key initiatives such as the collaborative, community-enriching InHarlem exhibitions and public programs.

Empire was proud to work closely with the Studio Museum and Red Maple Leaf to deliver a flawless and memorable evening for The Studio Museum in Harlem.

For more information on The Studio Museum in Harlem, please visit https://www.studiomuseum.org

On November 18, 2019, the Coalition for the Homeless heldthe 25^th annual ARTWALK NY at Spring Studios, bringing together morethan 750 art lovers, celebrities, artists, collectors, and Coalition supportersfor an evening filled with over 100 pieces of contemporary art in a silent andlive auction.

Empire was proud to serve as overall producer for ARTWALKfor the 10th consecutive year. The evening was generously presented by Italianfashion house Max Mara. This year, artist Katherine Bernhardt was honored forher contribution to contemporary art, and Michael Platt, co-founder and CEO ofBlueCrest Capital Management, was honored for his philanthropic support of theCoalition.

Aileen Agopian auctioned off a stunning selection of artpieces courtesy of some of the world’s most renowned artists, including JennyHolzer, Ed Ruscha, Louise Fishman, and the night’s artist honoree, KatherineBernhardt.

The evening began with cocktails graciously provided by Tito’sHandmade Vodka, Stella Artois, Hendrick’s Gin, Milagro Tequila, Flor de CanaRum, Hudson Whiskey, Monkey Shoulder, and Glenfiddich. Tasting stations wereprovided by a selection of New York’s best restaurants, including Indochine,Claudette, Café Luxembourg, Cafeteria, Empire Diner, Houseman, Colonia Verde,Jay’s Brooklyn, and Wild Ink.

Throughout the night, guests bid on and purchased works fromestablished and emerging artists while listening to upbeat tunes spun by DJ MiaMoretti and DJ Elle Dee.

The Coalition for the Homeless has been developing andimplementing cost-effective strategies to end mass homelessness in New YorkCity for close to four decades. The Coalition works tirelessly to alleviate thesuffering of more than 3,500 homeless and at-risk men, women, and children eachday by providing emergency food & clothing, housing, crisis services, jobtraining and programs for homeless youth.

Working closely with the Coalition for the Homeless’ eventsteam and title sponsor Max Mara, Empire served as executive producer of theevent and was responsible for event design, production and logistics, décor andrestaurant coordination.

To learn more about the Coalition for the Homeless or to getinvolved and donate, visit http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/

Bravo Media hosted the first ever BravoCon, a three-day orchestrated production bringing together 80+ “Bravolebrities” and 10,000 fans who can’t get enough of them. The immersive experience included 50 live events consisting of panels, photo ops, live tapings and parties that allowed for interactions with Bravolebrities from every franchise. Top-tier Bravo talent and producers shared stories and connected with their superfans in a way that had never been done before.

The robust programming schedule was held across three venues – Skylight Modern, Union West and Manhattan Center. In addition to the live events, Bravo provided experiential activations at all their venues which gave attendees an inside look into their favorite shows.

In addition to all that came with a pass to BravoCon, Bravo offered premium buy-up experiences for purchase catered to their biggest fans. Within Union West, there was a separate, private restaurant built for 80+ guests to enjoy. The meals included Top Chef Dinners, a Southern Charm Brunch and a Bravopalooza Brunch. Empire was engaged to manage the F&B and overall operations of each experience.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, the three most recent “Top Chef” Winners designed a custom menu for two seatings. The chefs mingled with restaurant-goers while they enjoyed their entrees and Bravo-themed cocktails.

On Saturday morning, five cast members from “Southern Charm” wined and dined with guests who came dressed in their best southern flair. Among the brunch options, Chicken and Waffles was the most popular dish.

On Sunday Morning, a mix of top-tier Bravolebs from “The Real Housewives” franchise, “Summer House”, “Southern Charm”, “Vanderpump Rules” and “Below Deck” had the opportunity to engage with their most dedicated fans over Bloody Marys and Mimosas at the Bravopalooza Brunch.

For more on Empire’s past work with Bravo Media, please click here.

Empire is a leading producer of branded events and premieres for television, motion picture and other media & entertainment clients.

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FilmAid International is an NGO founded by independent filmmakers that provides displaced people with actionable information about their rights, safety, health and future. Through video, radio, print, SMS, and digital media campaigns created and distributed in collaboration with refugee communities, FilmAid is able to reach over 400,000 people in refugee camps and urban areas every year.

FilmAid’s 20th Anniversary Power of Film celebration took place early November at the Standard Hotel above New York’s Highline. The evening highlighted the initiatives and powerful impact made by the organization and its new partner, Internews.

