s hard not to get passionate about the Good Friday Appeal when it’s for such a good cause. The appeal has a special place in the hearts of all Victorians. And when we hear the stories of the trials and triumphs of the kids that the appeal helps, it makes all the hard work entirely worth it.
As an agency, 2016 was our 11th Good Friday Appeal. And for 21 years, our Founder has been an integral part of the Good Friday team. We are extremely proud of the work that we do, and grateful that we can contribute to a truly unique and special event.
But what exactly do we do? Our involvement is so broad that it’s sometimes hard to explain. Essentially it boils down to 3 major roles;
Strategic Event Direction
We are a key part of the leadership team that advise how the event should be run. This includes managing and implementing and accreditation systems that this year saw more than 6000 event staff screened and accredited, developing a site security plan, instigating an event operations centre, and assessing security threats. We manage the overall site plans for the entire MCEC, including indoor and outdoor sites two telecast sites, and back of house.
Telecast Production
Cuckoo works with the Seven Network team to ensure a smooth telecast that runs from 9am to midnight, from multiple sites across the MCEC, the Royal Children’s Hospital, and countless remote sites across the state. We oversee the bump in of all sets, lighting, screens, audio, communuications, talent management, and multiple phone rooms with over 300 operators
Kids Day Out
Kids Day out is the open to public, community face of the Good Friday Appeal. It has grown from a small thank you affair, to a mammoth public event that draws a crowd of over 80,000, takes over the vast majority of the MCEC and includes over 60 different participant organisations, all raising funds that go directly to the appeal. The organisations generously donate their time and infrastructure all in the name of raising more funds for the hospital. We manage all of the individual participants, the physical infrastructure for their activities, accreditation, bump in/out, and advise them on how to best run their activities to maximise donations. It’s a massive task, and keeps getting bigger every year as more organisations line up to get involved.
