Sunshine Coast Events Board

Details of the SC Events Board.

Council's vision for the Sunshine Coast Major Events Strategy 2018-2027 is for the region to be recognised as the premier regional events destination in Australia - where major events deliver maximum results. The Sunshine Coast Events Board was established to help achieve this goal.

Role of the board

  • support the region’s investment in existing major events
  • identify other possible sources of sponsorship funding
  • secure new major events for the region
  • oversee implementation of the Sunshine Coast Major Events Strategy.

Board members

The board comprises of regional leaders who represent a wide range of experience in various professions such as the events industry, sporting, artistic and cultural industries.

Chair – John Williams

John is the former CEO of Sunshine Coast Broadcasters Pty Ltd, (92.7 MIX FM & 91.9 Sea FM) responsible for all facets of this broadcasting network. He led both stations on the Sunshine Coast for almost 17 years and is widely acknowledged for his dedication to the business & charity community. John regularly engages with many community groups providing fund raising strategies, along with commercial and marketing support. One of his proudest achievements is the success of "MIX FM’s Give Me Five" fundraiser that has generated over $7 million for the region’s children's hospital services. 

John has headed several successful radio entities, including 4BC Brisbane, 2UW & MIX 106.5 Sydney and the national sales arm of The Australian Radio Network with some 350 staff across Australia. John’s wealth of knowledge and involvement in the community assists in boosting the profile of major events here on the Sunshine Coast. In the last year this has included over 70 events & economic benefit to the region of over $95 million. Currently John is also Chair of Wishlist, Judge of Sunshine Coast Business Women of the Year Awards, and serves on committees for Sunshine Coast 2032, Sunshine Coast Business Awards & Steps Group of charities.

Deputy Chair – Brenda La Porte

Brenda has extensive experience in the business of sport including the creation of Cricket Australia's Big Bash League. She is currently a board member of Tourism Events Queensland and formerly Vice President of Athletics Australia. Brenda held the role of General Manager Planning and Strategy for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and also as part of the Organising Committee for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She has been a Senior Advisor to the Australian International Sporting Events Secretariat and was a Partner in global consulting firm Accenture.

Kim McCosker

Kim McCosker is the founder of 4 Ingredients, an Australian publishing house. 4 Ingredients owns the rights to 40 cookbooks, thousands of recipes, images, videos, manuscripts and databases with the reach of millions. It is the publisher of cookbooks, e-books, apps and developer of a range of kitchenware and TV Shows. 4 Ingredients has grown to become one of the most recognised and trusted food brands in Australia; with a reported one in seven homes owning a 4 Ingredients cookbook. Committed to community, Kim sits on the Sunshine Coast Events Board, was part of the Sunshine Coast Council's Biosphere Nomination Community Reference Group, and was awarded the Sunshine Coast's Most Outstanding Business Woman of the Year 2011, and Griffith University's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017.

Scott Hoskins

Over the past 11 years Scott has been the brains behind some notable hospitality brands across Australia, most notably Junk Restaurant which currently has 2 locations along with Liliana’s Trattoria in Ocean Street Maroochydore. Scott was part of the original team who revitalized the Ocean Street precinct which is regarded as the premier entertainment precinct on the Sunshine Coast. He continues to be a thought leader in the hospitality industry and has been integral in assisting as a small business representative. 

Scott is also the President of the Sunshine Coast Safe Night Precinct which is a community association made up of late-night traders and licensees, public safety consultative representatives and stakeholders who operate within the Safe Night Entertainment precincts areas of Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, and Caloundra.

Ultan O’Dwyer

Ultan has over 20 years’ experience in a variety of marketing roles in events and sponsorship/fundraising in industries including Not for Profit, sport, tourism, IT, financial services, and education.

Ultan led the development of marketing, events and commercial strategies for organisations including Bastion EBA (a sports marketing consultancy), Sculpture by the Sea (the world's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition held annually in Sydney and Perth) and IRONMAN Oceania, where his major events portfolio included IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast, Noosa Triathlon, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018, Mooloolaba Triathlon, Runaway Noosa Marathon, IRONMAN Cairns, IRONMAN Western Australia, Reef 2 Reef MTB, Velothon Sunshine Coast and IRONMAN 70.3 Melbourne.

