Association Update - September 2024
I can’t believe it is September already, the year is flying by faster than I would like! We have been keeping ourselves busy visiting sign shops across the country. Last month we headed down to Dunedin to visit our members in the region. It was a great trip and provided an opportunity for us to communicate more the value of active membership and the many new benefits available to members this year. We are spending this week in Auckland, holding two regional meetings, and using the rest of the time to make back-to-back visits to our many of our associate members. It is a fun and full-on week with over 22 Certificates of Recognition to present to long-term members! Next month we will be heading to the Manawatu and Whanganui to meet with members in that part of the country. Keep an eye out for comms around this as we will be releasing information soon!
We are already deep into the planning stage for our 2025 conference and sign awards. This year we will be combining the two events under the same theme as part of our 60th anniversary celebration. Pre-registration for this is open now so please get in touch with me to indicate your interest and to book your spot early!
We recently ran the third episode of our HR webinar series, this was on providing tips for standing out from the crowd and identifying your point of difference. This is available for members to watch in the members section of our website. It is a great session that you can play during your morning coffee break or at lunchtime.
We have some great initiatives in the pipeline that we hope to release at the end of this month. This includes the updated Terms of Trade, the Wage and Salary Guide, and a brand-new focus and pathway for achieving Master Sign Maker accreditation! Keep an eye out on our social media to see when these are released.
Some members may not have joined our members only Facebook group, we use this platform to share news throughout the year, particularly those that are for members access only. It also provides a platform for members to communicate with each other. I encourage you to join if you haven’t already! Also don’t forget to utilise our website platform to post any job listings or equipment you are selling. We include these posts in our monthly e-news and also on our social media to ensure it gets lots of attention from other sign writers.
Finally, I want to remind you all of the importance of being active in your membership. Attending meetings and connecting with fellow members helps you build strong professional relationships, which can lead to referrals and collaborations. It’s also an opportunity to share and gain insights and stay informed. It also helps you to continuously learn and contribute to the growth of both your business and the wider community.
“E hara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.”
My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective.
Mikayla Hopkins
Lead Projects, Events & Communications Specialist
NZSDA
