With all the business sessions taking place at the Millennium Hotel and most of the delegates and sponsors staying in-house, it was a tightly knit affair with plenty of socialising mixed in with the business of conference.

The President’s breakfast on Thursday morning set the scene with details of all that was to happen and the drawing of early bird registration prizes.  Mark Spence from Esselte NZ and Alby Frampton from Frampton Signs both won bungy jumps while Dave Hullah from Roland Corporation and Jason Pinkerton from Label Converters Supply won parapente flights.  By sheer chance both Colin and Shirley aylor’s names came out of the hat to win Shotover jet boat rides.  There was a bit of swapping going on so as the more adventurous ended up with the bungy jumps and the more gentle adventure sports ended up in the hands of those wanting them.  In the final analysis I don’t know who ended up with what!

After Stan Whitty’s welcome and general announcement’s as to the housekeeping matters it was straight into the conference proper with a presentation by Sue Lindsay.  Her “dare to be different” approach sowed some valuable seeds in the minds of those in attendance.  After lunch delegates and partners gathered for the customary Conference group photo in the courtyard of the Millennium before heading back to the conference room for more insights into strategies that work, again presented by Sue Lindsay.  Partners in the meantime were treated to a tour of some of the art studios dotted in and around the Queenstown region.

After a short break for afternoon tea Edward McKee-Wright from Orix Finance explained the benefits of factoring accounts and letting professional finance managers look after your best interests to free your time up so that a full earning potential can be realised.  The days proceedings ended a little after five o’clock when delegates dispersed to prepare themselves for the fifth annual New Zealand Sign and Display Awards.

The awards were hosted by MC Brett Rutledge who provided more than a few laughs through the night and the laser light show and accompany graphic effects were again stunning.  After the final award the band started up and people danced right through to the 1.00am close.

Friday was always planned to start a little later after the late night of the awards.  A ten o’clock start for the AGM meet with general approval and it transpired that one or two of the hardier party goers came straight from their evenings entertainment to the AGM (one was even asleep just outside the meeting room waiting for the AGM to start!).

The afternoon started with delegates and partners climbing aboard buses to head out to Gibbston Valley winery for a bar-b-que , vineyard tour and wine tasting.  Thankfully the food came first after which we were split into two groups, one visiting the underground cave where Gibbston’s wine is cellared for some wine tasting while the others walked up the slopes to the vineyard.
 

Nick Horton, aided and abetted by his father Gerald, takes some time out after a liquid lunch and the wine tasting	Gibbston Valley Wines tunnelled into the schist hillside to create a unique cellar for maturing and storing their wines

The bus trips to and from the Gibbston Valley Wines and the bungy jumping proved to be an entertainment in themselves (Nick’s the one holding the bag with two bottles of wine in it!)

Before heading back into town the buses stopped of at NZ’s first bungy jumping site so as the bungy winners could take their jumps.  This lead to half a dozen people throwing themselves into the air connected only by the thick elastic band.  Among those to take the plunge were Nick Horton (who got quite wet), Jo Wiseman, Jane Field, Jason Pinkerton and Warren Haakma (who chose to jump off backwards and upright in ‘the elevator’ position - what some people will do for a beer!).
 

Jane Field takes an elegant dive towards the river and managed to stay dry	Moment of impact.  Nick Horton takes on some more liquids

The plan for the evening was the Queenstown Treasure Hunt which involved meeting in the house bar at the Millennium before receiving written instruction on what treasures we had to seek out.  We were divided into six or seven teams and given a list of bars to find and questions to answer with respect to each one.  Each establishment also had either an NZSDA special or drinks at ‘happy hour’ prices for us.  A nice break was programmed into the middle of the evening to allow for a meal at any of the sixty nine restaurants and cafes in central Queenstown.
 
 

Team Dangerous (a.k.a. Denise’s Girls) discover the Bunker on the Treasure Hunt.  (That’s Nick on the left with a beer in his hand)	It’s dinner time on the Treasure Hunt and outdoor tables in the middle of Queenstown Mall are the ideal spot for a break.

While collecting answers to the clues we invariably bumped into other groups but the most noticeable seemed to be the bunch that had decided to call themselves ‘Team Dangerous’, an unruly bunch of misfits that included Denise Kirby.  Needless to say they were renamed Denise’s Girls by all and sundry.

The final destination after having visited some six licenced establishments was Frasers down on Steamer Wharf where a disco kept us entertained (along with the antics of various members of the group known as Denise’s Girls) until the small hours.

Saturday was all fun.  It started with the optional Shotover Jetboat ride and bar-b-que lunch.  This was a thrill in itself.  While the afternoon was given over to the pool and golf tournaments or free time to take in the shopping area or to range further afield.

Saturday evening saw us congregating at Steamer Wharf again to board the TSS Earnslaw and head up Lake Whakatipu for an evening meal at the Walter Peak Station.  Delegates and partners were treated to a magnificent meal with wine in surroundings that were quite majestic.  The return journey was made all the more enjoyable for the presence of a pianist on the Earnslaw who kept the front end of the boat occupied singing songs from days long past.

On arrival back a Steamer Wharf some people drifted back to the hotel or other parts while a good number ensconced themselves into the Loaded Hog bar at the front end of the wharf.  Needless to say another late night was in order for many.

The Sunday closing breakfast held a few more surprises, mainly in the form of the announcement regarding the winner of the Farr Cup award (it’s just possible that this could appear in the members only area under the Fun Stuff heading in the not too distant future!).

Also being awarded were the pool and golf tournament trophies with Max Kearney presenting Mark Spence from Esselte with a pool cue and trophy while Sue Lloyd from Zodiac Signs won the golf tournament.

The support of various sponsors was acknowledged as were the efforts of the Otago and Southland branch members who had worked so hard to ensure that members and partners had a conference they won’t forget in a hurry.