2021 Japan Society Annual Dinner: Connecting Across Space and Time
We were proud to partner with Japan Society for the second year to produce their 2021 Annual Dinner. This year was an online celebration that brought together influential leaders, notable public figures, and captivating performers, who are all committed to the organization’s mission of building bridges between the U.S. and Japan.
Headlining the program was a fireside chat between Japan Society Chairman, Joseph R. Perella, Chairman Emeritus of Perella Weinberg Partners, and Henry R. Kravis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of KKR. These two titans of finance discussed the ongoing issues that define and influence future opportunities within the U.S.-Japan space.
The evening also featured a conversation between former JAXA astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy marking the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's landmark Moonshot speech. This year, NASA and the government of Japan formalized the lunar Gateway partnership, supporting long-term human exploration on and around the Moon as part of the Artemis program and opening a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations.
Guests enjoyed entertainment by the Ryoma Quartet, a Japanese-Western eclectic fusion of traditional Japanese instruments—tsugaru shamisen, shinobue, drums and violin—that expressed a new form of sound incorporating rock, funk, and electro grounded in classical tradition.
Empire’s New York and Tokyo offices collaborated to direct, film, produce and livestream the 60-minute program all around the world, helping the Japan Society raise over 1.3 million dollars.
To learn more about the Japan Society please visit https://www.japansociety.org/
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
