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SuperCarnivale Puts The Band Back Together

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Like Jake and Elwood Blues in the cult 1980 move The Blues Brothers, the team at this year’s SuperCarnivale on the Gold Coast have put their ”band back together” to form the strongest management group in the event’s history.

A total of six of the event’s most successful management personnel have come together as one for the first time and are working around the clock to build the framework for a fresh and spectacular event to be officially launched into the market next month and then run from October 22-24 on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

The group will be joined by a dynamic and energetic marketing and events team which has already played a major role in the success of a myriad of other sporting and entertainment events around the country.

The management team will be headed by V8 Supercars Australia Chairman, Tony Cochrane, and V8 Supercar Events General Manager, Shane Howard. They will work alongside some familiar names such as former event Chief Executive Officer Geoff Jones, Chief Financial Officer Ken Jeffress, Engineering mastermind John Howe and Communications specialist, Brett “Crusher” Murray.

“The event business is about people and I think we have managed to assemble the best Australia has to offer as we create an event with a totally new look and feel which will aptly be known as the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale,” said Cochrane.

“We have the involvement of some very well-known faces which is already helping instill confidence back into the market place. People need to know we are serious about making this the best event in Australia with a unique international feel, that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world.

“We have a lot of surprises to be announced at next month’s official launch, but in the meantime we are keen to let everyone know the event is in great hands and we are working flat out to produce a family, community, fan and tourist-friendly event that will not only be spectacular, but value for money.”

The group got together for one of their weekly management meetings today at V8 Supercar headquarters at Nerang on the Gold Coast.

“This group of people were all active in the former “glory days” of the Gold Coast event and every one of them is passionate about taking the event beyond anything that has been experienced before,” said Howard.

“Basically we have decided to start with a clean sheet of paper and it has been fantastic to see the ideas flowing. Every one of these people treat this event as their own and they want it to be something every Queenslander can be proud of.

“We have a lot of work to do, but that is not something that scares any member of our team.”

The V8 Supercar Championship Series will continue with the Clipsal 500 on the streets of Adelaide this weekend after a successful opening two rounds in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain last month. The Gold Coast SuperCarnivale will take place from October 22-24 on the streets of the Gold Coast.

A SNAP SHOT OF THE MANAGEMENT GROUP

Tony Cochrane – Cochrane took over as the Chief Executive Officer of the event in 1996 and remained in place until after he launched Sports and Entertainment Limited (SEL) with James Erskine, David Coe and Bazil Scaffidi in 1997. In the meantime he also established V8 Supercars Australia and remains the face of that organisation as its Chairman. His commitment and influence in motorsport is unquestionable, and Cochrane has also produced countless shows and tours including  Grease – The Arena Spectacular, the massively popular Main Event starring John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow and the Broadway hit Hairspray. He has been a Gold Coast resident for more than 20 years.

Shane Howard – Howard was one of the event’s original contractors working with engineers Weathered Howe on the planning and implementation of one of the world’s most logically challenging events. He joined the newly-formed V8 Supercar Events business seven years ago as General Manager which now sees him overseeing eight events on the V8 Supercar calendar including Bathurst, Townsville, Sydney and now the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale.  He was recently appointed to Chief Operating Officer of V8 Supercars Australia. From 2010, Howard also takes on the role of General Manager for the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale.

Geoff Jones – Jones joined the Gold Coast event as Chief Executive Officer in 1998 as Cochrane’s replacement and remained in place until joining the Foster’s Group as National Sales manager in 2002. He remained in that role until 2007 when he was announced as CEO of Ticketek.  He officially joins Sports and Entertainment Limited as a partner next month and will play a major role in the day to day running of the SuperCarnivale with an emphasis on sponsorship negotiations, logistics and future projects.

John Howe – Howe is a born and bred Gold Coaster who played a major role in the original design of the track through his business Weathered Howe. He has had significant input on the track re-design through his current company iEDM and has become regarded as one of the most respected race track and major venue visionaries in the world. Howe is regarded as one of the Gold Coast’s most thorough and influential business leaders – an enviable position he has developed over more than 30 years.

Ken Jeffress – Jeffress joined the Gold Coast event in 1995 as Chief Financial Officer and remained a part of the management team until he moved to the US to take up a major role with Nifco, supplying parts to the automotive industry in Columbus, Ohio. He returned to Australia with his family in 2004 and worked on major entertainment events and in property development before joining joining V8 Supercars and Supercar Events. Notably, Jeffress worked with Tony Cochrane on the development of V8 Supercars and was the category’s first CFO while still in his original role with the event. His extensive event experience and management skills will be invaluable as a new foundation is created for future growth.

Brett “Crusher” Murray – “Crusher” has played an active media role with the event since its inception and has built his BAM Group of companies into an internationally recognised strength in major event media, marketing and management. He continues in the role as the event’s Director of Communications and will be a part of the Management team. Murray has been a Gold Coast resident for more than 20 years and currently operates offices locally as well as in Melbourne and Charlotte, North Carolina. There is not much he does not know about this event.