{"id":22454,"date":"2026-03-06T02:42:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T02:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/?p=22454"},"modified":"2026-03-10T22:10:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T22:10:31","slug":"presidents-post-march-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/2026\/03\/06\/presidents-post-march-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"President’s Post – March 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

President's Post - March 2026<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

I had another topic ready to go. Staff retention. Pay rises. Backing your people well. Knowing when to let go. I\u2019ve had some honest, thoughtful chats with friends in the industry about it lately and was keen to unpack it here.<\/p>

But I\u2019m shelving that for now.<\/p>

Because before we talk about building strong teams, we need to talk about something even more fundamental\u2026<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Showing up.<\/h3>

Showing up properly.
Showing up fully.
Showing up for four days, not one.<\/p>

Yes, I\u2019m talking about Expo – specifically the NZSDA Members Expo Experience. This isn\u2019t something you dip your toe into. It\u2019s something you commit to.<\/p>

This event has been designed as a stacked experience. It builds. Conversations on Wednesday feed into Thursday. Relationships formed over coffee become collaborations by Friday. If you only come for a day, sure – you\u2019ll get value, but you\u2019ll miss the compound effect.<\/p>

So what\u2019s missing from the comms so far? Maybe it\u2019s the why. Not the sales pitch – the real reason we gather every year.<\/p>

Here are my 3 massive reasons to be there:<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

1. The Conversations You Can\u2019t Schedule<\/h3>

Yes, the keynote speakers matter. Yes, the live demos matter. Yes, the Young Signee of the Year competition will be fantastic.<\/p>

But the real magic? The in-between. Talk to anyone who\u2019s been – they\u2019ll tell you the same thing.<\/p>

Breakfast at Novotel where you solve a production issue over bacon and eggs.
A lift ride that turns into a 20-minute conversation about staffing.
The Welcome Event when the room relaxes and people talk honestly.<\/p>

Every year I hear the same thing:<\/p>

\u201cThe best part was catching up.\u201d
\u00a0\u201cI didn\u2019t realise how much I needed that.\u201d
\u00a0\u201cI got more from one conversation than a month of Googling.\u201d<\/p>

You can\u2019t replicate that on email. You don\u2019t get it from a webinar.
And you definitely don\u2019t get it by leaving after day one.<\/p>

Stay where the members stay. Be at breakfast. Be in the room when someone says, \u201cHow are you really going?\u201d
That\u2019s where our industry strengthens.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

2. Ideas That Pay for Themselves<\/h3>

Let\u2019s be practical. Time away from the shop floor does cost money, so it has to make sense.<\/p>

One good idea, implemented properly, can pay for your trip ten times over.<\/p>

Wednesday\u2019s keynotes and Thursday\u2019s demo content isn\u2019t fluff. It\u2019s practical. Real-world. Processes, technology, efficiency gains, supplier access.<\/p>

I\u2019ve seen members (myself included) leave events like this and:<\/p>

  • Change a quoting system<\/li>
  • Invest confidently in new equipment<\/li>
  • Improve production workflow<\/li>
  • Start an apprentice<\/li><\/ul>

    Six months later? They\u2019re in a better place.<\/p>

    The optional Illumination Bootcamp on Saturday is another example – hands-on, practical learning you can apply immediately.<\/p>

    If you come for one day, you might leave with an idea.
    If you stay the full programme, you leave with momentum.<\/p>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    3. Perspective (The Thing We Don\u2019t Realise We\u2019re Missing)<\/h3>

    Running a sign business can be isolating.<\/p>

    We carry staff issues, cashflow pressure, client expectations, compliance, AI shifts, growth decisions, and often think, \u201cIs it just me?\u201d<\/p>

    This time together reminds you it\u2019s not.<\/p>

    When you sit in the AGM, hear from other regions, and see the Young Signee competition showcasing emerging talent – something shifts.<\/p>

    You go from \u201cmy shop, my problems\u201d to \u201cwe are an industry.\u201d<\/p>

    That shift builds pride, resilience, friendships and perspective.
    And perspective is powerful leadership fuel.<\/p>

    Now let\u2019s be honest \u2014 the social side is what many people remember most about all NZSDA events.<\/p>

    The Wednesday Welcome Event sets the tone.
    Friday\u2019s Closing Event is a celebration.
    Saturday\u2019s Awards evening reminds us all why we love this craft.<\/p>

    Connection is fuel.<\/p>

    Some of the most valuable friendships I have started at events like this \u2014 not in formal sessions, but in those relaxed, unscripted conversations late in the day.<\/p>

    You don\u2019t get that by dropping in and out. You get that by committing.<\/p>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    So here\u2019s my challenge:<\/h3>

    Don\u2019t just attend. Register for the NZSDA Members Expo Experience. Book the members\u2019 hotel (Novotel Ellerslie \u2013 or Ibis if that fills up quickly).
    Arrive early. Stay on site. Be present for the full arc of the week.<\/p>

    If you\u2019re on the fence, ask yourself: what would it look like if you treated this not as a cost, but as an investment in your leadership, your team, and your industry?<\/em>
    Because that\u2019s what it is.<\/p>

    If we want stronger staff retention, better supplier relationships, higher standards, increased margins, and more collaboration – it starts with showing up. Fully.<\/p>

    Numbers are finite. Hotel rooms are limited. And if this is your first time, your only regret will be not doing it sooner.<\/p>

    Let\u2019s pack the room.
    Let\u2019s fill the speaker sessions and workshops
    Let\u2019s make the Welcome Event hum.
    Let\u2019s celebrate hard.<\/p>

    This is our industry. This is our week.<\/p>

    See you there – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.<\/p>

    Logan Sutton
    Creative Director \u2013 Future Grafix
    President \u2013 NZ Sign & Display Association<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I had another topic ready to go. Staff retention. Pay rises. Backing your people well. Knowing when to let go. I\u2019ve had some honest, thoughtful chats with friends in the industry about it lately and was keen to unpack it here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nzsda-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22454"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22458,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22454\/revisions\/22458"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}