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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

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
Chairman

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.

Danika Goodman
CEO

Danika Goodman is a sports executive and strategic leader passionate about strengthening the connection between sport, business and the wider community. As CEO of Sports Gold Coast, Danika leads the organisation’s strategic direction, partnerships, membership and major initiatives, working closely with leaders across business, government, education and sport to create greater opportunities for the Gold Coast sporting community.

With a strong network across grassroots and elite sport, corporate Australia and the broader sporting industry, Danika has built a reputation as a connector who brings people and organisations together around shared opportunities.

Alongside her work with Sports Gold Coast, Danika is also Head of Eximm Sport and an AFLPA Accredited Player Agent, further extending her involvement across athlete management, commercial partnerships and professional sport.

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.

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.

Matthew Krog 

Matt Krog is a Director of Sports Gold Coast and a leading expert in sports law, governance, and strategic development. With a long-standing connection to the Gold Coast sporting community, Matt brings a unique blend of legal expertise and grassroots experience to the Board, having advised athletes, clubs, and organisations for over two decades.

As the founder of Aus Sports Law and a former Director of Rugby League Gold Coast, Matt has built a reputation for driving sustainable growth and practical outcomes across the sector. His insights into funding, governance, and athlete support are instrumental to Sports Gold Coast’s mission to build stronger, more connected sporting communities.

Recognised in 2025 as Commercial Partner of the Year by Lawyers Weekly, Matt is a highly regarded figure both locally and nationally. His leadership continues to shape the future of sport on the Gold Coast — with a strong focus on community impact, opportunity, and innovation.

Lisa Ketjen 

Lisa Ketjen is Head of Corporate Partnerships & Growth at the Chillin Group, a proudly Australian family-owned business with offices throughout South East Queensland.
 
Renowned for her ability to build powerful partnerships across all levels of business. Lisa also champions meaningful community impact, and is a tireless advocate for giving back.
 
Lisa holds board positions at the Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce, Bond University Women’s Network, Swell Sculpture Festival , Lisa is also Chairperson of the Future Lady Tradies Board and is an Ambassador for Sydney Build Women in Construction & a Women in Construction Mental Health Ambassador .
 
Lisa is passionate about her Family, a massive Sports Fan and places great value in supporting the community across work with various Charities and Not for Profits.

Nick Channel 

Nick Channell is the founder of Midfield Advisory, a Gold Coast-based consultancy specialising in commercial partnerships, stakeholder engagement and corporate affairs for sporting organisations. He brings over 14 years of senior leadership experience to the Sports Gold Coast board, most recently as General Manager at Optus across South Queensland and Northern NSW, where he led commercial partnerships across sport, business and not-for-profit sectors, alongside government relations and community engagement initiatives.
 
Nick is currently contracted to Events Management Queensland as Senior Partnerships Manager, supporting the delivery of major events across South East QLD. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he is committed to building the commercial and community foundations that will shape the Gold Coast’s sporting legacy ahead of Brisbane 2032.