THE CHALLENGE
TAFE Qld, as the Training Partner for the GC2018 Commonwealth Games, were responsible for orientating and training the 12,500 strong volunteer workforce required to execute the Games. They had been allocated a venue and a date by GOLDOC (as all large venues within the Gold Coast region had been contracted by GOLDOC for the forecasted requirements). The venue booked for two days was the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre arena – its capacity was only 6000pax in auditorium style. There was no alternative, or extension available due to other commitments in the venue. Training was TAFE Qld’s strength, but how would they onboard them all at the commencement of the training period in two days? TAFE Qld needed a partner to produce the orientation event with them, for the set cost price agreed in planning almost 12 months before.
LOCATIONS:
Gold Coast and regional Queensland cities
THE SOLUTIONS
Jack Morton were already contracted to GOLDOC to manage the Ceremonies and Precinct Festivals, however it wasn’t TAFE Qld’s obvious choice. There was a lot at stake – they needed reassurance and had to adhere to their, and GOLDOC’s, strict procurement protocols so Jack Morton would need to pitch for the project.
Jack Morton brought me on as Executive Producer, initially to work with a small team to create a top line concept and budget outline for pitching to TAFE Qld executives. When Jack Morton won the bid, I was appointed the challenging role of Project Director – responsible for resourcing and leading the team to produce a world class orientation event, with the added pressure of a 3 month lead time from concept to show, for a price that had no room for movement, nor a fully conceived or quoted creative plan. I knew I needed a committed and talented team that would not only work seamlessly together but support each other through the many tests ahead. We developed a proposed structure and concept that would deliver the orientation event three times – the same event repeated for the 3 audience times. The creative plan for the entire show was developed and presented to two levels of GOLDOC executives, and although it went through a rigorous questioning, the first concept was 95% accepted with minimal adjustments for a revision. Working with multiple stakeholders to align to the myriad of objectives for the Games would become part of every decision.
As Project Director, I was responsible for this concept being delivered within the agreed budget, safely and with a positive experience – it was my role to convince and reassure the Executive teams. Often I needed to find alternative ways of achieving the desired outcome, working with our Creative Director and Content Producer to compromise on part of an element to avoid losing it altogether. Local community engagement was key. We engaged various community groups to participate in the curation and performance of the show, intertwining them with professional performers, thereby reducing performance fees. We worked with TAFE Qld teachers and students to deliver elements of logistical support – event students assisting in crowd management/movement; videography students capturing voxpops of the audience’s reactions; hair & beauty students helping with performers costumes, hair and makeup; and drama students taking on stage hand roles. The excited reactions of the workforce after participating in the Orientation events were captured on social media and the local news. We had delivered on our promise to excite, inspire and motivate the Gameshapers of GC2018.
OTHER LARGE SCALE/GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDER PROJECTS: Spirit of ANZACs Centenary Experience tour (Front of House Manager and Volunteer Manager for Imagination)
