Transforming Sydney’s famous charity long lunch into a wonderland.
In 2019, Sony Foundation partnered with GPJ to produce their 11th Wharf4Ward long lunch to raise funds for the youth cancer program, You Can.
Nothing matches the excitement, exclusivity and experience of this one-of-a-kind lunch that brings together world-class Sony music artist performances, three stages, and premium dining from six of Sydney’s most exclusive restaurants.
As a charity fundraising event, we needed to ensure this event delivered to budget and provided the atmosphere that encouraged guests to open their hearts and give generously to this great cause.
While Woolloomooloo Wharf provides a stunning stage for the event, its heritage status means that extra care and consideration is needed when designing and executing this event.
We also needed to provide a truly special and memorable experience for our most important guests: a group of You Can patients.
We used the idea of ‘Wonderland’ to guide how we approached designing the experience. Wonderland provided a platform to curate an experience filled with colour and vibrancy, delivering a message of hope and optimism for the youth dealing with cancer.
Our aim was to deliver an afternoon that provided the patients with a much needed respite from their battle as well as entertainment for our guests.
Working with a charity, we needed to generate maximum bang for our buck and not overspend to bring this experience to life. Sony artists and media personalities generously donated their time to host and drive the bidding through the program.
Talented young performers took over the wharf in several high-energy, colourful performances, tying program segments together and delivering unexpected moments throughout the afternoon.
On the day, 1,000 guests from the media and entertainment industry were treated to a delicious lunch across six restaurants with entertainment and world-class performances by Sony Music artists Tones and I, Jessica Mauboy, Stan Walker, Samantha Jade and Brad Cox.
Better still, the event surpassed previous donation records and raised over $1,520,000 in order to build the fifth and largest You Can cancer centre in Sydney. The new facility will be the first of its kind to provide accommodation for 15-25yo regional cancer patients and their families.