There are few more iconic combinations than the Plaza Hotel at Christmas time – and TIME Magazine. 
 

Both boast the best of New York’s elite tastemakers and titans of industry, both are marked by pristine style and timeless holiday hues, and both bear the silent but substantial imprint of power. The people who frequent the Plaza and those who appear on TIME’s pages are the most prominent and powerful this world has to offer, which makes the choice to host TIME’s “Person of the Year” gala inside the Plaza’s sumptuous Grand Ballroom each year a decadent but decisive fit. 
 

On a blistery Tuesday evening in December, a meticulously pruned list of attendees flooded the upper halls of the Plaza to sip from the Macallan-sponsored bars, dine on gourmet treats, and mingle with fellow industry leaders while previewing the history-making issue, which honors Taylor Swift as the “Person of the Year,” ahead of its much-anticipated public release. 
 

To help bring a more interactive experience of the special issue to the event’s high-profile attendees – including Arianna Huffington, Lindsey Vonn, and Padma Lakshmi, to name a few – the team at TIME partnered with WorldPlus to power a sleekly chic digital version of the magazine made available across multiple iPads and two enormous touchscreens that flanked the star-studded red carpet. 
 

With the slightest swipe in any direction, event goers could seamlessly switch between any of Swift’s three red-lipped covers and the other notable features in the issue, including “Athlete of the Year” awardee, soccer legend Lionel Messi; “CEO of the Year” Sam Altman, whose profile includes real-time details from the days just before and after his exit-and-reentry to the helm of OpenAI; and “Breakthrough of the Year” Alex Newell, who enchanted the invite-only audience with a soulful song before the night was over. 

When standing beside either of the two larger-than-life touchscreens, many attendees noted how playful and immersive the ultra-high-def digitization of the magazine was after being dwarfed by a 10-foot-tall portrait of Messi or swiping into an expanding galaxy of dozens of other important TIME covers from 2023. Those who weren’t able to get their hands on one of the early prints of the issue were still able to take it home with them through a quick download of the WorldPlus app, which offers a one-month free trial of its Unlimited access subscription to new users on both Android and Apple devices. 
 

In the words of TIME’s CEO, Jessica Sibley (who helped steward the ongoing partnership with WorldPlus), the purpose of the “Person of the Year” award is “to honor the people who are truly changing the world and building our better future” – which is exactly what 2023’s honorees achieved in spades. 

In her typical fashion, Swift absolutely shattered multiple records and infused billions of dollars into local economies through both her “Eras” world tour and accompanying cinematic movie release. Messi brought new life to American soccer and helped sports fans the world over reimagine what is possible on the field as he joined Inter Miami CF after a legendary performance in the 2022 World Cup. Altman and his team at OpenAI have created arguably the most disruptive technology to ever hit mass consumer markets, all while proactively leading the charge before Congress to implement meaningful regulatory oversight of artificially intelligent systems before those systems evolve past the point of our control.

This kind of innovation, transformation, and cultural impact is deeply aligned with WorldPlus’ mission to usher in a new era of print media, art, and storytelling as the world continues to evolve around us – and we look forward to witnessing the next round of luminaries and disruptors make their mark and shoot their shot for TIME’s “Person of the Year” award in 2024. In the meantime, you can instantly dive into this and hundreds of other magazine issues today by visiting www.worldplus.com or downloading the WorldPlus app via Google Play or the App Store.