The 5th Annual Innovation: Africa Gala
On Saturday, January 26, 2013, Innovation: Africa hosted their 5th annual fundraising gala at Skylight West in NYC. After five years of bringing Israeli innovation to African villages, Innovation: Africa hired Empire Entertainment to redesign and produce their 500-person cocktail party into the organization’s first-ever seated dinner and stage program.
Nearly 300 guests joined Innovation: Africa for an evening of special guests featuring a keynote address from the Tanzanian Minister of Education, Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa. Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ron Prosor was honored as well. To help break up the speaking program, Innovation: Africa engaged a costume designer to specially design pieces creatively depicting their work through an entertaining fashion show. Not all was new though when one staple of past years’ events returned, African dance troupe Batoto Yetu performed again accompanied by live drummers, bringing the guests to their feet. Even the I:A volunteers took the stage for one dance.
Following the dinner, the guests were invited to join an ever-growing crowd back downstairs at the after party. Up and coming DJ JPatt of The Knocks kept the crowd dancing late into the night, as guests were welcome to wander and experience interactive installations exhibiting the organization’s work- including an energy generating arm bike, a larger than life slide puzzle, and art installations of solar panels.
Empire is proud to partner with Innovation: Africa to celebrate their 5th anniversary, and congratulates them in their continued success bringing light and energy to rural African villages. To learn more about their work and get involved please visit http://www.innoafrica.org/
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
