The Film Society of Lincoln Center's All-Star Tribute to Tom Hanks
Each year, America's pre-eminent film presentation organization, The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents its annual Gala Tribute honoring legendary stars and industry leaders of our generation at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The Film Society's Annual Gala Tribute began in 1972 and honored Charles Chaplin – who returned to the US from exile to accept the commendation. Since then, the award has honored many of film's visionary talents, including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton and, in 2008, actress Meryl Streep.This year's Gala, the 36th annual, honored two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. The star-studded event featured remarks by many of Hanks's friends and collaborators, as well as film clips commemorating his celebrated career.
The evening culminated in the presentation of the Gala Tribute award – named the Chaplin Award. This year's gala evening started with VIP cocktails with the honoree in the Hauser Patron's Lounge in Alice Tully Hall and was followed by a seated dinner in the glass-walled atrium. The dinner décor was provided by designer David Stark. Following dinner the 1000+ guests entered the Starr Theater for the all-star program produced by Empire Entertainment. The program began with remarks by this year's event committee chair Ann Tenenbaum and then remarks by Film Society Executive Director Mara Manus and Program Director Richard Pena. Then came a career retrospective montage featuring work from most of Tom Hank's past films and ending with a clip of his newest release, Angels & Demons which served to introduce director Ron Howard who delivered the first tribute of the evening. This was followed by film clips and tributes by writer/director Nora Ephron, actress Sally Field, director Jonathan Demme, writer/director Mike Nichols, actress Julia Roberts, writer/director John Patrick Shanley, actress Charlize Theron, a performance based on the Chopsticks scene in "Big" by up-and-coming Julliard pianist Aaron Diehl and a tribute by director Robert Zemeckis.
Two highlights of the evening were a live performance by Bruce Springsteen & wife Patti Scialfa, followed by remarks by director Steven Spielberg and his presentation of the award to Tom Hank who then delivered his moving and hilarious acceptance remarks. Following the tribute program the guests returned to the atrium for a DJ's party sponsored by 42 Below Vodka.For this high stature event Empire served as producer and were responsible for overseeing creative and coordinating program participation for all participating presenters and talent, working with Lincoln center to provide necessary production design and supervision, creating the run of show and stage managing the event and working with the various film clips provided by the studios to integrate them into the program. The program was immensely successful and the client, all of the participating presenters and Tom Hanks were ecstatic with the results.
Empire is a leading producer of high-profile award and tribute programs and is frequently engaged to present programs with international stature talent & celebrities like Julie Roberts, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks.
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
