Ebony and Apple iTunes Celebrate Black Hollywood on Eve of the Academy Awards
On Saturday, February 27, Empire was proud to workwith Ebony and Apple iTunes to present Celebrate Black Hollywood on the eveof the Academy Awards.
This inaugural event took place within the historical and repurposed Studio A, located within the brand new industrial co-working space,the NeueHouse Hollywood, which occupies the landmarked 1938 CBS Radio Building.
Following a packed red carpet and guest check-in via iPads,a brief and moving speaking program waspresented to the room full of black actors, directors, producers, writer,executives, and entertainment industry veterans.
The program included remarks by Linda Johnson Rice, Chairmanof the Johnson Publishing Company, Bozoma Saint John, head of global consumermarketing, iTunes and Apple Music at Apple, and EBONY magazine Editor-in-chief,Kierna Mayo.
Following the executive remarks, actor Anthony Anderson, starof Black-ish, took to the stage to share his experiences in Hollywood, andintroduced Nate Parker, the writer, director, producer and star of The Birth of a Nation, which premieredat the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and set a new record for selling price. Parker spoke aboutBlack Hollywood banding together to win success at its own terms.
After a celebratory toast, celebrity DJs Nick Cannon andD-Nice kept the room dancing until the wee hours of the morning.
Empire Entertainment is a leading producer of high-profileevents and is proud to have been chosen to support this remarkable event for EBONYMagazine, The Johnson Publishing Company, and Apple iTunes.
For additional editorial coverage, please visit http://www.ebony.com/photos/entertainment-culture/embracing-black-hollywood#axzz41lmU0wKA
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
