2016 Conference another success

'Very informative - put me down for next year' was a typical feedback comment from a delegate to the 2016 Empty Homes Conference in Birmingham. The average number of stars awarded by delegates was 4.53 out of 5, maintaining the level of satisfaction seen in previous years. And despite austerity, the numbers attending were only marginally lower than in 2015. Nick Pritchard-Gordon, Chair of the Empty Homes Network and Empty Homes Officer at Reading Borough Council (pictured right), presided over the event in his inimitable style, ensuring that everyone felt at home and relaxed.  'Maybe add a song and dance routine next year!' said one feedback form, tickled no doubt by Nick's stream of anecdotes.  The hot breakfast options and proper sit-down lunch - courtesy of Fraser and Fraser's sponsorship - brought positive comments from people who had travelled from all over the United Kingdom, from places as far apart as Cornwall and Kent, Wales and Scotland. Dave Stott of Grafton (UK) Ltd. was the compere for the Empty Homes Awards ceremony, which saw six winners in total this year. We'll cover the winners and their submissions in more detail over coming weeks. Lynne Leach, pictured below, was one of three joint winners of the Practitioner of the Year Award. All the speakers were well-received. There's just a handful of pictures below. If you want to see a fuller set of pictures, they are available on Dropbox to Full Members of EHN only (you'll need to be logged in) - provided your IT department will let you access Dropbox - some don't.  The link to our Library Item is here. With thanks to Ad Hoc Property Management for helping us keep the cost of the Conference down yet again.