Clinton Global Initiative, Global Citizen Awards
The Clinton Global Initiative, one of the world's preeminent not-for-profit initiatives, along with Five Currents, enlisted Empire as their production partner for the first ever Global Citizens Award program and concert at the world-famous Carnegie Hall. Given the stature of the audience and the large concentration of heads of state attending the event, every facet of the engagement was executed at the highest caliber. The high expectations of the client, attendees, performers, award presenters & recipients and the venue dictated the need for producers capable of delivering excellence.
Working with Carnegie Hall, Empire created a budget reflecting the cost-effective use of the venue's innate elegance, and successfully managed to keep the budget far lower than would usually be the case with an event featuring as much as this one. Empire worked tirelessly to come up with cost-effective production solutions, always focusing on the foundation's goal of keeping the event both as elegant and appropriately simple as possible. In the end, neither the production value of the celebration nor the foundation's budget was ever compromised during the show that evening.
Welcoming and closing remarks were delivered by President William Jefferson Clinton. Actress Jessica Biel served as host and the award presenters included Tom Golisano, Senator John Glenn, Nobel Laurate Wangari Maathai and author Tony Morrison. The recipients of the evening's Glabal Citizen Awards were Cisco Chairman, John Chambers, Fazle Hasan Abed, Tennis player and humanitarian Andre Agassi and Educator Vicky Colbert. Each presenter and recipient delivered inspiring remarks in connection with their respective awards. But these stellar individuals were not the only stars brightening Carnegie Hall's stage that evening. A performance by legend Tony Bennett wowed the audience, including an a capella version of the classic Jazz standard - "Fly me to the moon". The African Children's Choir also performed, inspiring attendees with the hope that only can be conveyed through the purity of children's voices raised in song. Working with the foundation, Empire provided each participant involved in the awards ceremony detailed support materials so that all were well prepared and directed for this monumental gala. Simultaneously, Empire coordinated with the musical performers to ensure that the concert was executed flawlessly. The result was sheer success - the awards ceremony and the musical performances were seamless. This evening, packed full of spectacular speakers and entertainers, concluded, without intermission, in less than 90 minutes!
Empire is a leading producer of award programs of the highest stature.
Guests received their first taste of technological innovation at registration, where they were welcomed by name on a reactive LED screen installation covering the full width of the entry wall. A large lunch café was created with a décor scheme that incorporated custom-built, ceiling-high steel LED frames draped with foliage to create smaller, intimate restaurant-style spaces that displayed both technology and nature.
A series of breakout sessions presented content targeted to attendees’ varied interests, while imagery displayed throughout the venue showcased real-life applications of how products designed to empower developers help to unleash the power of data and reimagine possibilities that will improve our world.
Every element of Microsoft Connect(); from registration, breakfast and keynote, to lunch and evening cocktails, were custom-designed to communicate exacting brand messaging and to deliver a high-touch guest experience to this important audience. The keynote and breakout sessions were livestreamed through an onsite studio built for this purpose and content was watched online by millions around the world.
Empire is proud to collaborate with Microsoft on this annual, top-tier business communication event.
To view excerpts of Connect(); 2017, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/connectevent
