Outright International’s Celebration of Courage
Empire was honored to once again produce Outright International’s annual Celebration of Courage Gala in 2023.
The red carpet, cocktails, program, and afterparty for 450+ was hosted during Pride Month at Pier Sixty in New York City.
Outright’s brand was brought to life through environmental story-telling, a cascading set design, and custom Celebration of Courage bar signage and decor.
Guests were seated for dinner and the main event honoring the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), Google.org and the Queer Cast of Star Trek: Discovery. The program featured show host BeBe Zahara Benet; Star Trek awardees Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, and Anthony Rapp; Outright International Executive Director, Maria Sjödin; and Outright International Board Co-Chairs Kathy Teo and Elliot Vaughn.
The evening raised $1 million in funding, with a very energetic live auction hosted by New York auctioneer, Harry Santa-Olalla.
Outright is dedicated to working with partners around the globe to strengthen the capacity of the LGBTIQ human rights movement, document and amplify human rights violations against LGBTIQ people, and advocate for inclusion and equality.
Empire was proud to work with the Outright team to deliver a flawless event.
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
