Our team
gener8 employs a team of diverse, creative and experienced event managers, administrators and producers.
Monique Cooper
Monique is the founder and managing director at gener8 Events. An accomplished
marketing and events professional, Monique provides a forward thinking, contemporary approach to her business and client events, leading her team to think outside the square and provide unique, compelling and memorable event experiences that deliver outstanding business outcomes.
Prior to gener8, Monique worked in various marketing, event and business management roles in the ICT sector for high profile companies such as Vignette and Hewlett-Packard. Monique holds a Bachelor of Business in Marketing at Swinburne University.
Her specialties include: event thought leadership insights, strategic event planning and marketing, venue & destination sourcing, event planning, budgets & financial management, event logistics management, event communications & promotions, key stakeholder relations, event creative design, theming, technical and digital event production and event technology solutions.
Monique also works in voluntary capacity as the president for the Metabolic Dietary Disorders Association (MDDA), a not for profit organisation and charity supporting Australian’s living with rare metabolic conditions such as phenylketonuria, a condition her youngest son lives with. She is a passionate, proactive and dedicated advocate for this cause.
Cathie Coghlan
Cathie has been an integral part of the gener8 team since inception. With her enthusiastic and friendly customer focused approach, coupled with her detailed knowledge and experience in working with our delegate’s and key event stakeholders, she delivers exceptional results and builds lasting and memorable event impressions.
Her interest in events came after she worked at the Grand Prix for three years as part of the events team.
Her past careers in Nursing and Education have equipped her well with the ability to build supportive and meaningful relationships with people. This transcends through to her role as our esteemed Delegate Liaison Manager. Cathie’s ‘personal touches’ help delegates navigate through their event journey from initial registration through to awesome event experiences (and all the extra steps in between). She provides exceptional advice and a supportive ear to our delegates, ensuring they gain the most from their event experience. She is also a favourite onsite at most events with her friendly and sometimes hilarious nature.
Heidi Mercer
Heidi is our professional graphic designer extraordinaire, providing original and dynamic designs and digital solutions that bring our clients marketing campaigns and events to life in a super exciting and engaging way. Design comes way too easy for Heidi and she continuously blows away our clients and us all with her creative zest and impeccable work ethic.
Her experience ranges from design agency studio management, design & pre-press management for large printing companies and production management for retail companies. Heidi is also an experienced educator, having taught Typography, Design and Finished art at Box Hill TAFE .
Founder of her agency heiDesign, Heidi has won many design awards and has been instrumental in advertising and brand management for many companies including Mercedes Benz, SunRice, Australian Wheat Board, Repco, National Trust of Victoria, CopRice, Marie Stopes International, Department of Immigration, Cheetham Salt, The Asthma Foundation, Victorian Taxi Association, Australian Primary Mental Health Alliance, Rainbow Serpent Festival, Palliative Care South East, Electrical Trades Union, Pill Testing Australia and Local Government to name a few.
Michaela Versteegen
Client Event Manager
Michaela is an experienced Event Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the event industry. Whilst attention to detail and meticulous planning is essential, Michaela place’s huge value on empathy, care and compassion. Michaela focuses on the clients’ requirements through her end-to-end client management. With her passion and commitment, Michaela strives to deliver the clients the best possible experience. She is able to stay calm under pressure and think quickly on her feet. Prior to gener8, Michaela previously worked as the Event Coordinator for the Real Estate Institute of Victoria where she successfully delivered over 70 face to face events per year.
Outside of work Michaela is a dedicated mother to her three boys. Michaela enjoys taking her boys on ‘adventures’ exploring nature, bike riding, spending as much time she can with her loved ones and escaping as often as possible to see her family on the Gold Coast.
Brian Challinor
Creative Events Producer
Brian is the co-founder of gener8 Events and whilst semi-retired continues to provide expertise and business insights into ongoing management of the business and event design. His expertise, knowledge and relationships across the event industry’s supplier and venue network is extensive and he has a knack at creating innovative and unique event experiences for our clients. Brian’s background was in TV production at the Ten network where he headed up their in-house studio production facility for 20+ years before moving on to manage his own production house for several years. This production experience is more relevant that ever in the new world of Virtual events, and Brian continued to create innovative and engaging event experiences for our clients.