Virgin Voyages Press Conference & High Tea
For the official launch announcement of the new cruise line venture, Virgin Voyages, Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Voyages team turned to Empire to produce an event that could support such epic news. Expanding the industry, Virgin Voyages is unlike any other cruise line to date.
To announce this exciting new endeavor, Virgin Voyages held Press Conference and High Tea events for the media and travel industry insiders – First Mates, as Virgin Voyages prefers to call them – to kick off sales for the world’s most unique and energetic ship, the Scarlet Lady.
This momentous announcement called for an equally stunning venue and program. On the 102nd floor of the One World Observatory, Empire created a sparkling, branded atmosphere that perfectly expressed the Virgin Voyages brand while leveraging the 360-degree views of New York City.
Empire brought the Virgin Voyages brand to life by fabricating a whimsical red & white striped ship hull and purple mirrored backdrop that acted as a branded entry statement and social media-worthy photo op. Colorful striped window clings throughout the space further emphasized the originality & playfulness of the Virgin Voyages brand.
Both the Press Conference and High Tea featured conversations between Virgin founder, Sir Richard Branson, Tom McAlpin, Virgin Voyages President & CEO, Dee Cooper, Virgin Voyages’ SVP of Design, Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages’ Chief Commercial Officer, and Stacy Shaw, Virgin Voyages’ VP of Sales & Business Development. The morning’s Press Conference was moderated by Brian Kelly, The Points Guy, and the afternoon High Tea was kicked off by Aarti Thiagarajan of Mother, Virgin’s agency of record.
Video content showed flyover renderings of how The Scarlet Lady will come to life in early 2020, and highlighted immersive theatrical performances that will set the Virgin Voyages cruises apart from industry standards; truly ‘an epic sea change for all’!
Empire was thrilled to partner with Virgin Voyages on these groundbreaking events that effectively delivered the force of the announcement while also giving attendees a sense of the enjoyment to come.
Empire is a leading producer of launch events, campaigns and announcements and is proud to support innovative ventures like Virgin Voyages. To learn more, 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
