Whenever an event takes place on the main oval of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the operational organisation of it falls on the shoulders of Lizzie Gregory (OM 1993).
Having made her start working in ticket sales at the Arts Centre Melbourne while at university, today Lizzie is the Executive Manager of Event Operations at the MCG, where she oversees everything from ticketing to customer service, staffing and logistics.
The events she manages include the AFL Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test, and major musical performances such as this year’s blockbuster Taylor Swift concerts.
Creating the experience of a lifetime
“At every event at the MCG, we aim to get people in as quickly and as safely and securely as possible, help them to have a good experience while they are here and make sure they are able to leave safely and securely,” says Lizzie. “I love the variety in my job, being able to work with so many different people, and the fact that no two days are the same.”
By the time Lizzie arrives at work at 6.00am on AFL Grand Final day, there will already be around 1,000 people waiting to enter the MCG.
“When the game starts, that’s probably the easiest part of the day,” she explains, adding that in 2023, the event included overseeing the bussing in of 500 children who performed in the pre-match entertainment, organising the logistics of the Prime Minister’s attendance, and the management of around 700 casual support staff. “Our aim is always to make the experience frictionless for the patrons, so they can just concentrate on the event and enjoy the day.”
While the AFL Grand Final is a regular event for Lizzie’s team, hosting the 96,000 fans who came to see Taylor Swift for her three performances required a full year of planning, leading up to a fortnight of extremely long days before the shows.
“We knew that for many Swifties, the concert was going to be one of the most important days of their lives, so we wanted to show them respect and make sure their experience was as memorable and beautiful as possible,” says Lizzie. “For example, we gave our staff MCG friendship bracelets to give to the fans as they were entering the venue.
“We also planned for those we knew would be listening to the concert from outside the venue in Yarra Park, which turned out to be around 20,000 people, and provided suitable infrastructure so they could enjoy their time there.”
To make sure complex events like these run smoothly, it’s clear that Lizzie’s role requires both flexibility and a willingness to go above and beyond.
“Probably one of my most rewarding days at work was the accessibility familiarisation day we ran before the Taylor Swift concert,” she says. “Anyone who had booked an accessible seat was invited to come to the MCG while there was no crowd, so they’d know how to get in and out, where their nearest bathroom was, and how to get through security. It was so rewarding to see them all enjoying it.”
It all started at Grimwade House
“At Grimwade, we were always encouraged to have a go at everything,” says Lizzie. “You became a sort of ‘renaissance person’ while you were there, and that approach has been highly influential in my life and in my career.”
“I was in the first cohort of girls to attend Grimwade from Prep to Year 6, and I feel really lucky to have been a part of that experience,” she says. “I’m still in contact with all of those women, and we recently had a 30-year reunion attended by everyone who was in the country.”
