16th Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations Breakfast

The brief: 

The Apology Breakfast is an invitation only event held on the anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd 13 February 2008 in The Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra. It is a sit-down breakfast for 400 guests and is attended by politicians, heads of government, corporate leaders and the stolen generations.

The role was hands on end-to-end management of the event in its entirety and to improve on the issues identified by my client, from the previous year’s event management.   



The Client:

The event is hosted by Message Stick Communications and funded by donations.

Since the National Apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008, Michael McLeod, the Founder of Message Stick Communications, convenes a breakfast event to mark this occasion.

The look:

As it’s predominantly a sombre event reflecting on the apology and the progress made over the past years for the stolen generations,

The décor, graphics and florals needed to be respectful and have a predominantly indigenous feel and representation. My idea of reflecting four regions of Australia in the concept: Central and Western Deserts, Tropical North, Torres Strait and Rainforest, Rivers and Bushland, Coastal and Saltwater peoples - translated into a strong and cohesive look and added a symbolic note to the aesthetics.

The scope of work:

My role at the outset was the end-to-end management of the planning and staging of the event, sourcing and coordination of external suppliers, advice and implementation on theming, all creative elements and program design, guest management, ticketing, event marketing, organisation of audio visual, volunteer recruitment and management.

The scope of the job evolved into invitee’s database management and main point of contact for RSVPs and guest questions and updates, exploring the best ticketing system and implementing, travelling to an on-site reccie at the venue, engaging and briefing the florist, graphic designer, photographer and videographer, liaising with on site catering and venue management, choosing the menu, working closely with the in-house techs on all things audio visual, including a live stream cross to Washington, investigating indigenous performance options, sourced indigenous artwork for use in graphics, with the clients input, executed the very strategic table seating arrangements, developed the tight run sheet, managed expectations and requirements of the guests and stakeholders, worked with the security requirements of the venue and the high profile guests, coordinated all the logistics, plus the bump in and out of the venue and completed post event wrap up and communication with attendees and suppliers.

The budget:

The event is funded by donations and the budget was developed based on previous years cost requirements. I kept a running costing sheet, which I updated and shared regularly with my client to keep them aware of how the event was travelling. In the end, I delivered the expected budget costs the client was anticipating for the event.



The outcome:

The breakfast event was an opportunity to celebrate an important moment in Australian history. There were powerful messages from keynote speakers Hon Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, Hon Richard Marles Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence, Ian Hamm, Healing Foundation Board Member, The Hon Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians, Professor Tom Calma AO, Nous Group Director Eamon Ritchie and CareerTrackers Alumnus and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd via live stream from Washington. The event was opened by didgeridoo player and Welcome to Country. Jeff McMullin was MC and a performance by Wamburang First Nations Women's Choir punctuated the event.

The 400 guests included the PM, the Deputy PM, Leader of the Opposition, members of the Stolen Generations, CEOs, Directors and Chairs of Australia’s leading corporates, Government Ministers, Directors General and Federal Departmental Secretaries.

It was an emotional event at times and a poignant reminder of the opportunities to progress reconciliation and an obligation to all guests not to miss moments like these to advocate and engage across the spectrum for positive change.

CLIENT FEEDBACK:

‘I have worked with Louise on a number of projects in several different capacities including interior design, editorial styling and event management. Most recently she led the management of the National Apology Breakfast at Parliament House and brought an amazing event to life.

Louise is a delight to work with! She brings a wonderful creative flair, backed by excellent production and project management skills to everything she does. Her client's requirements, budget and timeframes are always top of mind, and she communicates regularly so you know where the project stands at any time. And when things get a bit crazy, as they often will, Louise is the cool and calm centre setting things straight.

I highly recommend working with Louise.’

Helen Bouropoulos Chief Executive Officer Message Stick Communications