About Sports Gold Coast

Sports Gold Coast in 30 seconds

Nine years’ old

SGC is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, established in 2015 by a group of Gold Coast business leaders to support council in its implementation of the Gold Coast Sport Plan. Our day-to-day operations are funded by members, not by council, government or sporting bodies.

Powerful networks

SGC connects the business community to sport through corporate functions, forums, exclusive boardroom and networking events. Member funds are used to support Gold Coast sports projects and are entirely for public purpose.

Collaborations

We collaborate with several entities: Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame; Sports House; Gold Coast Recreation and Sport; Gold Coast Academy of Sport.

Gold Standard

VISIONARY

For the Gold Coast to be internationally renowned for our vibrant, flourishing sports culture and as an outstanding destination for successful sporting events.

Our vision guides
The pursuit of our goals and strategic decision making.

Golden Years

To unite the business community and harness its power through sport to create strategies that deliver lasting benefits and legacies for the Gold Coast.

Our purpose guides
Advertising copy • taglines • website content • EDM content • presentations & speeches • visual media • marketing collateral • social media posts

What we do

Sports Gold Coast connects business to sport and communities through;

Leadership

SGC leads by launching fresh initiatives and setting achievable goals that create new opportunities for sport and business.

Advocacy

Our influential network and connections enable effective advocacy. By working with governments, institutions and businesses we unveil common objectives, shared values and work towards favourable policy.

Promotion

SGC promotes its members, projects and the city itself through online, offline and experiential activities or events.

Education

SGC keeps members and stakeholders up to date on SGC projects and sport matters facing the city. Regular communication ensures SGC’s various audiences are engaged and mobilised, along with positioning SGC as thought leaders and advocates.

The critical mass

SPORTS GOLD COAST IN ACTION

Collaborations and functioning partnerships are key building blocks for the work we do. The groundwork is already laid.

To scale SGC and grow our operation means management tools and a network heavy with human capital must be in place.

Our critical mass is centred on partnerships in the business, education and community sectors, in sport and all levels of government.

These collaborations contribute resources, knowledge, revenue and closer community ties.

Efficacy relies on an alignment of values and goals. The commitment to our vision and purpose are key to the continued health of our collaborations.

Partnerships are the catalysts for growth, the pillars of sustainability and drivers of outcomes

How we do it

We use our powerful networks of mobilised, capable, well-connected people to bring projects to life.

Gold Coast Sports Awards

We bring the community together for the annual gala dinner celebrating local grassroots and elite sportspeople, along with those who service sport in various industries.

Networking events

A casual but strategic get together with members of the business and sport community for Sports Gold Coast members and board.

‘Bring To The Table’ events

Project-focused intimate boardroom lunches where SGC Members and the board each bring an interested party for high level project-specific discussion and problem-solving.

White papers

We release two white papers per year either focused on potential projects, or examining an issue impacting sport on the Gold Coast.

Media

Our board and members are positioned as go-to media talent for comment on issues impacting local sport, events and the business of sport.

Strategy meetings

We meet regularly to discuss strategic matters.

Why we do it

We want our city to flourish and our community to have access to top class facilities, events and athletes. To be known as a great sporting city is a driver of economic success.

To bring the community together

Our projects are co-designed by the sport community, the business community and all levels of government. We’re stronger and more effective when we work together.

To help improve our city

When we bring a project to life, recognise our heroes or create new infrastructure, it improves our city’s liveability and appeal.

To enrich our community

Sport is one of social cohesion’s most powerful tools. Unity around common goals driven by shared values is a force for good. It encourages people to contribute to the team effort.

To celebrate our heroes

We want our future generations to be inspired by the ones who went before them. Recognising past and present sportspeople is central to our story.

To add to the city’s identity

Creating opportunities for participation, pathways to professionalism or bringing top live events add to our identity and local pride.

To create a legacy for our members

Our members can create a lasting legacy of their contribution to the Gold Coast’s economic, sporting and cultural development.

It’s all about S.P.O.R.T.

BRAND PILLARS

 Sport brings people together and that’s why S.P.O.R.T makes up the pillars of our brand. It acts as our cultural compass and shapes how we deal with the community, our stakeholders and each other. To make it work, our brand pillars are aligned to demonstrable actions that encapsulate and embody it

SUPPORT

We aim to create new openings or enhance existing programs with tools, resources and access to our network. We want athletes and sporting bodies to focus on what they do best - building skills and mental resilience

SUPPORT IS

    Selfless

    Purposeful

    Advocacy

    Encouraging

SUPPORT ISN’T

    Selfish

    Unethical

    Irrational

    Judgemental

PROGRESS

Ambition and energy lay the pathway to progress. We challenge ourselves, take risks and think beyond conventions so those we support can achieve excellence. Competing against our own past performance drives us on

