Delegates to the 2017 Empty Homes Conference, held in Birmingham last week, gave it an average rating of 4.73 out of 5, making it the highest-scoring such event held to date.
A strong line-up of speakers was undoubtedly a big factor. Among the most popular sessions was that presented by Kerry Morgan-Gould (pictured right) and Vicki Green, of Ashfords Solicitors, about dealing with dificult Probate cases. But that was just one example from among many.
Delegates arrived early to take advantage of the continental breakfast, with Frances Shieber of Newcastle City Council and the North-East Empty Homes Forum taking charge of registrations and handing out the eco-cotton delegate bags.
Breakfast could be taken in a relatively genteel style in booths...
... or in a more free-wheeling manner
Either way, lots of networking happened.
But for some, such as Lynne Leach and Will Abë (below), who led the Rural Empty Homes Strategy panel session and had come from opposite ends of the country to do so, breakfast involved a more serious task of preparation for what lay ahead.
The Conference was chaired in his usual inimitable style by Nick Pritchard-Gordon, Chair of EHN, once we were able to persuade him to let go of the bottle which he was still clutching following the pre-conference meet-up the night before in the Square Peg.
The day's business started with a joint session that featured Simon Finneran, Managing Director of main sponsors Ad Hoc Property Management, and Rex Duis, founder of Property Guardians UK. Rex has developed a Charter for Property Guardians, drawing in part on his own long-term experience as a Guardian. Both Rex and Simon were keen to work togeher to raise standards in the industry. EHN is currently involved in a York University research project to bring greater clarity to the legal issues attached to the property guardian mode, with expected benefits for local authorities, guardians and guardian firms.
Above, Rex Duis of Property Guardians UK.
Above, Simon Finneran of Ad Hoc Property Management Ltd.
A last-minute session was added to allow Carolyn Lord of LB and Co Solicitors and Anglia Research Ltd (pictured below) to summarise some work which she had been involved in preparing on the subject of using probate researchers (aka 'heir hunters'). EHN will cover this in a future story, but at the time of the Conference the results of the research, including summaries of QC opinions and of responses to FOI requests, had only just been sent to all Heads of Legal at local authorities around the country, with an article forthcoming in the Local Government Chronicle: this was a scoop for our Conference.
The Empty Homes Awards 2017 will also be covered in much more detail in future stories,but mention must be made of the Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year award, won this year by Thelma Cunningham of Plymouth City Council and presented by Steve Grimshaw of sponsor Kent No Use Empty.
Outside of the sessions, the exhibitors' stands were kept busy.
Homesmatch helped this year by offering their Silver Supporter sponsorship.
And for yet another year, EHN has benefitted from support from Ad Hoc as the main Conference Sponsor.
Breaks were also an opportunity for more networking. Below, David Clare (Habitat for Humanity Homes, left) and Abdus Saleh (Cromwood Social).
According to reliable reports, this is the last year that the Conference will be organised by David Gibbens, who has set up all the EHN Conferences from 2010 onwards, 7 in all, not counting the Conference jointly organised with the Empty Homes Agency in 2012. David claims to be seeking 'retirement', 'semi-retirement', 'flexible retirement', 'flexible self-employment', 'semi-self-employment', 'self-unemployment', 'flexible semi-self-unemployment' or whatever other term seems to come into his mind at the time. Having left Exeter City Council eight years ago to 'write a book', of which there is no sign whatsoever, then anything he says can safely be ignored. But he did get three cheers on the back of these vague intentions.
Breakfast could be taken in a relatively genteel style in booths...
... or in a more free-wheeling manner
Either way, lots of networking happened.
But for some, such as Lynne Leach and Will Abë (below), who led the Rural Empty Homes Strategy panel session and had come from opposite ends of the country to do so, breakfast involved a more serious task of preparation for what lay ahead.
The Conference was chaired in his usual inimitable style by Nick Pritchard-Gordon, Chair of EHN, once we were able to persuade him to let go of the bottle which he was still clutching following the pre-conference meet-up the night before in the Square Peg.
The day's business started with a joint session that featured Simon Finneran, Managing Director of main sponsors Ad Hoc Property Management, and Rex Duis, founder of Property Guardians UK. Rex has developed a Charter for Property Guardians, drawing in part on his own long-term experience as a Guardian. Both Rex and Simon were keen to work togeher to raise standards in the industry. EHN is currently involved in a York University research project to bring greater clarity to the legal issues attached to the property guardian mode, with expected benefits for local authorities, guardians and guardian firms.
Above, Rex Duis of Property Guardians UK.
Above, Simon Finneran of Ad Hoc Property Management Ltd.
A last-minute session was added to allow Carolyn Lord of LB and Co Solicitors and Anglia Research Ltd (pictured below) to summarise some work which she had been involved in preparing on the subject of using probate researchers (aka 'heir hunters'). EHN will cover this in a future story, but at the time of the Conference the results of the research, including summaries of QC opinions and of responses to FOI requests, had only just been sent to all Heads of Legal at local authorities around the country, with an article forthcoming in the Local Government Chronicle: this was a scoop for our Conference.
The Empty Homes Awards 2017 will also be covered in much more detail in future stories,but mention must be made of the Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year award, won this year by Thelma Cunningham of Plymouth City Council and presented by Steve Grimshaw of sponsor Kent No Use Empty.
Outside of the sessions, the exhibitors' stands were kept busy.
Homesmatch helped this year by offering their Silver Supporter sponsorship.
And for yet another year, EHN has benefitted from support from Ad Hoc as the main Conference Sponsor.
Breaks were also an opportunity for more networking. Below, David Clare (Habitat for Humanity Homes, left) and Abdus Saleh (Cromwood Social).
According to reliable reports, this is the last year that the Conference will be organised by David Gibbens, who has set up all the EHN Conferences from 2010 onwards, 7 in all, not counting the Conference jointly organised with the Empty Homes Agency in 2012. David claims to be seeking 'retirement', 'semi-retirement', 'flexible retirement', 'flexible self-employment', 'semi-self-employment', 'self-unemployment', 'flexible semi-self-unemployment' or whatever other term seems to come into his mind at the time. Having left Exeter City Council eight years ago to 'write a book', of which there is no sign whatsoever, then anything he says can safely be ignored. But he did get three cheers on the back of these vague intentions.