The Korea Society Virtual Gala & Awards
Empire produced The Korea Society’s 2020 Annual Gala, which was presented virtually for the first time to its members and sponsors. The event was hosted by Juju Chang, co-anchor of ABC News Nightline, on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. It celebrated the alliance between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the U.S.A. with a special keynote speech by South Korea’s President, Moon Jae-in and remarks by the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Harry Harris.
The program included remarks from Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Board Chair of The Korea Society, and Tom Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society. Three feature videos were produced including a highlight of The Korea Society’s past activities and achievements, a commemoration of the Korean War and honoring its veterans, and a recognition of Korean culture’s influence on the global stage. The Korea Society presented the Van Fleet Award to honor contributions that strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance in the sectors of security, economy, and culture.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, The Korea Society presented the Van Fleet Award to the U.S. Korean War veterans, honoring their contribution and sacrifice to strengthen the defense alliance between the U.S. and ROK. Ambassador Chang Won-Sam, Consulate General of the ROK in New York, presented the award to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, former U.S. Congressman, who accepted the award on behalf of all U.S. Korean War veterans. General (Ret.) Walter “Skip” Sharp, former UNC/CFC/USFK Commander, presented the award to Mr. Salvatore Scarlato, President of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), who accepted it on behalf of KWVA.
The Korea Society also recognized the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) as a Van Fleet Award recipient to acknowledge its commitment in enhancing cooperation between American and Korean business communities. Hon. Mark Lippert, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, presented the awards to Yongmaan Park, Chairman of KCCI, who accepted it on behalf of the organization.
The global superstars BTS received the final Van Fleet Award for their contribution to strengthening cultural ties between Korea and the U.S. with an inspirational acceptance speech focused on the universal language of love and their desire to communicate messages of unity through music.
The virtual gala concluded with an invite-only VIP Reception, which took place across four virtual rooms on Zoom. Each room held a lively panel discussion exploring carefully curated topics around diplomacy, trade, soft power, and security. The panels were moderated by The Korea Society’s Board members and guests in attendance had the opportunity to participate in a brief Q&A session.
Empire is honored to have worked with The Korea Society, all featured guests, and attendees who have made valuable contributions to the ROK and U.S. relationship. Highlights of the program can be seen 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