PROGRESS IS

    Active

    Development

    Ethical

    Constant

PROGRESS ISN’T

    Passive

    Destructive

    Ideological

    Temporary

OPPORTUNITY

From progress comes fresh opportunity. We seek, identify and embrace new possibilities. Value is created through new pathways, strategic relationships and genuine partnerships we can assign to sports and sportspeople

OPPORTUNITY IS

    Energising

    Authentic

    Enabling

    Foresight

OPPORTUNITY ISN’T

    Passive

    Manufactured

    Marketing

    Limited

RESILIANCE

Resiliance is born from our shared values, sense of community, learning from mistakes and desire to make our projects a success. It manifests as solidarity, courage, kindness and respect. It’s at the heart of our culture and rightly so.

RESILIANCE IS

    Leadership

    Determination

    Strength

    Rallying

RESILIANCE ISN’T

    Following

    Memories

    Fickle

    Submission

TEAMWORK

Collaborative problem-solving leads to innovation and better outcomes. Teamwork shares the load while encouraging personal growth, confidence and easing stress. Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something

TEAMWORK IS

    Selfless

    Integrity

    Collective

    Unity

TEAMWORK ISN’T

    Selfish

    Unethical

    Individual

    Division

Who we are

Geoff Smith

An experienced, well-respected Gold Coast lawyer and notary, Geoff has practised law on the Gold Coast since 1978. He was the senior partner for Bell Legal Group for 28 years before joining Clive Palmer’s corporate group as Managing Director of Legal for nine years.

He retired in March 2015 and devoted a substantial part of his time to the development of SGC as well as serving on other community boards including the Gold Coast Eisteddfod, Regional Development Australia and the GC Sporting Hall of Fame.

Garry Goodman

Garry is a successful Gold Coast businessman and  actively involved in the promotion and growth of Gold Coast sport in all its facets.

He has been president of several AFL sports clubs and president of the AFL junior Gold Coast clubs.

Garry founded National Management Group, which is today the parent company to thirteen brands now rebranded under the Eximm Group.

Recently, he was appointed as a director on the Disability Sport Australia Board, further solidifying his commitment to inclusive sports initiatives.

Joanne Bergamin

Joanne is a Non-Executive Director of ASX-listed gold explorer, Sunshine Metals, and a seasoned communications and sustainability professional with expertise across the resources and energy sectors in Queensland – most notably with miner QEM Limited, Arrow Energy, and the national Women in Sustainable Energy & Resources (WISER) network which she founded and chairs. She moved to Italy in 2007, living and working in Rome and the Vatican for thirteen years, including as a journalist for the Pope’s newspaper. Joanne is published in various online and print publications. She holds Bachelors of Arts and Commerce, and an MBA, all awarded by the University of Queensland where she also completed a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Energy in 2022. Joanne was born and bred on the Gold Coast and heavily involved in the local tennis circuit.

Tony Mullen

Tony has over 20 years’ experience in the sports, events and entertainment industries.

He is COO of Events Management Queensland which developed the Gold Coast Marathon into Australia’s first World Athletics Gold Label race and also built the Pan Pacific Masters Games into the world’s biggest biennial masters games.

These two events collectively generate over $60 million in economic activity and 200,000 room nights. Tony holds a Bachelor of Business, is a member of the Certified Practising Accountants of Australia and has an MBA from the University of Cambridge. His Cambridge dissertation evaluated governance structures in world sporting organisations.

Geoff Bower
CEO 

Geoff Bower is the Chief Executive Officer of Sports Gold Coast and a passionate advocate for advancing sport across the region. With a strong focus on collaboration and community outcomes, Geoff leads the organisation’s mission to connect business, government, education, and sport to create a thriving and inclusive sporting ecosystem.

Under his leadership, Sports Gold Coast has progressed and launched major initiatives such as the Gold Coast Sports Awards, Women in Sport campaigns, and the Grow for Gold Program — all designed to celebrate local talent, build stronger pathways, and support the next generation of leaders in sport.

Well-connected across commercial and community sectors, Geoff is known for his strategic thinking, ability to build lasting partnerships, and commitment to growing sport as a catalyst for social and economic impact.

Danika Goodman
Operations

Danika Goodman is an accomplished community development specialist and creative events professional passionate about driving meaningful impact through sport. 

In her role with Sports Gold Coast, Danika oversees the delivery of key initiatives that connect business, government, education, and sport. She plays a central role in the planning and execution of high-profile events while also supporting membership growth and strategic partnerships that drive the organisation’s long-term vision.

With an expansive network spanning grassroots clubs, elite athletes, corporate partners, and national sporting bodies, Danika is a trusted connector across the industry.