The cocktail event and program included moving remarks by FilmAid Founder Caroline Baron and Jeanne Bourgault, President and CEO of Internews, introduced by Internews board member Cristiana Falcone Sorrell. Kati Marton and Tim Blake Nelson spoke as well as More Raça, who travelled from Kosovo to share her personal journey from refugee to filmmaker. Her path was inspired by watching cartoons and Charlie Chaplin movies screened by FilmAid’s Mobile Cinemas as a 6-year-old refugee in Macedonia.

Actress, Producer and Director, Katie Holmes presented this year’s Richard C. Holbrooke Memorial Award for Dedication to Humanitarian Service to Participant CEO David Linde in honor of his work, films and activism.

The retro-modern setting with wooden panels allowed photography by National Geographic Photographer, Karen Kasmauski, to stand out. These photos captured the journey of FilmAid’s Mobile Cinema screenings of the film “He Named Me Malala,” in partnership with Participant, at various refugee camps in Kenya and Jordan, reaching over 35,000 female refugees in 2016.

The Power of Film underscores the influence and potential of film to effect positive change in the world. FilmAid and Internews continue to support vulnerable populations and have already expanded into the southern Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo, where political persecution and economic collapse have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Empire is honored to support the power of storytelling by producing galas and festivals such as FilmAid’s Power of Film celebration.

To learn more please visit https://www.filmaid.org

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Get Global is the summit for international business expansion. Theannual conference brings together dynamic mix ofglobal business executives, industry experts, governmental & NGO resourcesand business partners to provide networking and tools to facilitateinternational business growth.

Expansioninto foreign markets can pose significant challenges but the rewards can begreat given that we live in an increasingly globalized world where ideas andgoods flow freely. GetGlobal helps companies find the right resources andpartners to succeed.

Thetwo-day conference is a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions,breakouts, and roundtables discussions. In 2019, GetGlobal took a big leap byexpanding in its own right with a move to the Seaside Ballrooms of the LongBeach Convention Center. Over 1000 attendees registered, with over 40 sponsorsparticipating and 14 exhibiting.

Thisis the third year that the Empire team has been responsible for producing GetGlobal.Empire works year year-round with the GetGlobal staff to secure the venue anddesign the flow of the event within the venue. We coordinate all in-venue AVand food & beverage, set up credentialing systems, and design and managethe graphic look of all the spaces. Empire also assists with logistics for all speakersand presenters, room managers, and exhibitors to make sure the conference runssmoothly.

Tolearn more visit https://2019.getglobal.co​

As Presenting Sponsor of Wedding Weekend on Madison Avenue, EstéeLauder brought a series of fragrance-related events and activations to engagewith brides to be.

The Lowell Hotel’s restaurant Majorelle provided anenchanting atmosphere for brides-to-be to engage in fun activities to help themprepare for their big days.

Brand Ambassadorsoffered samples of Estée Lauder fragrances, BeautifulBelle and Beautiful BelleLove. In addition, Carson Kressly from Say Yes to the Dressgave bridal consultations, guests participated in fragrance sampling and bouquetmaking with Belle Fleur, and a Master Class tutorial with French it-girlbeauty blogger and Estée Lauder Global Beauty Director, Violette.

Additionally, arranged along seven blocks of Madison Avenue’sbusiest shopping areas, stood ten floral installations featuring lusciousflorals cascading from oversized golden gift boxes each bearing the hashtag #lovebreaksallrules.

Empire was thrilled to support Estée Lauder with this tastefullybranded, weekend long series of chic wedding weekend activations.

Empire is a leading producer of experiential marketing eventsfor some of the world’s most coveted luxury brands.

Ranked by Forbes as one of the top five mostinspiring conferences, PopTech recently convened its 23rd annual forum,bringing together brilliant minds from all corners of the world. Hosted by Moran Cerf, this year’sgathering featured a robust community of remarkable scientists, humanitarians,technologists, designers, artists, innovators, corporate & governmentalleaders, academics, and those who defy easy categorization.

With an overall 2019 theme of “Shift” PopTech 2019 demonstratedthat we are designed to change - to push the limits of possibility, take boldaction, lead by example and shape the future. The diversity and deep expertise of each speaker delivered a series oftopic-defining presentations that allowed guests to explore future trends inbusiness, innovation, creative expression and social justice.

The campus-like setting at Point Lookout provided an immersiveand enriching environment that facilitated experiential interaction and fosteredauthentic human connection. The multi-dayprogram featured interactive sessions, shared meals and a closing cocktailreception featuring locally sourced, sustainable oyster’s delivered by theirfarmers.

