ONJ Gala a night of glamour and inspiration

‘A star-studded spectacular!’ can only describe the ONJ Gala 2017 held on Friday night at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium. A touching evening of fun, glamour and true inspiration with special guests John Farnham, Delta Goodrem, Dami Im, Daryl Braithwaite, Mark Seymour and of course, Olivia Newton-John.

The glittering event, held as an annual celebration of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre’s worthy achievements, also acts as an integral fundraiser to support the continued Wellness and Supportive Care Programs that complement medical treatment, helping patients through their cancer journey. This year’s fundraising target is a staggering $1.4 million.

Almost 700 VIPs, influential business leaders, sponsors, philanthropists and fans came together to celebrate and enjoy first-class entertainment, a three-course dinner, auctions and more. Olivia bravely shared her most recent battle with cancer in a poignant onstage interview with MC, television presenter Richard Wilkins.

Austin Health again partnered with Staging Connections to ensure that Melbourne’s Crown Palladium ballroom was perfectly anointed with all of the necessary technical and design aspects of the event – set to a glitzy ‘Masquerade Ball’ theme.

The Staging Connections team worked closely with suppliers to create a remarkable and truly special occasion. The theme was integrated into all of the design, featuring a lavish deep blue and purple décor with metallic accents. Dramatic drapery enveloped the room, along with elegant floral displays and table centrepieces.

A custom 4m wide ‘inverted chandelier’ with elaborate fringed beading dazzled in the centre of the ballroom, while specialised lighting displays, an LED wall, roving cameras, and eight projectors and screens connected the entire audience in the celebrations.

Each of the incredible performances by the high-profile entertainment held on the central stage had custom production requirements, which transitioned seamlessly with the help of 40 intelligent moving light fixtures.

Austin Health's Fundraising Team acknowledged the exceptional standard of the entire production, “This has been a standout event, with so much support for Olivia and her extraordinary cause. Every aspect of the evening was meticulously designed and the program ran flawlessly. We could not be happier”.