Our Committee

Meet our Team

Introducing the legends behind the Moreton Bay PrideFest, working tirelessly to bring you an LGBTIQAP+ celebration we can all be proud of.

Working alongside our committee is an army of events and marketing professionals (across both Moreton Bay Region Industry & Tourism and Matchsticks Digital) helping bring the PrideFest vision to life.

And of course the Moreton Bay PrideFest would not be possible without the unwavering support of our Strategic Partner Moreton Bay Regional Council and Major Sponsors.

Shane Newcombe

Festival Director

Shane is CEO of Moreton Bay Region Industry & Tourism (MBRIT) and was one of try & Tourism (MBRIT) and was one of the region’s first same-sex marriages back in 2018.

Shane has been with his husband Ethan for 12 years and is a passionate advocate for Moreton Bay Region. He has been the driving force of (finally) getting a Pride event to Moreton Bay and has been advocating behind the scenes for years.

Shane is most excited about the opportunity to connect our region, with services from throughout SEQ that they might not have otherwise known or had access to.

Leading the charge, Shane is the Festival Director and oversees the development and delivery of PrideFest.

Belinda Boyce

Partnerships & Marketing

Belinda is the Founder of Matchsticks Digital, a marketing agency based in the Moreton Bay Region.

Born and raised in Redcliffe, Belinda has been proudly “out” since the age of 18 years and is passionate about empowering others to live their authentic life and be true to themselves, especially the younger generations.

Matchsticks is a team of seven, with three members identifying as LGBTIQAP+ and they are responsible for stakeholder engagement, marketing, media, sponsorship, and ticketing for PrideFest.

Melissa Gooderham

Festival Manager

An ally to the LGBTIQAP+ community, Melissa heads up MBRIT’s Events Department, with her team delivering more than 50 events each year, including the annual Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival, Redcliffe KiteFest, and Jetty 2 Jetty Fun Run plus many more.

Mel loves all things events and in her spare time attends festivals all over the world to gain inspiration and bring them back to Moreton Bay.

Paul Wheeler

Host & Advisor

Host extraordinaire and current holder of the Australian Mr. Bear title, Paul Wheeler is a familiar face of the Brisbane and wider LGBTIQAP+ community.

Paul is the resident Trivia Host at The Wickham, hosts notable events such as Brisbane Pride, Queen’s Ball, and Big Gay Day each year, and is also Moreton Bay’s favourite MC.

We acknowledge the Kabi Kabi, Jinibara and Turrbal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which our celebrations takes place, and we pay our respects to indigenous elders, past, present and emerging.