Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to pick from the past to face the future

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to pick from the past to face the future
Image: The Qantas "gay380" contingent in this year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. (PHOTO: Ann-Marie Calilhanna; Star Observer)

SYDNEY Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will make greater use of volunteers’ skills and reunite its office and workshop in an effort to bring the festival to surplus — effectively reversing a number of changes made to the organisation over the last five years.

In an interview with the Star Observer, acting chief executive Michele Bauer also said the sheer size of the parade, as well as wave of construction in Sydney, would inevitably have an effect on the future shape of the festival.

[showads ad=MREC]The discussion comes as Mardi Gras officially announces its festival dates for 2016 with the parade and party taking place on Saturday, March 5.

Going forward, Bauer said Mardi Gras will make more use of volunteers’ professional expertise.

This follows a blow-out in staffing costs which was cited as one of the major factors behind 2014’s $178,000 loss.

Since then a number of employees have been let go and, last month, Mardi Gras treasurer Damien Hodgkinson told the Star Observer that staff savings of $65,000 would begin to be realised in the coming year.

“It’s not about taking up the slack, it’s actually recognising the power of being a volunteer,” Bauer said.

She said solicitors or human resources professionals, for instance, might like to share their knowledge.

“There are a lot of people out there who are highly skilled who do want to utilise those skills for the benefit of the community.”

According to the group’s annual reports, employee wages grew by more than $150,000 between 2012 and 2014 while permanent staff numbers doubled between 2013 and 2014.

Around the same time there were grumblings from some that many previous volunteer positions, which were relatively highly skilled and available year-round, had been cut.

“There is merit in going back to that, there are people out there who would love to do half a day a week over how many months,” Bauer said.

So, did the organisation overexpand when it came to staff?

“That’s a hard question,” Bauer said.

“I won’t ever understand what those full set of circumstances are so I can only sit where I sit now and that’s what I have to base my decisions on.”

In 2010, Mardi Gras left its previous base in Sydney’s inner west, with administrative staff moving to Oxford St while the workshop – where many of the parade’s famous floats are created – was left without a permanent home.

“We can’t do as much because we have to move everything out of storage, then we have finite time to build, then we have to pack everything back up and that doesn’t give as much time and space to community groups,” Bauer said.

A return to the inner west is on the cards, said Bauer.

“As important as Oxford St will always be, and clearly the parade will be here, at the same time it is very important to remarry what we do.”

She also said the parade had effectively reached capacity and questions would have to be asked about its future shape.

More than 10,500 people in 144 entries took part in 2015 and, according to Bauer, “if you saw the parade from the rooftops down, the street was packed, they were back to the shop fronts with people”.

“The answer may be that’s its actually perfect the way it is or the answer may be turning the parade around, there are multiple solutions but the city is changing,” she said.

“Tram lines are going in, the Entertainment Centre is being rebuilt, the whole city is in a massive change phase so that ultimately is going to affect us.”

Mardi Gras will hold an extraordinary general meeting regarding proposed change to its constitution on August 8.

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3 responses to “Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to pick from the past to face the future”

  1. Dear “Truth”,

    Yes, let’s not get carried away here. It would have been preferable if the previous CEO HAD increased revenue tenfold. So let’s start this with a little fact.

    Here are the revenue figures from the publically available annual reports from the Mardi Gras website: http://www.mardigras.org.au/organisation/

    2009 – $4,974,282 Expense: 4,584,382 Result: 389,900
    2010 – Revenue: 4,251,283, expense: 4,826,910 Result: (575,627)
    ENTER NEW CEO
    2011 – 3,814,976 Expense: $3,948,654 Result: ($133,678)
    2012 – 4,202,468 Expense: $4,275,525 Result: ($73,057)
    (increase of $400K in revenue due to Sponsorship and grants)
    2013 – 4,331,817 Expense: $4,286,124 Result: $45,693
    (increase of $110K on Sponsorship and grants)
    2014 – Revenue: 4,772,598 Expense: $4,959,241 Result: ($177,644)
    (increase in revenue of $350K in sponsorship)
    2015 – TBD
    ENTER ACTING CEO

    What it does show is an overall decrease in revenue over the previous 5 years but a sharp increase in sponsorship revenues (in 2009 sponsorship was a little over $1M in 2014 this accounts for nearly $1.7M in revenue). It actually means that the organisation has LOST nearly a million dollars year on year from other revenue sources. So with this in mind I would hardly make the claim that the resigned CEO increased revenue ten-fold.

    Onto your second point that the “Acting” CEO is a puppet for the board and YOU haven’t seen any evidence of qualification. The board discussed at length at the AGM the process around the CEO recruitment and I believe an independent talent broker was used against set criteria to fill the position. I know that the current ACTING CEO went through that process and passed the criteria set. As for being a “Puppet” for the board, don’t the membership elect the BOARD to define the strategic direction of the company and the CEO implements that direction? I believe that is correct, which means if the CEO is a “puppet” for the board than in fact she is doing her job. I would be more concerned if the BOARD were the puppets of the CEO.

    Your third point implies (and I may be wrong) that the organisation does not allow their volunteers to be empowered enough to do a good job. That the fear of a non-paid volunteer over-shadowing the staff would question the management of said staff and the organisation? Is this what you think?

    And your final point that the festival should be run by the city and not the board or staff is an interesting one. At the last AGM a motion to that effect was put and much debate amongst the community ensured until the AGM where the motion was subsequently and quickly dropped. This is not what the community want.

    Finally, egos – speedos. Yes, ego’s exists in every workplace, but I can honestly say from the brief interactions I’ve had with this current board (and CEO) that this is one of the most down to earth, non-ego gratifying group of people I have seen at the helm for a decade.

    I too am waiting for the Annual Report, but not for the same reasons you are (ie: to find some glaringly obvious shining light towards Mis-management that you can harp on about for the next year with little or no fact) but to read how the group of VOLUNTEERS that are the current board are setting the strategy for the transformation of this organisation which will see it into the next decade.

    So truth, I guess I’ll be seeing you at the next EGM/AGM? Or are you not concerned enough to be a member?

  2. Lets not get carried away here. The last CEO increased Mardi Gras revenue ten fold. The current “Acting” CEO is a puppet for the board with nothing but production experience. I havent seen any details or evidence that this current CEO is actually skilled for the role. Volunteers are good when they are good but when they are made to feel empowered and worth more than the stuff it creates a question of management. I am waiting to see the full financial report and then the truth behind the mis management will be out there.

    The festival should be run by the city not egos of the Board and CEO.

  3. The last CEO took cash reserves from $1,600,000 to $600,000. He was the million dollar CEO. Let’s hope Michele can turn this trend around or Mardi Gras will be gone.