THE 46th NZSDA Annual General Meeting and Conference took place in early April at the Bayview Wairakei Resort, Taupo. Delegates from all over the country joined industry suppliers over the three days which featured guest speakers, a trade display, the annual pool and golf tournaments and the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards
The speakers included John Wall, marketing manager of Roland DG of Sydney, Ken Adamson of the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Marcus Adler, director of Mutoh of Sydney, Doug Maclachlan of Dynamic Graphics and Max Kearney of Sign Sheet Distributors.
Awards night
The awards evening, held on April 9, saw 66 gold, silver and bronze medals presented at the 15th annual staging of the New Zealand Sign and Display Awards, which included three of the country’s top apprentices, at the Bayview Wairakei Resort.
The sixteen classes featured during the evening, ranging from Vehicles to Apprentices’ work, and everything in between. Nick Baty, president of the NZSDA, says, “As sign companies gain experience with the new technologies available, and the latest software techniques, the standard of entries consistently improves year on year.
“I was honoured to present a couple of special awards to two long serving and hard working members, Ian Smyth and Jeff Harvey. As excellence was the over-riding theme, these two extra awards were totally fitting. One to a man, Ian Smyth, who has just about dedicated his working life to the needs of apprentices. And one to a man, Jeff Harvey, who refuses to accept payment for the many efforts he takes to pass on his tips and tricks, and his ready willingness to provide any assistance possible to those working with gold. The awards themselves were produced by life member and past President Bill Wellington, of Masterton, and are true works of the calligraphers art, they have to be seen to be believed.”
Structural changes
Baty says that at the executive meeting and following AGM, changes were made to the management structure of the NZSDA, with the intention of ultimately improving the organisation to make it more relevant and useful to its members.
Each member of a subcommittee consisting of Baty, Ross Probert, Jo Hulsdouw and Warren Burrows was assigned specific areas of responsibility. Baty says, “We will be meeting quarterly to ensure that the Association is actively managed in order to improve its performance over a number of key areas. These changes are very positive for the future of the NZSDA, and I am looking forward to working with this team to implement the changes necessary to ensure its future survival in this rapidly changing industry.”
While membership levels have been maintained, over recent years, levels of participation at branch level have declined. He says, “It would appear that the main reason for the lack of branch activity is that people are too time poor to dedicate the necessary time to attend meetings and functions. The demands of running a business in this day and age mean that we are finding it increasingly difficult to afford to be away from work, and when we can.
“We naturally want to prioritise our limited spare time for friends and family. As with any voluntary organisation, the bulk of the input is provided by a dedicated core of individuals. Unfortunately, our organisation has reached a point where these people have become disillusioned with the fact that as branch activity decreases, the demands placed on them increase. Essentially, the NZSDA is being run by a steadily falling number of key players. With no others coming to take over the reins, the future of the Association is at risk.”
