The 7th Annual Keep a Child Alive Black Ball With Jay-Z, Sade, Alicia Keys & More

On September 30, 2010, Empire Entertainment was proud to continue their partnership with Keep a Child Alive as producer of their 7th annual Black Ball Gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. Graciously sponsored by Covergirl and Bing and hosted by Dave Wirtschafter, the event featured extraordinary performances by Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Janelle Monae, and Sade and remarks by Deepak Chopra Uma Thurman and others. A star-studded guest list of over 750 included Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Whitney Houston, Usher and Clive Davis among others who came to show their support in the fight against the global AIDS pandemic.

The evening began with a cocktail reception and gallery-like exhibit launching a new cutting-edge “Buy Life” campaign conceived by ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day. The campaign featured a bar code that when scanned on a smartphone, directs potential donors to a donation site. Within the event the barcode appeared on several surfaces including the step-and-repeat, tickets program, and even enlarged on the facade of the bars, providing a call to action everywhere guests turned. Following cocktails the guests entered a breathtaking candlelit oasis where they enjoyed a delicious dinner menu served by Creative Edge Catering. All wine and spirits for the evening were generously donated by Sherry-Lehmann. During the meal, powerfully emotive graphic messages and a series of films about the work and impact of Keep a Child Alive were projected onto multi-leveled projection screens. During dinner, Phillips de Pury auctioneer Alexander Gilkes and KCA advocate, Uma Thurman worked together to auction a series of incredible experiences and unique pieces of art. The duo worked in unity to auction an adventure to India, a retreat to Turks and Caicos, and authentic signed portraits by infamous street / grafitti artist, Mr. Brainwash, raising $260,000 on the spot alone.

At the end of the auction the audience were enticed to stand and pledge $1000 each to “Buy Life.” It was a magical moment when over 100 guests got up from their seats committing a further $160,000. After desserts and remarks by Deepak Chopra, the concert program for which the Black Ball is renowned began led by an eight and a half month pregnant Alicia Keys and her incredible band.Rising superstar Janelle Monae sang “Cold War” and “Tightrope” bringing the audience to their feet with her high energy set. Next up the legendary Sade, performed “Soldier of Love,” “Moon and the Sky” and duet with Alicia on classic “Love is Stronger than Pride.” Her mesmerizing presence and smooth as silk voice gripped the audience from the first note to the last. Alicia then welcomed Jay-Z to the stage with the Dead Presidents intro. After performing “PSA,” Jay-Z was joined onstage by Alicia Key’s husband Swizz Beats for a high energy version of “On to the Next One” which got everyone up and out of their seats.

As the finale to the evening, Alicia Keys returned to the stage to join Jay-Z by channeling Frank Sinatra with an impromptu performance of “New York, New York,” before closing with the New York anthem “Empire State of Mind.”With the concert portion of the evening over, Swizz Beats then took the helm as DJ and spun the rest of the night away while guests danced on their seats celebrating the afterglow of an amazing evening filled with inspiration and support for Keep a Child Alive. All told, the Black Ball event raised $2.4 million for AIDS affected children and families in Africa and India.Once again, Empire Entertainment served as overall event producer for the Black Ball and managed aspects of the event including site selection and contracting, logistics, catering, décor, talent coordination, technical production, security and onsite management. Earle Sebastian was the Creative Designer of the evening responsible for elements including the screen content and overall look & feel, while Amanda Davis and Empire provided design & implementation of the event’s décor elements. Empire Entertainment is proud to serve as partner of Keep a Child Alive in saving lives and raising awareness in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. To learn more and donate, please visit www.keepachildalive.org or scan this barcode to become a BUY LIFE partner. Because the more you buy, the more you save. KEEP A CHILD ALIVE.