Client: McGrath Foundation
Event Type: Gala Dinner
Venue: Hordern Pavilion, Fox Studios

The Event
SENSE was selected by the McGrath Foundation to design and produce the Foundation’s bi-annual Gala Dinner. The event was designed to thank supporters and friends of the Foundation and raise funds to continue the deployment of breast care nurses around Australia and educate young woman to become more breast aware.

The brief provided to SENSE was to create a traditional white Christmas. Give supporters a taste of and English Christmas like Jane McGrath and a lot of the McGrath Foundations staff had growing up in various parts of England.

The Idea
The theme for the event became ‘dreaming of a white Christmas’. The Hordern Pavilion was chosen as the venue for its traditional heritage looking exterior, its capacity to seat 1000 people and its enclosed blank canvas to create from the ground up.

To give the room depth a 25 x 25m fairly light canopy was rigged from above with hanging snowflakes and stars. Unique life size LED light sculptures including trees and snowflakes were positioned around the room to add to the mood lighting together with candles flickering against the chrome sphere on each table. A decorated 16ft tree featured on centre stage with a custom made garland trim around the edges of the 40ft stage and hanging LED wreaths were also featured hanging. To top it off, snow machines were rigged high in the ceiling dumping faux snow periodically throughout the evening onto the dance floor.

The evening was hosted by Karl Stefanovic with performances from singing sensation Mark Vincent, Carly Champion and the 50 piece Endeavour Choir. Armondo Hurley and the Funkomatics band brought it home keeping the dance floor full well into the night.

Success
The event was a huge success for the Foundation, the feedback from guests has been overwhelming and the necessary funds raised on the night will continue to place breast care nurses in hospitals around Australia.

Services
Creative Design
Audio Visual/Technical Management
Theming & Production
Entertainment Direction
Script Writing
Show Calling
Logistics & Planning
Onsite Management
Post Event Reporting & Recommendations