Empire Produces Major Worldwide Management Meeting

When the world's largest financial services company set out to produce their most important, global management conference for its top 800 executives from around the world, they chose Empire to produce the entire conference including the general sessions, the resource center / technology lounge and the gala entertainment night.This massive event was programmed to appeal to an audience comprised of highly educated and worldly people representing dozens of countries around the globe. The meeting was the first of its kind for the new Chairman and his management team and was conducted in a business climate that was both enthusiastic about the technology boom taking place in the markets and also cautious about the volatile international business climate.

For the two days of business general sessions, Empire designed and fabricated a massive stage that was capable of accommodating keynote speeches, panel discussions and interstitial entertainment elements. Behind this stage in an arc stood five massive screens displaying projection images that had been synced. The general sessions included a speech by globalization expert and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman who had recently released his bestseller The Lexus and the Olive Tree, and an inspirational and motivational program led by musical conductor Ben Zander. At the conclusion of the meeting, a simulated lowering of the ball in Times Square combined with a giant confetti cannon burst and closing music kicked off a simulated celebration of the forthcoming Millennium New Year's Eve celebration.

A massive technology lounge and resource center featured approximately 25 trade show like stations, each constructed with curved rear walls and silver pedestals, that showcased the latest technological innovations from companies and organizations ranging from Microsoft and SONY to MIT Media Lab. Empire designed and created all of the furnishings, provided lighting design, music and special effects and supported the needs for a variety of prototype technologies, some of which were being demonstrated for the first time.

On the final night of the conference, Empire was called upon to create a once-in-a-lifetime entertainment event that would appeal to the all of the participants and provide an element of fun for the guests. Empire created an original show entitled "GLOBAL FUN" that brought together over 100 leading performers from around the world, representing a variety of cultures and performance styles. The show began with a dramatic Japanese Taiko Drumming number and then transitioned to a performance by Argentina's Forever Tango featuring tango dancers and musicians. Then, representing Africa, Tsidii Le Loca, star of Disney's Lion King on Broadway, performed a rousing number with 35 Congolese drummers and dancers. Following this, the Peking Acrobats of China performed a set of their world-renowned routines including the hair-raising chair stacking sequence and a number where 16 acrobats all rode one bicycle. Up next were the Umbilical brothers, a physical comedy duo from Australia who regularly play the Sidney Opera House. They had the audience in stitches with their innovative brand of slapstick humor and their stunning 'Wall' sequence where they create the illusion of impossibly flexible arms & legs.