New York Public Radio Centennial Gala
WNYC’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at The Glasshouse captured the spirit of a century-long legacy while raising over $2.1 million in support of the City's flagship public radio station and WNYC’s parent company, New York Public Radio.
For the fifth consecutive year, we seamlessly blended immersive storytelling with dynamic programming to celebrate WNYC’s enduring impact on audiences and communities. This year, in honor of WNYC’s centennial, a centerpiece of the evening was a visually stunning timeline and gallery of curated archival artifacts, bringing WNYC’s rich history to life.
Hosted by the charismatic Seth Meyers, and Harry Santa-Olalla as auctioneer, the celebration featured unforgettable moments with guests such as Meryl Streep, Julia Stiles, and John Turturro.
The program included a live auction, remarks from LaFontaine E. Oliver, President and CEO, NYPR, Timothy A. Wilkins, Board Chair, NYPR, and performances by the award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City, jazz virtuoso Aaron Diehl, and Broadway powerhouse Shoshana Bean.
With an afterparty hosted by IG personality New York Nico, the evening featured DJ Talib spinning tracks and a spread of iconic NY favorites — Joe’s Pizza, hot dogs, and of course, Mister Softee.
Empire was thrilled to produce the centennial event for NYPR, developing program run of show, event creative, screen content, managing technical production, stage management, and more.
Photography by Carey MacArthur & Tate Productions.
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
