The NGEN Award category of the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) Awards this year includes a strategy workshop, live presentation to judges and more feedback.
The NGEN Award gives media professionals with less than five years’ experience the opportunity to create positive impact, and showcase their skills and develop capabilities, by responding to a real brief to solve a charity client communication challenge.
This year’s charity is Dress for Success NSW & ACT, with a campaign objective of increasing client numbers across all of the organisation’s services.
Through its styling service and career support offerings, Dress for Success aims to help women overcome bias and discrimination when entering or re-entering the workforce.
NGEN Award changes introduced this year include:
- Strategy & NGEN Award kick-off webinar: tomorrow, Wednesday, June 26, at 10am AEST, designed to show NGENers how to use facts and research to uncover key insights and build a solid framework for responding to a brief. The webinar will be available to view on the MFA website for those who can’t attend.
- NGEN Award day: shortlisted entrants will be notified by phone call and invited to a live presentation to judges on the same day, providing valuable experience in presenting.
- Feedback from judges: judges will provide feedback to shortlisted entrants, delivering important learning and development.
Winning entries have gone on to become actual campaigns, such as 2022 winners Ben Breden and Olivia Coxon from Initiative, who turned their entry into a fundraising campaign for youth mental health charity batyr with the help of 19 media partners and $1.3 million in donated media.
Breden said getting to bring his idea to life in the real world was an amazing experience.
"Beyond it being a chance to meaningfully support the worthy cause of youth mental health, we were exposed to a far broader experience than our usual day-to-day," Breden said.
"We worked on everything from strategy, to planning, to implementation and more. It definitely accelerated our knowledge and skills, and our understanding of how agencies and clients work together.
"Don’t miss your chance to enter!”
NGEN head Melanie Aslanidis said this is a fantastic opportunity for professional development for NGENers at all stages of career.
"I encourage all NGENers to download the brief and view the strategy & NGEN Award kick-off webinar to upskill their strategic and creative capabilities and supercharge their careers," Aslanidis said.
NGEN Award entrants must be registered members of NGEN with less than five years’ experience and currently working for a media communications agency or media owner. Key NGEN Award dates:
- June 25: NGEN Award Entries Open
- June 26: Strategy & NGEN Award Kick-Off Webinar at 10am AEST
- July 26: NGEN Award Entries Close
- August 22: NGEN Award Day – shortlisted entrants will be notified on the day and required to present
- September 19: MFA Awards winners announced at gala event, White Bay Cruise Terminal, Sydney
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