Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation 2016 Tom Ridge Awards
The Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation hosted its 4th annual Tom Ridge Awards on Thursday, May 19, at the Sheraton Times Square. Named after former Pennsylvania Governor and the nation’s first director of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, the Awards honored the outstanding achievement of Federal Agents in the various branches of the Justice and Homeland Security departments including the FBI, DEA, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, ATF, CBP and others.
The evening began with a VIP cocktail reception and red carpet where Special Agents in Charge of their respective agencies took photos with Governor Ridge and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dick Wolf. As the cocktail reception came to a close, the DEA Pipe and Drum Corp and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Honor Guard began a bagpipe procession, leading guests into the Metropolitan Ballroom to take their seats for dinner and the Awards ceremony.
Following a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, performed by Ariel Kendall, the awards ceremony began with each branch’s award presented by a celebrity presenter and a Special Agent in Charge to a worthy recipient. A silent and live auction was presented by host Bill McCuddy and managed flawlessly by 501 Auctions with mobile bidding.
For the finalé of the evening, a tribute video played as creator and executive producer of Law and Order, Dick Wolf, was honored on stage with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Actors Yaya DaCosta and Nick Gehlfuss, stars of Dick Wolf’s latest television drama Chicago Med, presented the award to the esteemed producer. Governor Ridge and FEHSF Chairman, Richard Kendall, then joined them on stage for closing remarks.
To learn more about the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation and the Tom Ridge Awards, and to support their work, please visit here.
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
