President's Post - September
We are well into September now, and who can remember a year that has passed us by so fast. Whilst a lot of people will be glad to have the days slowly getting longer and warmer, I look back at our winter disappointed as I was only able to fit in half a day of snowboarding on the slopes. With this warming pattern, I have opted to put my gear away for another 9 months or so. A very sad reflection on one of my favorite winter hobbies, but that does mean I can now focus on my new sport having just purchased a new small yacht to do some racing in from October. A good way to make the most of our seasons here in New Zealand.
Over the winter, we have also been revising the Master Sign Maker (MSM) accreditation, what it means to be a Master Sign Maker, and how achieving the accreditation benefits your company. We have been working to make it as accessible as possible for well-run sign companies, especially those who are active in the community and at our events throughout the year. We have been working on an upfront ‘recipe/formula’ to create a clear guide for companies to follow, so they can promote themselves as a market leader to the general public. We hope to release this new pathway at the end of this month. I think it is a really exciting move that I hope will get some positive engagement.
Later this month we also plan to release the updated Terms of Trade to help businesses through this tougher business environment, we will also be releasing our Wage and Salary Guide which is now in its final stages.
We have locked in our dates for our 60th Conference, this being in Nelson on the 12-14 June 2025. We are just working through ideas for our theme for the event. We are down to three, but we really do want to make it really resonate with it being our 60th year of the Sign Association. We want to see as many people attending as possible, especially those that have not made it to an event for a number of years.
Well, as one that has already cleaned off the BBQ, I hope you all get to enjoy these new smells of spring, and get ready for this run into the end of the year. I for one am celebrating a milestone birthday in a couple of weeks, so hopefully this will be a day when the sun is shining.
Until next time,
Shae Goom
Director Wise Studios
President NZSDA
