Women in Print kicked off its 2015 edition in Melbourne and Sydney this week and today ladies in Brisbane will have the chance to mingle and be inspired by industry leaders.
The women-only breakfast series, in its ninth year and organised by Heidelberg, provides women in the printing industry with the opportunity to hear from women who are leaders in their field, including 2012 Young Australian of the Year Marita Cheng.
GAMAA executive director Karen Goldsmith, who was at the Establishment Ballroom in Sydney for the breakfast event, says it was a ‘lively atmosphere as it always is’ and praised Cheng’s speech.
“A lot of people know each other already but there is always a high mix of first-timers as well. Everyone made the most of the networking time prior to seating,” she says.
“The event also has an educational aspect. It allows participants to hear from other women within our industry, and listen to their stories.”
[Related: More women in print news]
We will not yet reveal the content of Cheng’s speech so as not to spoil it for Perth and Adelaide attendees.
Cheng is the founder of engineering outreach organisation Robogals Global – which encourages women to become engineers – and founder of 2Mar Robotics, the winner of the Innovation Excellence Award at the 2013 Tech23 Awards. Cheng has also won some 22 other national and international awards.
“Marita has achieved so much in 26 years and is a testament to how perseverance pays off with her own international association to promote women in engineering firstly, and now her company that is building robotics to help people especially with disabilities,” Goldsmith says.
“She had a really interesting story but it was good to hear about her story in relation to goal-setting and how that can be applied in the business world.”
Sydney attendees also praised speakers Kelly Bourke, sales manager at SOS Print and Media, and Ricoh national manager Shona Scandlyn.
“Kelly spoke about how print is still relevant but we need to keep up to date with digital runs as they are becoming more popular,” another attendee says.
“Shona commented on how Canon had appointed a woman as CEO in NZ, which she found awesome and said it needs to happen more often.”
Goldsmith says ladies can get excited for another Women in Print breakfast, which will be held at PrintEX15 in May.
She says the events at the industry trade shows have always been popular and the breakfast will also involve a panel discussion with industry participants to discuss issues that most affect women in print.
While this comes as good news for ladies attending PrintEx15, those in Perth and Adelaide will have the chance to attend their Heidelberg Women in Print breakfast next week.
Women in Print breakfast in Perth will be held at Hyatt Regency on March 24 and at the Martini Ristorante in Adelaide on March 25. Tickets for the breakfast costs $65 per person.
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