The Samsung Gives Charity Gala Featuring The Roots, Ciara, Ryan Seacrest, Dwyane Wade, and Portugal. The Man
Empire was honored to serve once again as Samsung’s producer of the 18th annual Samsung Gives Charity Gala, which raises funds for a variety of social and charitable programs focused on helping youth build brighter futures. This year’s Gala took place in the Hammerstein & Grand Ballrooms of the Manhattan Center in New York City.
Upon arrival, guests entered the foyer, which had been transformed into an elegant registration space with deep blue drapes and chandeliers adorned with twinkling lights, crystals, and flowers hanging to the floor, along with a moving digital step & repeat of charity logos, utilizing Samsung’s new product, “The Wall.” Guests then proceeded to the Promenade in the Hammerstein Ballroom and upstairs to the Grand Ballroom to enjoy cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres, surrounded by large-scale floral installations.
After cocktails, guests made their way into the historic Hammerstein Ballroom, which was transformed into a scintillating banquet hall. An attention-grabbing LED set design showcased animated content and logos of Samsung’s donors and charity partners. Throughout the event, the LED panels were used for to provide visual complement to each musical performance.
The evening’s program included live “Voice of God” announcements by celebrities DJ Irie, Jessie Decker, and Mark Messier; a lively opening performance by DJ Irie, Wyclef Jean, and The Young People’s Chorus of NYC (under the direction of Francisco Nunez); special guests Ryan Seacrest and Mark Consuelos; and remarks by Good+Foundation Founder & President, Jessica Seinfeld, and Eric LeGrand among others. From Samsung, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics America, Joe Stinziano, and President & CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, YH Eom, both addressed the audience. This year’s “Champion of Hope” award was presented to NBA Champion and philanthropist Dwayne Wade by his sister, Tragil Wade. The evening also featured a mid-show performance by Portugal. The Man who played their hits, “Feel it Still,” and “Live in the Moment.”
The evening’s finale was a performance by legendary hip hop group, The Roots, who delivered a non-stop high-energy set that featured a surprise performance by Ciara who, along with her dancers, had the entire crowd on their feet through her hits including, “Goodies,”“Tootsie Roll,” “1, 2 Step, and "Level Up.“
The Samsung Gives Charity Gala raised more than $2.4 million for its Charity Partners, who included The Ryan Seacrest Foundation; Good+Foundation; The Irie Foundation; Boomer Esiason Foundation; CAPA Foundation; The Eric and Jessie Decker Foundation; Farm Team; Joyful Heart Foundation; Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; New York City Ballet; New York Public Library; New Victory Theater; Team LeGrand; The Mark Messier Foundation; Victor Cruz Foundation; Why Not You Foundation; Young People's Chorus of New York City; and The Wade Family Foundation. Each charity was represented by a celebrity in the audience, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Ali Wentworth, Mariska Hargitay, Peter Herman, Yolanda Hadid, Ali Wentworth, and more.
For the 5th year, Empire was proud to work closely with the Samsung team to design and deliver an incredibly memorable evening benefitting these worthy causes.
For more information onSamsung’s charitable initiatives, please visit https://www.samsung.com/us/careers/giving-back/
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
