Empire Partners with Microsoft for the 2011 Imagine Cup

The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world's premier technology competition. This annual global competition challenges young innovators to stretch the limits of what technology can do to discover out-of-the-box solutions to the world’s most difficult problems. Previously held in Spain, Brazil, Japan, India, South Korea, France, Egypt and Poland, this year the Imagine Cup made its debut in the United States in New York City and Microsoft called on Empire to serve as a key local production partner. The 9th annual Imagine Cup encompassed participation by 358,000 students representing 183 countries and regions who registered for this year’s competition. Tasked with applying their imagination and passion to the creation of technology solutions to help change the world, the competitors took on global issues ranging from combating diseases, improving education, fighting world hunger, and ensuring environmental sustainability, to creating disaster communication systems, helping children read and write, creating innovations for people with disabilities, and reducing child mortality. After a year of competition in their home countries, finalists and mentors from 70 countries converged in New York City to compete for the top honors. Microsoft partnered with Empire Entertainment to provide key logistical support in order to deliver a dynamic multi-day program for the competitors that covered several venues and the entire city.

Against the majestic backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, Empire organized a sumptuous BBQ on Ellis Island for the Imagine Cup participants. As the culminating event to the program’s ‘Cultural Day,’ where a vast majority of students were experiencing New York City and the USA for the first time, over 1,000 competitors and sponsors were invited to tour the nation’s historical and cultural gateway. Launching from Battery Park, state of the art ferries offered guests the opportunity to tour Liberty Island with close up views of the Lady Liberty herself before continuing on to the main event on Ellis Island. With the sun setting over the NYC horizon, students dined on a full buffet of traditional summer fare and enjoyed the creative, international spins of a live DJ. A kaleidoscope of cultures, languages and people, students and mentors were invited to the prestigious David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the final day of this weeklong program for the World Festival and Awards Ceremony, which featured noteworthy presenters like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist, actor and activist Eva Longoria. With over 1,300 attendees, comprised of competitors, sponsors, judges, speakers and guests, key logistical support from Empire made it possible for all attendees to be seated with only 15 minutes between final presentations and the start of the dynamic closing ceremony. The projects developed by this year’s competitors raised the bar for technological innovation. From software created to keep cars from crashing to GPS technology for disaster relief to phone applications used to detect signs of malaria in the blood, students presented a broad spectrum of ingenious projects- many of which will have a substantial impact on our civilization's future. Empire Entertainment served as the local New York City logistics, venue and production partner. Empire's roles on the project included supporting site selection and acquisition, logistics, supplying key personnel to oversee various events, working with the client’s key vendors and providing onsite management for event flow for its 1,000+ participants.

Empire Entertainment was proud to partner with Microsoft on the 9th annual Imagine Cup and to play a role in helping the brightest minds of tomorrow solve challenges to make a difference in the world.