05
Programme Builder8–12 weeks

Themed Annual Events

Eight to ten events that anchor the year, drive engagement, and feed every other revenue line.

Profit margin15–25%blended on tickets and catering
200-home village$10,500annual revenue
Time to launch8–12 weeks
The case for it

A planned year of themed evenings — Australia Day, ANZAC breakfast, Mother's Day morning tea, Christmas in July, Father's Day, Melbourne Cup, Halloween, Christmas Carols — plus ticketed cultural nights (Valentine's, St Patrick's, Oktoberfest). Tickets pre-sold via Square, food catered or volunteer-prepared, BYO drinks, raffles drawn at each event. The programme is the heartbeat of village life — and it directly feeds the raffle and F&B revenue initiatives.

Average revenue by village size.

VillageAnnual revenueAnnual profitHours / week (team)
100 homes$5,250$1,0503 hrs / week
200 homes$10,500$2,1004 hrs / week
300 homes$15,750$3,1504–5 hrs / week

Figures assume a programme of 8 events per year, ~$1,800 average ticket and catering revenue per event, 20% blended margin.

Benefits to the village.

  1. Anchors residents to the village. Events are the strongest predictor of long-term retention.

  2. Reduces social isolation; events create the conditions for friendships.

  3. Marketing magnet. Prospective buyers visit during open events and feel the community.

  4. Drives every other revenue initiative — raffles, F&B, advertising, sponsorship all flow through events.

Setup actions.

  1. Form an events sub-committee

    3–5 members. Plan the year's calendar across 8–10 events with seasonal anchors and themed cultural nights.

  2. Confirm public liability insurance

    Most existing association policies cover events organised by the association — check with your insurer.

  3. Take out an APRA AMCOS Community Music Group licence

    ~$340/year. Covers recorded and live music across every event.

  4. Run residents-and-guests with BYO drinks

    Avoids liquor licensing. If you want to sell alcohol, apply for a Community Liquor Permit at least 21 days ahead.

  5. Set ticket prices to cover catering plus a 20% buffer

    Pre-sale gives you the headcount and the cash before the night.

  6. Sell tickets via BillabongLife with Square

    Pre-sale gives you the headcount and the cash before the night.

Operating model.

Plan the calendar 6 months ahead so residents can put dates in their diaries. Open ticket sales 4 weeks out; close sales 3 days before to lock catering numbers. Run a 4-person event crew per night (set-up, food, bar, MC). Treasurer reconciles ticket revenue, catering cost, prize cost, and music licence apportionment after each event. Build a year-on-year benchmark — which events sell out, which need reformatting, which to retire.

Where BillabongLife fits.

The software side

Pre-sold ticketing, automated event marketing, volunteer rostering.

Ticketing pre-sells events with Square — revenue and headcount locked in before the night. Marketing automation reminds residents about upcoming events. Volunteer rostering keeps the event crew on the right night. BillabongTV runs the on-screen promo.

Gold tierTicketing & meal orderingPre-sells events with Square. Revenue and headcount locked in before the night.
Gold tierMarketing automationReminds residents about upcoming events. Lapsed-attender nudges keep attendance up.
Gold tierVolunteer rosteringKeeps the event crew on the right night.
Gold tierBillabongTV signagePromotes upcoming events on clubhouse displays.
Tier recommendationThis initiative largely justifies the upgrade to Gold by itself. The ticketing, marketing automation and BillabongTV are all Gold-tier features.
Want one of these?

A tailored playbook for your village.

Tell us your size and stage and we'll send a costed proposal with revenue projections specific to your village, plus a 30-minute call.