Eventful times at Events Centre

When you first meet The Event Centre's general manager Gary Mears, you are immediately taken with his gentle persona. He is a quietly spoken man, but behind this very humble exterior is a man on a mission. 

The Sunshine Coast was fortunate to entice Gary here five years ago. He has an impressive background and, prior to relocating to the Sunshine Coast, was the Civic Centre Manager in Ipswich where he was lauded for his work in transforming arts and entertainment in the region. 

When Gary arrived in June 2013, the Events Centre had seven events on sale at the time. Fast forward five years, and the change is almost unbelievable.

“At this very moment there are 63 ticketed events on sale at the Events Centre”, Gary said.

It’s an impressive result and one which has come about due to a very determined and planned strategy. One that has seen him work hand in hand with the Sunshine Coast Council, who have provided unwavering commitment and financial support to the continual upgrade and improvement of the venue.

Recognising that the Events Centre serves the whole region, a rebrand was undertaken and “Sunshine Coast” replaced “Caloundra” in its name. This has had the desired effect of giving the venue broader regional appeal. So much so that last weekend they had, 15,000 people through the venue.

And the flow-on effect of attracting 15,000 people to the venue is enormous.

“We bring more people to the Caloundra CBD annually than any other business activity and this benefits the whole region, from the people who provide services and produce for our catering, to increased employment, accommodation and so much more,” Gary said.

Gary believes the reason for the success of the Events Centre lies in having a great team, collaboration and having a vision – one that sees all stakeholders and the public working together and supporting the venue.

“There was a time when, if you wanted entertainment, you went to Brisbane and now that has reversed. We have a huge number of people coming from Brisbane to see our shows – and they are not just coming for the evening – they are staying the whole weekend”, Gary said.

The biggest show the Events Centre has held to date was the Wiggles. The three shows sold out in a record two-and-a-half-hours with a total of 2500 tickets sold. And it was also the first time everything was completely transacted online.

As the Events Centre forges ahead, Gary advised that the venue will close for approximately four months from mid-December to April 2019 where the centre will undergo a $6 million-dollar refurbishment.

There will be an upgrade to the acoustics in the main theatre, improved accessibility, a new Porte Cochere that will allow guests to be dropped off and picked up at the door, as well as improvements to lighting, sound and other production facilities.

All of this comes on top of the new seating in the main theatre and improved facilities for performing artists.

Working together with Visit Sunshine Coast, Gary and his team attracted the Australian Macadamia Conference to the Sunshine Coast last year which has helped to put us on the map as an event destination for national conferences.

"Part of the vision is for the Events Centre to be seen as competitive and as attractive as any other venue in Australia," Gary explained.

Based on his performance to date, there is little doubt that Gary will achieve this objective as he pushes The Events Centre to reach new heights delivering outstanding events for all of the region to enjoy.