Darren ‘Daz’ Hilsley went from a Traralgon country boy living on the dole, to the millionaire founder of a multi-national business, Bogan Bingo Entertainment, running more than 400 events each year. He shares his story with Onya Magazine…
I never really followed a conventional path in life. While other kids were headed to Uni, I had no other plans than to explore the world and see where I landed.
After years travelling Australia and abroad, I ended up managing a backpackers’ bar in Cairns, hosting nightly entertainment for travellers. It was my job to think up Karaoke nights, open mic nights and anything to bring a crowd together for a great night.
When I relocated to Melbourne, I put those talents to good use. On a weekend trip to Sydney I had discovered drag bingo and knew there was a lot of fun to be had running different themed bingo nights. I gathered some mates and we began to brainstorm themes – hip hop bingo got a mention, but when Bogan Bingo was thrown in the mix, I knew we were onto a winner. I had been DJing as a side-hustle, so had my DJ equipment and a trailer trash costume from a fancy-dress party where I attended as Joe Dirt, still sat in the washing basket. I acquired a spinning wheel from an old workplace and convinced a Melbourne pub to take a chance on me, and for 3 years Bogan Bingo became a weekly pub favourite.
In the beginning I was having a lot of fun but not making much money from the idea. It wasn’t until large organisations began to book us for corporate retreats and fundraisers that things quickly escalated. We began to see demand in each state to hold events, so I set about travelling and training up team members. We’re now in every state except Tasmania, and have hosted Bogan Bingo nights for The Body Shop, Westpac, Flight Centre, AFL, Expedia and Bupa.
The events run as a half game show, half party, complete with faux mullets, air guitar competitions, jokes and dancing. It’s a much-loved alternative to a trivia night and brings something different to the fundraising space that the community seems to be really appreciating.
Our success has largely been the result of filling a gap in the market with a fun alternative to trivia fundraising nights and putting on a great show for our customers. By making sure every attendee has a blast, we’ve turned our customers into our greatest salesforce. Everyone who books Bogan Bingo has heard about it from a colleague or friend. People go back to their desks raving about the great night they had at Bogan Bingo and word spreads – so far in fact, that we launched Bogan Bingo in the UK and Canada.
The biggest pinch me moment was when my dad and I were travelling in the UK and stumbled into a pub only to find Bogan Bingo rocking out in full swing! A lot of people had their doubts or thought it would have a shelf life, but 12 years on and we’re now a million-dollar, global business. It is one of my goals to help others bring their unconventional business ideas to life.
For more information visit www.boganbingo.com