A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Currently, he is General Manager for Arthritis Queensland, overseeing all marketing, revenue generation and government relations activities across the organisation.

David Ryan (Visit Sunshine Coast Chairman)

David is the chairman of Visit Sunshine Coast. He has an extensive background in commercial and investment banking and operational business management. He has over 20 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director including First American Title Insurance Company of Australia Pty Limited, First Mortgage Services Pty Limited and Sunshine Coast Airport Pty Ltd, and formerly with Virgin Blue Holdings Limited, Hamilton Island Limited, Transurban Limited and Lend Lease Corporation Limited.

Stacey Buckley

Stacey is the Director and Co-Owner of The Project Crew, an accomplished Event Project Management company delivering events for major brands and corporations around Australia and Asia Pacific.  Stacey has over 20+ years within the events industry from working with a Global Production Company to a local Sunshine Coast Business.  Her focus lies on Business and Corporate events, from their conception through to completion,  with a demonstrated deep understanding of event design, production, contractor management and project delivery.  Stacey has had the honour of working beside numerous Prime Ministers, Politicians, top ASX CEO’s and Global Identities and has a strong presence across Australia with key clients positioned in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, however, calls the Sunshine Coast home.

Having relocated to the Sunshine Coast six years ago, Stacey is passionate about developing and growing the diversity of events within the Sunshine Coast Major Events Portfolio and has previously sat on the Sunshine Coast Major Events Working Group and Sunshine Coast Events Industry Task Force.  Stacey is also a Lead Jude for the prestigious Australian Event Awards. 

Cr Jason O'Pray

Cr Jason is the Sunshine Coast Division 8 Councillor. Born on the Sunshine Coast and part of a family who has resided in the region for three generations, Jason has been heavily involved in community activities and sport his entire life. A life member of the Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club, rewarded through his many outstanding achievements in national and international Surf Life Saving. Cr Jason's Economy portfolio includes Economic Development, Innovation, Tourism, Events and Sport. Cr Jason has been a long time executive member of the Sunshine Coast Sports Hall of Fame.

Cr Terry Landsberg

Cr Terry is the Sunshine Coast Division 2 Councillor.  Moving to the Sunshine Coast in the late 1980s, Cr Terry has been a local business owner for over 20 years and has established himself within the Caloundra community recognising the real need for community-based action. His love for surfing has led Cr Terry to win an Australian Masters Title. For three years he was a team leader for Rosies helping the homeless and has assisted with organising the PA Bendall Memorial Surf Competition which won Sunshine Coast event of the year in 2017. With responsibility for the Economy Portfolio, which he shares with Cr Jason O’Pray, Cr Terry contributes to the areas of Economic Development, Innovation, Tourism, Events and Sport across the whole Sunshine Coast, making use of both his small business owner experience and his passion for healthy active lifestyles.

Achievements

Achievements for the Board during 2022/23 include:

  • 45 major and business event sponsorship applications considered during the year. 38 were supported and subsequently endorsed by council, resulting in 103 individual events being secured for the region
  • Support to the local events industry with the Major Events portfolio consisting of 74 events
  • These events generated over $95.4 million in economic activity and a return on investment of 1:33
  • Media coverage is estimated to have exceeded a total audience of 77 million people with a commercial value of $25.9 million. The long-lasting benefits includes putting the Sunshine Coast front of mind as a future holiday destination
  • The launch of EventsConnect, a local events industry supplier directory and business-to-business portal. This new tool for the region will help support local businesses and the events industry.

For more information, please download a copy of the 

Previous annual reports

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2021/2022[5307KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2020/21[5973KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2019/20[4869KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2018/19[4188KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2017/18[3010KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2016/17[2929KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2015/16[8224KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Annual Report 2014/15[2344KB]

Sunshine Coast Events Board Report 2014 (6 months)[3023KB]