Association Update – August 2025

There’s a lot happening across the country as we work to stay connected with our members and deliver value where it matters. From regional meetings to new partnerships and upcoming webinars, we’re focused on the things that make a real difference for sign businesses.

Last month we ran a regional meeting in Whanganui for the first time in quite a few years and it was great to see everybody get together in the same room. Thank you to all those who took the time to come, especially those who drove over from Palmerston North. This month we will be running two regional meetings in Auckland, one in Tauranga and one in Napier in early September. These meetings provide an essential opportunity for sign shops to connect with the local industry, and for us to hear how our members are doing and where the industry could be further supported.

We are delighted to announce a new partnership with n3 that will begin from 1 September 2025. N3 is a business buying power that represents over 16,000 businesses, providing exclusive discounts on everyday business expenses from Technology, Vehicle and Fuel, Health and Safety, Trade and Maintenance and more. We are really excited about this new partnership and the potential savings it could mean for our membership. It is one of the many ways we are working to add real value to our membership and support sign businesses around the country.

We are also working to deliver a full calendar of webinars throughout the rest of 2025. Later this month we will run a live online session on AI automation and how to make sure you are keeping yourself and your business safe when using it. Artificial intelligence is everywhere now, and we want to encourage our members to explore it as safely and effectively as possible. We are also planning an online panel session on sustainability, exposing the roadblocks that are preventing sign shops from becoming more sustainable, and offering tips for operating more sustainably. This session will be hosted by a panel of suppliers in the industry. Keep an eye out on our social media as we will announce further details for this session soon. It will definitely be one worth attending.

It is great to see more and more sign shops working towards their Master Sign Maker Accreditation. August marks the next quarterly intake, and I know there are quite a few shops that are working towards this deadline, hoping to join the ranks of industry leaders. We love being able to support our members in this momentous journey as they strive to improve themselves and become the best of the best.

Planning is now underway for the 2026 Sign Expo, and we are hoping to make this one of our most well attended events yet. I won’t give away too much just yet, but I can say that we have some really exciting new ideas to try out and can’t wait to share them with you all soon! This event will be in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland and will run alongside the Sign Makers Conference and Sign Display Awards of Excellence.