Sunshine Coast Events Board

Council's vision for the Sunshine Coast Major Events Strategy 2018-2028 (2023 refresh) 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 - 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.

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.

Kylie Ezzy

Kylie has more than 25 years’ experience across a range of disciplines including advocacy, marketing and communications, stakeholder engagement, media relations, events management, human resource management and customer service. Kylie has held senior executive positions in both Local and State Government and the private sector leading diverse teams that have delivered outcomes which engage and influence, underpinned by her understanding of local community, stakeholders and the strategic business context.

Matt Stoeckel

Chief Executive Officer at Visit Sunshine Coast (VSC) and leader in destination management within the tourism and travel industry, Matt joined VSC in 2021 after almost five years at the helm of Tourism Fiji. Matt shares a passion for tourism and has a deep understanding of its role in the local economy and fabric of the community. As a destination marketing professional, he’s always looking forward and seeking new ways to make the Sunshine Coast shine.

Maya Gurry

Maya Gurry is the founding Director of Fresh PR & Marketing, a leading communications consultancy based on the Sunshine Coast. With a career spanning more than three decades, Maya has built a reputation as a results-driven PR strategist, known for her sharp mind, deep understanding of the media and a knack for turning complex ideas into stories that stick.

Before launching Fresh PR & Marketing in 2004, Maya gained international experience through in-house roles with Volkswagen of South Africa, Marks & Spencer and Trustmarque International in the UK. This experience gave her a global lens and a strong foundation in corporate communications - tools she now uses to guide Fresh’s metro and regional clients across Australia. Under her leadership, Fresh PR & Marketing has grown into an award-winning agency with a loyal client base, including Stockland, McNab, the Queensland Garden Show, Unitywater and Travis Schultz & Partners.

Whether navigating media landscapes, leading crisis communications or shaping long-term strategy, Maya brings energy, clarity and results. Her steady hand has helped steer clients through major challenges - from the GFC to the pandemic - earning her a reputation as a trusted advisor who delivers.

Tatiana Day

Tatiana Day is a strategic communications, marketing and brand expert with over 20 years’ experience spanning media, agencies and corporate leadership. Beginning her career as a journalist with News Corp and the Nine Network across Queensland, Tatiana later held senior roles in global agencies and corporations throughout the UK, Europe and Australia, leading multi‑million‑dollar campaigns and managing substantial reputational matters across finance, tech, FMCG, aviation and not‑for‑profit sectors. Known for her data‑driven approach and collaborative leadership style, she has consistently delivered enhanced brand positioning, operational efficiencies and measurable growth.

Daryl Raven

Daryl brings to the Board considerable experience activating major events to drive, social and cultural impact, regional economic development. Currently Daryl plays a leading role with Queensland Music Festival (QMF) as the organisations CEO, delivering the internationally recognised Qld Music Trails, as well as other events and initiatives.

Daryl has a strong track record in leading strategies which curate new, as well as scale existing, place-based events that generate meaningful community engagement and measurable impact.
With a strong network across State and Local Government, tourism and the arts, Daryl brings strategic insight into evolving tourism trends, brand positioning, and regional growth opportunities.

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 Joe Natoli, 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.

Cr Joe Natoli

Cr Joe Natoli is the Sunshine Coast Division 4 Councillor. Moving with his family to the Sunshine Coast in 1970, Cr Natoli is a well-known and respected member of the Sunshine Coast community, having run several successful retail businesses, held a numerous leadership and civic roles over more than 30 years. Cr Joe was first elected as a councillor to the Maroochy Shire Council in 1997, serving three terms and was the last serving Mayor of Maroochy Shire Council up until its amalgamation into the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in 2008. Cr Joe unsuccessfully contested the first election of the newly formed Sunshine Coast Regional Council. In March 2020 Cr Joe was successfully elected as Division 4 Councillor for the Sunshine Coast Council, was re-elected in 2024 and continues to serve in that role.

Achievements

Achievements for the Board during 2023-24 include:

The portfolio of sponsored Major Events for this financial year achieved the highest economic impact to date with an estimated $112.6 million in economic impact and an estimated return on investment of 1:36.
As a result of a large portfolio of over 70 events plus the inclusion of the Aussies, all other economic targets were exceeded, with the total number of visitors, local spend by event organisers, and number of full-time equivalent jobs supported also setting new records.
22 sponsorship applications were considered by the Board during the year and 36 individual events were secured and endorsed by Council.
Support to the local events industry with the Major Events portfolio consisting of 74 hosted events.
EventsConnect, the local events industry supplier directory and business-to-business portal continues to make progress with the platform attracting 52 new supplier listings, with a total of 148 suppliers now listed as of 30 June 2024.