Inspired by Halloween ’til death do us party, over 500 NGENers dressed in an array of blood-splattered and spooky outfits to celebrate a year of learning at the annual NGEN Halloween events in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
The highly anticipated NGEN Halloween events cap off a year of workshops and learning for NGEN –the Media Federation of Australia’s training program for media professionals with less than five years’ experience in the industry – with priority access given to those who attended three or more of NGEN workshops throughout the year.
Providing an opportunity for NGENers to network with their peers and make new connections, this year’s three-city event was made possible with the help of media agency group sponsors Dentsu, GroupM, Havas Media Network, IPG Mediabrands, Omnicom Media Group and Publicis Groupe.
More than 350 NGENers made it to the Sydney event, with approximately 110 partygoers in Melbourne and 70 in Brisbane – captured in all their horror finery by a photobooth courtesy of GroupM.
The party vibes were turned up by NGENers who took their talents to the decks for an unforgettable music experience. In Sydney, DJ duties were in full swing with Edward Ye from Dentsu, Ben Morrison from JCDecaux and Chloe Glassie from Centre Group spinning the hits. In Melbourne, Miguel Sloan from Starcom and Dylan Fyffe from Havas kept the energy high, while in Brisbane, Matt Berg from EssenceMediacom brought the beats, making sure the tunes flowed all night long. Best-dressed crowns were also awarded at each event.
“Seeing everyone come together at the NGEN Halloween Party is always a highlight! It’s amazing how much we’ve all grown through the year, not just with the workshops like public speaking, pitching, leadership, and productivity, but as a community too. The energy was electric, the outfits were next-level, and you could really feel how tight the NGEN crew is. It’s definitely one of those events where you realize just how much we’ve all achieved and how far we’ve come!” said NGEN Melbourne co-chair, Jasmyn Dawkins from Initiative.
“This year marked 16 years of NGEN learning and development. Halloween is a standout event for the NGEN community, and we were thankful for the incredible support of our agency sponsors for making it all happen. Their commitment to NGEN is a testament to how much they value the growth and development of the industry’s emerging talent, and recognition that the Halloween event is a fun and fitting way to close out another successful year of learning, connection and professional development,” said Melanie Aslanidis, MFA’s Head of NGEN.
“In my calendar, NGEN Halloween is always the event of the year and I spent a whole 10-month lead -up raving about it to all newcomers to the NGEN program! This party is not only a chance for us to catch up with our industry mates over some drinks and a boogie, it’s also such a great opportunity to meet some new faces and steal impressive costume ideas for our non-work Halloween events,” said NGEN Sydney Co-Chair Georgia Gemell, senior sales executive at Nine.
The 2025 NGEN calendar will be available next month, featuring all new workshops and a Mentor program for NGENers with three to five years’ experience.