Many of the highlights of the three-day weekend occurredduring the carefully-orchestrated, yet spontaneous, evening activities. Theseincluded hosted fireside chats, late night debates, stargazing and collectivejam sessions. Each element was designed to help guests discover how sharedpotential exceeds the reach of individual aspiration.

Pop-Tech programming focused on many ofthe most pressing issues of our time and was co-curated by Leetha Filderman,President of PopTech, and former hacker, Moran Cerf, Professor ofNeuroscience and Business at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University,as well as PopTech’s Curatorial Advisors.

The programming line-up covered thetopics of Climate Change, The Future of Food, Privacy & Surveillance,Disruption in Higher Education, Artistic Expression, Connectivity, Networks,and Mobility, among others.

A sampling of participants includedInternet pioneer, Bob Metcalfe, Earthrise Alliance CEO LoriGarver, Conservation X Labs Founder & CEO, Alex Dehgan, The HonorablePaul Martin, Former Prime Minister of Canada, Phillip Agnew, Co-Founderthe Dream Defenders, Sinan Aral, MIT professor & Founding Partner ofManifest Capital, Nusrat Durrani, Visionary Media executive & MTVWorld Founder, Sarah Hurwitz, Head speechwriter for First Lady MichelleObama and Former Senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, PedroAlonzo, Adjunct Curator at Dallas Contemporary, Assaf Biderman, CEO,Superpedestrian, Chris Riley, Geographer and Author, Alex Kingsbury,The New York Times Senior Staff Editor, Yves-Alexandre De Montjoye, andmany more.

Live Performances by Composer & Electro-AcousticViolist, Martha Mooke, Grammy-Award Winning Beatboxer, Rahzel Brown,and Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, had the audience captivated.

PopTech, founded by Bob Metcalfe and John Sculley, is a 23-year oldnon-profit committed to showcasing the vanguard of emerging technology,science, exploration and creative expression.

The organization is famous for stretching beyond passive idea sharing, asit has cultivated a community focused on robust exchange and a bias for action.

Empire hasbeen proud to work alongside the PopTech team for several years to produce thisextraordinary and inspirational event.

For more information, visit https://poptech.org/

Established in 2018, the Global Security Forumis an annual international gathering bringing together amulti-disciplinary network of experts, practitioners, and policy-makers fromgovernment, security, academia, media, entertainment, internationalorganizations, the humanitarian sector, the private sector and beyond todiscuss the world’s most pressing security issues. This invitation-onlyevent provides a unique platform for international stakeholders to convene andoffer solutions that address the international community’s leadingsecurity challenges.

The 2019 Global Security Forum took place on October15 & 16 at the St. Regis hotel in Doha, Qatar. The two-day conferenceexplored the security challenges posed by the proliferation of moderndisinformation and the serious implications this has on anincreasingly interconnected world.

The nexus between disinformation andtechnological advances has produced an unprecedented threat landscape, whichrequires a whole-of-society approach. The global effects of disinformation –whether via organized campaigns that influence elections or policy decisions,or via misinformation given to individuals or groups engaging in violent actsof perceived retribution – have become common and persistent security threats.All nations are dealing with this phenomenon. Private and non-profitorganizations are dealing with the effects as well. Relying solely ongovernments or the private sector alone to counter disinformation, however,will not work; it is imperative to convene an open dialogue in amulti-stakeholder environment to develop comprehensive solutions.

The 2019 Forum convened officials and expertsfrom across the world, including government, technology platforms, media,advertising & marketing agencies, social media, academia, think tanks, andinternational organizations, among others. The program was opened by HisExcellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister andMinister of Interior for the State of Qatar. Speakers included DefenseMinisters, Ambassadors, legal analysts and news correspondents from over 40countries.

The two days included moderated paneldiscussions, workshops, keynote presentations and fireside chats. Empire wasresponsible for all production support, speaker logistics, speaker, staff &attendee travel & accommodations, food & beverage, credentialing, presssupport, and graphics. The entire conference was webcast on MSNBC and AlJazeera with over 10 news agencies sharing the press platform.

Empire also produced a gala dinner on the firstnight of the conference. The dinner was sponsored by Qatar Airways, with HisExcellency, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways in attendance. The eveningbegan with a reception that included an Oud player, calligrapher, henna tattooartist, and live falcon. The dinner was a formal 3-course plated dinner, with alive local jazz band.

Empire is a leading producer of internationalconferences and has worked extensively throughout the Middle East and GulfRegion.

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