New Heights GameChangers Ball
Empire was excited to partner again with New Heights, a non-profit sports-based youth development and educational organization, to produce their 6th annual GameChangers Ball on Thursday, October 20, 2022. The gala took place at the newly renovated Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The venue features a variety of sports facilities, classrooms, offices, and community spaces.
The gala began with a cocktail reception and live jazz performance by KingKlavé. Guests were treated to signature cocktails upon arrival and were invited to pose with friends at the photobooth.
At the close of the reception, attendees were ushered into the Ballroom by New Heights volunteers where they gathered on the facility’s basketball courts to enjoy a seated dinner from Abigail Kirsch. The room integrated existing basketball hoops into the overall stage and room design to complement the organization’s sports-driven mission.
Once guests were seated, New Heights Executive Director Ted Smith greeted attendees from the stage and invited speakers, alumni, and award recipients to join him in sharing how New Heights has positively impacted their lives. The program concluded with a live auction from Auctioneer Bobby D with items such as golf with NFL pros and courtside basketball game tickets available to be won.
Working closely with New Heights, Empire served as the overall event producer, managing elements including venue, catering, décor, programming, and technical production. Empire is a leading producer of fundraising events and has been proud to serve leading not-for-profit organizations and foundations for nearly three decades.
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
