Association Update – October

One of the NZSDA’s big commitments this year was making the effort to get out and about and visit as many members as possible. It is important to us to hear firsthand what people want to see from the association. Last month we spent a week in Auckland making visits and running two regional meetings. It was such a productive trip, and I really appreciated learning more about the sign shops in the area and sharing with them the new benefits and opportunities we have made available this year. A highlight for me was having the chance to meet many of our associate members and hearing more about what they do and how they support the industry. Last week I spent a day in Palmerston North doing the same, and later this month I will spend a few days in Taupō and Tauranga. It is so interesting hearing the different perspectives in different parts of the country.

Another big projects for the year was a complete revamp of the Master Sign Maker accreditation. This accreditation holds incredible value, as the ‘Master Tradesman’ title is easily recognised by the general public as a sign of quality workmanship and integrity in business practices. The revamped accreditation will prioritize engagement with NZSDA’s offerings of Learn, Connect, Craft, adding to our core values of Quality, Integrity and Service. It is a badge of honor that celebrates our most engaged and active members, setting you apart as a leader in the signage industry. The new pathway for achieving this accreditation will be released soon, however if you are interested, please do let us know now.

Our comprehensive Terms of Service document has recently had a much-needed refresh. We worked closely with an HR specialist and a legal team to ensure that the new Terms of Service is fit for purpose for our industry.  It will be bundled with a guide for use, account application, and guarantee, and will be released next month in the members portal on our website.

Also due for imminent release is our 2024 Pay Rate Guide. This is the second release of the guide, with the first one developed and released back in 2019.  The employment landscape has changed considerably since then and so within this 2024 guide are topics and insights such as retaining your best people, offering the right benefits, clarification on Pay equity and Parity and addressing the skills shortage.  A survey was also conducted to our membership and from the results we were able to provide a guideline around the salary and wage ranges for key roles within our industry. This will be released next month.

We have several more webinars planned for the year to provide professional development and sound business advice to our membership. Our fourth and final HR webinar is on the topic of H&R – Value of Systems, Processes, and Automation and is now live on our website. The webinar will outline the benefits of using apps to assist businesses in remaining compliant when it comes to HR admin, and the benefits of having processes and policies in place as an organization. We will also be running a webinar with Aaron from Go Taxi. This will cover the details on how the Taxi system can help you leverage your provisional tax payments to secure affordable working capital. Aaron recently presented at our Auckland regional meetings and his message received an amazing response from the attendees. 

Finally, I am thrilled to announce the official theme for the 2025 Sign Makers Conference and Awards of Excellence is, “Tradition Meets Tomorrow.” This event marks the 60th anniversary of the association and we have chosen this theme in honour of the traditional history of the industry and in excitement for the future. We want to reflect the importance of celebrating where we came from, while also supporting the innovation of tomorrow. The conference will be held on 12-14 June in Nelson, and as it is such a milestone event, we hope to see as many members there as possible. Pre-registration for this is open now so please get in touch to indicate your interest and to book your spot early!

Ka mua, ka muri
Walking Backwards into the Future.

Mikayla Hopkins
Lead Projects, Events & Communications Specialist
NZSDA