Overview
The Million Dollar Lunch is one of Australia’s most prestigious charity fundraising events. With a legacy spanning more than two decades, the challenge each year is to create something extraordinary for an audience that returns expecting a world-class experience.
In 2026, Encore partnered with Crown and the Children’s Cancer Foundation to deliver Through the Pages, an immersive creative production that invited guests into a world where storytelling, art, imagination and philanthropy came together. The result was a visually spectacular fundraising experience that delighted guests and helped deliver an outstanding fundraising outcome.
Objective
To create a premium fundraising experience that felt entirely new while honouring the significance of the Million Dollar Lunch and its mission to support children and families impacted by cancer.
The experience needed to engage an audience of returning guests, inspire generosity, and create unforgettable moments that would encourage interaction, conversation and emotional connection throughout the event.
The Challenge
After years of successful Million Dollar Lunch events, creating something genuinely fresh required more than a new theme. Every element needed to work together as part of a larger narrative while maintaining the sophistication expected by guests and stakeholders.
The creative team also needed to balance immersive physical environments, entertainment, fundraising moments and large-scale visual storytelling without overwhelming the event’s purpose.
Solutions and Approach
Working collaboratively with Crown and the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Encore developed Through the Pages, a concept centred around a journey of kindness, courage and transformation. Drawing inspiration from grand European gardens, classical artwork and beautifully illustrated storybooks, the creative direction created an atmosphere that felt immersive, elegant and unexpected.
The guest journey began long before attendees entered the ballroom. Floral installations, antique-inspired features, living statues, topiary-lined walkways and immersive garden environments guided guests through a series of carefully curated spaces, building anticipation for what lay ahead.
Inside Palladium, a custom-designed visual landscape gradually sketched itself to life across the room before transforming into a vibrant painted vista. Throughout the afternoon, the environment evolved from daylight to sunset, dusk and evening, synchronised with key performances, fundraising highlights and prize presentations. A large-scale suspended LED feature extended this storytelling above the audience, creating a seamless connection between the creative content and the physical environment.
