Mr Billy Cross

The Gold Coast will always be the proud home of the entrepreneurial spirit, and today I wish to congratulate one of the many local families who have built a global empire from absolutely nothing and thank them for giving back to our community. Forty years ago, a 17-year-old hopeful young man from a Greek migrant family left Liverpool, Sydney, in a Kombi van and headed north to look for a new life, as so many of us did who now live on the Gold Coast. He found the opportunities that would deliver a future in Surfers Paradise. His determination to get ahead and passion for the entertainment industry saw him and his wife build and lose their empire several times by being willing to take a risk. They are the creators of the sensational show Manpower Australia. Australia’s Thunder from Down Under, and for 20 years it’s been a smash hit in Las Vegas for women, their mothers and their grandmothers all to enjoy.

They are so successful in Las Vegas that they have received the keys to the city, an honour bestowed upon the likes of Elvis and Sinatra. I’m proud of the story of Billy and Jackie Cross and their family, for what they have built. The secrets to their success are vision, determination, the entrepreneurial spirit and hard work with family values. They are the quintessential Gold Coast success story, and we love it. We wish them well with the next stage of their show, going to Nashville, United States.