2018-02-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              6 FEBRUARY 2018


To achieve in just one year a 59.22% increase in the combined value of tickets sold, a 41.83%
increase in the number of tickets sold and a 12.27% increase in the average price of tickets sold
is a tremendous effort from The J team. The impressive results can be attributed to sourcing
higher quality shows, securing more performances than the year prior and doing a great job of
promoting and selling the shows.

It should be noted that a vast majority of performances at The J are promoter shows. This means
that while The J can improve commission earnt on ticket sales and benefit from improved bar
sales at busier shows, the centre doesn’t keep a majority of the additional ticketing revenue earnt
by increasing shows’ occupancy levels. That said, it is still a great achievement and has benefit
for the centre.

BCC

The Main Hall is leased by Noosa Gymnastics Club with the current renovation/extension works
expected to be completed around April 2018. The Demountable building is leased by Education
for Generations (EFG) Noosa Montessori School with negotiations underway for EFG to
permanently hire the Annexe building with the aim to negotiate a lease by 2020. The Annexe’s
occupancy has continued to decline over recent times with only two regular hirers remaining at
the end of calendar year 2017 and as such, permanent usage by Noosa Montessori provides a
good outcome for Council and the school alike.

3.    STAFFING

The J staff also oversee BCC’s operations, therefore this component of the report is combined for
both venues. Staffing levels are currently at 4.7 FTE which is considered extremely efficient when
compared to other similar venues.

Whilst the budget has been adapted to account for the ongoing growth in activity, there is still
pressure on staffing capacity and costs; as activity increases, so too do employee costs.

4.    SYSTEMS & PROCESSES AND OTHER MATTERS

Regular reviews and updating of operational systems and processes is ongoing and will continue
with reference to the service review and business plan. The J is currently reviewing its ticketing
system and may look to assess alternative options over coming months.

The capital works project to increase theatre/auditorium seating capacity by 64 to a total of 402
seats has proven a success, with ongoing support and positive feedback. This mezzanine area is
also utilised as a meeting space when not utilised as part of the theatre seating.

AV equipment has been renewed through capital works funding ($30k), including LED lighting for
the theatre which is more efficient both operationally and energy wise.

The J’s website (www.thej.com.au) was completely overhauled during the last quarter and now
offers patrons a much improved online experience. A split image of the new website’s homepage
is shown below:




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