60

SPONSORED CONTENT

EVENT MARKETER MAY 2016 www.eventmarketer.com

EXECUTIVE VISIONS INC. (EVI) was founded in 1985 with a mission to serve Fortune 500 companies as a producer of live events and brand immersive expe-riences.

In 1991, Michael Marto, EVI Co-Found-er, President and CEO developed a part-nership with 16-time Grammy Winning producer David Foster, propelling EVI to nearly 3 decades of groundbreaking music entertainment productions. The compa-ny’s resume is packed with live event and broadcast experiences with the who’s who of superstar artists, including Steven Tyler, Stevie Wonder, Adam Levine, Jennifer Hudson, Keith Urban and Kelly Clarkson.

Says Marto, “We strongly believe in the power of music as a tool for brand building and audience engagement. I know it sounds cliché, but music really is the universal lan-guage and has proven its effectiveness time and again.” But, he emphasizes that it’s not simply music for music’s sake. “I believe we have a strong ability to delve into a client’s mindset at the strategic and cultural level to build initiatives that truly complement a company’s overall vision and brand objec-tives. We’re always thinking in terms of complete integration and that has worked very well for us.”

Much of the work centers on EVI’s signa-ture “David Foster & Friends” concept, an original concert format designed to take corporate entertainment to the next level. Not content with “off the shelf” solutions, the team taps-in to Foster’s endless A-list connections to create one-of-a-kind perfor-mances combining three, four or even ten of music’s greatest superstars. The concerts feature Foster music-directing from his Yamaha Grand piano, surrounded by LA’s top session players. All songs are custom arranged just for that show and brought to their fullest expression with a sympho-ny orchestra comprised of the world’s best musicians.

The technical set-up is equally advanced. Sound and lighting designs feature indus-try leading engineers and equipment. The sets showcase beautifully crafted LED walls, which provide a canvas for an explosion of dynamic media. The EVI creative team supports each song with original lighting concepts and motion graphics.

EVI and Foster make it a top priority to be closely tuned-in to every brand they work with, collaborating with the executive and marketing teams from the outset to craft the perfect mix. The team draws from tal-ent across every musical genre, from pop and rock, to country and R&B. The shows are designed to have something for every-one, and in the end, each audience member walks away with the feeling that “this was created just for me.”

In addition to Closing Concerts for the McDonald’s Worldwide Conventions in 2002, 2012 and 2014, the EVI team has cre-ated and produced numerous high profile music focused projects.

The 2002 Concert for World Children’s Day was the centerpiece of a global market-ing and social responsibility platform for McDonald’s and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Featuring David Foster, Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Yolanda Adams, Michael Buble and Josh Groban, the initia-tive, wrapped around an ABC primetime music special, raised awareness and funds, while winning an Emmy for best original music.

Another integrated platform was JCPen-ney Jam, The Concert for America’s Kids, a wide-ranging project supporting the branding and social responsibility efforts of JCPenney and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. Music again served as the catalyst, with EVI and Foster producing a critically acclaimed CBS primetime entertainment special with a mega list of iconic artists including Sting, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Andrea Bocelli, Kenny Chesney, 3 Doors Down, Martina McBride, John Legend and Alejandro Sanz.

INSIDE EXECUTIVE VISIONS INC.: BUILDING BRANDS WITH MUSICA passion for music and business has driven the 2016 It List agency from the very beginning

In 2009-2011, EVI partnered with JCPenney and super group Rascal Flatts to build a program that redefined Integrated Tour Sponsorship. The multi-year campaign integrated a multitude of activation components to create a true connection between one of the world’s hottest touring acts and one of the most iconic retail brands.

Another example is Marto’s 2015-16 engagement with Premier Boxing Cham-pions, a new live event and broadcast series that is bringing boxing back to primetime. With 50 events spread across six major networks in the first year alone, the PBC is a massive endeavor. With music playing a key role in the brand development, he collaborated with Oscar winning film composer Hans Zim-mer to create the soundtrack. Says Marto, “We couldn’t settle, we had to create a musical theme worthy of what we were trying to do…and Mr. Zimmer was the only person I could imagine pulling it off.” The new music theme, with its multiple forms, can be heard as the driving musical signature of Premier Boxing Champions on NBC, CBS, ESPN, Spike and NBCSN.

The list is extensive and continues to grow, but for Marto and the team it’s a realization of the vision they had from the beginning. “It is a privilege to create collaborations with the world’s greatest brands and some of the most iconic musical artists of our time. It’s taken decades to build, and we could have never reached this level without the partnership and guidance of David Foster. David is simply one of the greatest music producers in history…period…and together we are capable of delivering music initiatives at an extraordinary level.”

61 www.eventmarketer.com MAY 2016 EVENT MARKETER

SPONSORED CONTENT

FOUNDED IN 1985, EXECUTIVE VISIONS IS A LEADING PRODUCER OF LIVE EVENTS AND

BRAND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES. WE PARTNER WITH GLOBAL FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES

TO DELIVER CREATIVE RESULTS ACROSS A FULL RANGE OF INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION

SERVICES. INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE ARE AT THE HEART OF

EVERYTHING WE DO. LEARN MORE ABOUT US ON PAGE 93, AT EXECUTIVEVISIONS.COM,

OR CONTACT BOB MARTO, CO-FOUNDER, EVP AT BOB@EXECUTIVEVISIONS.COM.