Under the title, Women in Print Australia, Heidelberg has brought together high profile women from across the industry to stage a series of inaugural dinners in March, 2007. The five mainland states are represented by Susan Heaney of Heaney’s Performers in Print, Queesland; Karen Goldsmith, GAMAA NSW; Lynette Latter, Edwards Dunlop Victoria; Caroly Cagney, Fivestargrafix, South Australia and Urszula King, CJ King, Western Australia.

The inaugural dinners, to be held at venues in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, will feature guest speaker Catharine Lumby. An associate professor at Sydney University, Lumby is a widely published print journalist, and has worked as a news reporter, feature writer and opinion columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers as well as the The Bulletin magazine. She has also worked as a news reporter for ABC television.

Lumby’s PhD thesis examines the rise of a tabloid culture in news and current affairs reporting in the USA and Australia. She is the author and editor of four books and 23 book chapters and referred journal articles.

In explaining the rationale behind launching Women in Print in Australia, Georgie Grabyn, Heidelberg HR manager and patron of Women in Print Australia, says, “Networking is a vital component of any successful business relationship. While our male colleagues are very well catered for in the print industry when it comes to networking opportunities and special interest events, women are not.

“With the enormous success of Women in Print New Zealand I am very excited to be associated with bringing this initiative to Australia. The dinners this year will be the first in what we hope will become a regular feature on the industry calendar. I expect to see the concept grow and develop its own identity and voice. While networking is serious business, these events will be fun and informative — not forgetting great food and wine to help things along.”

Women in Print Australia is seeking sponsorship and support from across the industry and from other sources that see the audience as a target marketplace. Grabyn says there is no set outline as to what form the sponsorship should take: however, she suggests that financial support to help with the cost of staging the dinners as well as support ’in kind’, in the form of goods and services to be offered as prizes at the events, is welcome.

She says, “I’d really like to see all businesses across the print industry spectrum come out and support Women in Print Australia. We already have Australia Post on board as a major sponsor, along with Heidelberg.

“Maybe you are a printer who prints magazines or point of sale material for the retail chains. Asking their support in the form of a magazine subscription or fashion products, for example, would be appreciated. Maybe you print brochures for a well-known cosmetic manufacturer, or day spa. Why not ask them if they want to support Women in Print? Or perhaps you employ women and are willing to buy them a ticket to our dinners.”

Women wanting to express an interest in attending a dinner in their nearest capital city can visit Heidelberg’s website and click on the Women in Print logo, where they will be taken to an information and booking page. Go to www.au.heidelberg.com for more information.

The Women in Print ’Mission Statement’ is: “Women in Print is a collective of women in the print media industry and provides a networking forum to support, recognise and benefit women from all walks of life within and around the industry. Through regularly meeting and interacting we acknowledge, reflect on and seek to develop the contribution women make to the prosperity and character of the printing community in Australia.”

Women in Print Australia Inaugural Dinners
Brisbane Carlton Crest Hotel – March 9
Sydney Dockside at Darling Harbour – March 15
Melbourne Royal Melbourne Hotel – March 22
Perth Hyatt Hotel – March 28
Adelaide Ayers House – March 30

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