Association Update – August 2026

Over the last month I’ve had the opportunity to visit quite a few sign shops, dropping off copies of the 2026 Pricing Guide to NZSDA members, and catching up with non-members along the way. It is always interesting sitting down with people one-on-one and hearing their different experiences and perspectives. Every conversation is unique and it is a great reminder of how diverse the sign industry really is.

One thing these conversations have highlighted is that there are still plenty of outdated perceptions of the NZSDA out there. It has been great to have the opportunity to challenge those perceptions head-on and talk about just how much the association has changed and grown.

Over the last few years, we’ve introduced new member benefits that offer real tangible value and are more closely aligned with the realities of running a sign shop. We’ve launched the new Master Sign Maker accreditation, offering a publicly recognised standard of excellence for sign businesses to work towards. We’ve moved beyond the ‘old boys club’ perception and are working to create a more inclusive association that represents the industry as a whole. We’re getting out and visiting members around the country, we’ve reintroduced regional meetings, run the very first Young Signee of the Year competition, and delivered our biggest-ever Expo and Awards. We have committed to listening to what our members need, understanding the challenges they face, and doing everything we can to help solve those problems.

As we start to see our hard work materialise, our goal now is to grow the association so we can reach more of the industry and help more sign businesses reach their full potential. We want to bring more sign shops into the fold and give them access to the knowledge, experience and support that can help them operate at a higher level.

An association is about more than resources and events. It’s about people learning from each other and having somewhere to turn for guidance, ideas and support. Experienced sign shops share what they’ve learned with newer operators, businesses share solutions and learn from each other’s successes and mistakes, and we can help connect the right people and knowledge when businesses need it. The more sign shops we can bring into that network, the more we can do to support them, learn from each other and help each other grow.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier

Ka kite,
Mikayla Hopkins