Women in Print has announced the appointment of Joanna Biggar, owner of Country Mile Signs in Gunnedah, as the association’s first regional ambassador.
The announcement follows the association’s board meeting earlier this week, which also saw the appointment of WA patron Kimberley Skinner as the organisation’s new treasurer, following the resignation of Hina Chadha from the seat due to personal commitments.
At the meeting, Karen Lawler, business development manager at Cactus Imaging, and Kerry-Anne Boyd, co-owner of Sign Right Australia, were also officially appointed to their newly announced patron roles in New South Wales and Queensland respectively.
The Women in Print board now comprises: Stephanie Gaddin, chair; Rita Karagiannis, deputy chair and Vic/Tas patron; Kimberley Skinner, treasurer and WA patron; Diana Nikolic, SA patron; Karen Lawler, NSW/ACT patron; KA Boyd, Queensland patron; and Irene Daws, secretary.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Joanna as our first Regional Ambassador for Women in Print, a role which is designed to drive positive change in the industry by providing a vital link between Women in Print and the community in rural or regional areas,” said Gaddin.
“These regional ambassadors will champion inclusivity, facilitate connections and organise local events to inspire and empower women in print in their area, and break down geographic barriers to ensure the industry’s women in regional areas can be equally represented and supported by strong networks of local industry peers.”
Women in Print also announced it will be launching individual paid memberships for 2025, with a suite of membership benefits currently being finalised.
The new memberships are designed to offer benefits for women across a diversity of roles and across the industry in its broadest sense, encompassing not only traditional commercial print but labels and packaging, textiles, signage, wide-format and specialty printing, Gaddin said.
“This membership aims to provide tailored benefits for three key demographics: Freelancers and sole traders in creative roles; women in small or family-owned businesses; and employees of larger companies,” she said.
“While Women in Print’s leadership content and networking opportunities have traditionally attracted freelancers and corporate representatives to our breakfast series, this initiative will extend its focus to include small business professionals, who represent the majority of the industry.
“By addressing the unique needs of each group, the 2025 membership program fosters inclusivity and support for women across the entire print sector, delivering meaningful benefits and connections for all.”
Women in industry are invited to sign up for a Foundational Membership at $49 +GST before 31 December 2024. Membership benefits in this inaugural program will include:
- Discounted and early access to purchase tickets to all Women in Print Events, and Webinars, free tickets to selected webinars
- Discounted pricing for the two-day Women in Print Leadership Bootcamp with Jo Wise – pilot program to run in Victoria in August of 2025, expanding to other states subject to demand.
- Discounted pricing for ongoing individual leadership coaching with Jo Wise
- Free access to Jo Wise self paced learning webinars and leadership videos from 1 January 2025
- Exclusive member-only networking events and member only webinars.
Additional member benefits will be added to the program in the coming weeks as Women in Print concludes ongoing discussions with sponsors and allies.
Regular pricing on the memberships from 1 January onwards will be $89 +GST a year, but foundational members will get a 20 per cent discount on renewals for keeping a continuous, unbroken membership. At this stage, Women in Print is not offering a corporate membership, but Gaddin said they will review this decision at the end of 2025.
Registration for foundational membership will open on the Women in Print website on Thursday 21 November, with Member benefits commencing from 1 January 2025.
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