For the first time in two years The Guild of Property Professionals will once again be holding its Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in person. Holding its last conference virtually, The Guild will be back at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London on 10th March 2022.

Iain McKenzie, CEO of The Guild of Property Professionals, says that a lot has happened in both the sector and the world over the past year, so the Annual Conference, which is titled ‘Innovation. Acceleration. Growth’, will be a great opportunity to both reflect and recognise the amazing accomplishments that many of the Members have achieved during 2021. “While we have held regional meetings with our Members throughout the UK, the upcoming conference will be the first time the entire network will have been able to get together and celebrate since the start of the pandemic. Many of our Members have excelled and achieved some incredible results during 2021, so being able to acknowledge that as a network in person will be special. We are looking forward to the 10th of March and welcoming our award-winning network back into the same room,” he adds.

The Annual Conference will provide Members with the opportunity to network and hear from some amazing industry professionals and keynote speakers. “We have a selection of exceptional speakers and industry experts, who will be providing our Members with valuable insight regarding the economy and what to expect in 2022, as well as the digitalisation of the sector and how agents can use digital marketing to gain a competitive advantage. In the afternoon, we will have a masterclass panel discussion on the tools and services that agents can use to drive their business forward, talks on how agents can win instructions the green way, and the trends and innovations we are seeing within the sales and lettings sectors. And what conference would be complete without a talk from Compliance Officer, Paul Offley, who will be discussing legislation and compliance matters impacting agents,” says McKenzie.

This year there will be two keynote speakers at the conference. The first is Katie King, published Author and Management Consultant, renowned for digital transformation and AI. Katie will be focusing on the specific digital transformation with the estate agency sector. She regularly consults on adapting to Business 4.0, having advised numerous leading brands and business leaders, such as Richard Branson, O2, Orange, Accenture, Harrods, Saatchi & Saatchi, PA Consulting, Arsenal FC, NHS trusts, universities and many more.

The second speaker is Debra Searle MVO, MBE, ranked No.3 in World’s Top Motivational Speakers in 2021. She is a professional adventurer, and serial entrepreneur, who rowed the Atlantic solo. Not only have her expeditions have taken her across the Atlantic, but around Antarctica, up to the Arctic Circle and everywhere in between. She has also launched five companies, is a published author, has presented for the BBC and is a trusted corporate speaker. The movie of Debra’s Atlantic rowing story is currently in development in Hollywood. Debra will be talking at the conference about the importance of choosing your attitude, no matter the obstacles.

British television presenter, Kirsty Gallacher has also been confirmed as the presenter of The Guild of Property Professional’s Awards. One of the UK’s most respected and versatile broadcasters, Kirsty has enjoyed a successful 20-year career at Sky Sports, anchoring Sky Sports News’ flagship show and interviewing several huge names. She also covered a number of major sporting events such as Wimbledon, the Olympics, The Masters and the Ryder Cup.

McKenzie said: “We are delighted to have Kirsty at our conference to present the awards this year. Having her there will add to an already memorable and special occasion being the first in-person conference and awards ceremony the network has had since 2020.”

2022 is a record year in terms of the number of agents who have submitted award applications for review. “Based on the response we have had it seems that the network is as eager to get back together in person as we are. The Conference and Awards annual event has always been one of the highlights on The Guild’s calendar. The Guild Awards acknowledge the hard work that offices have put in throughout the year and provide an opportunity to celebrate with and recognise agents who have excelled in various categories. We will be presenting a large number of awards, which are sponsored by The Telegraph, to both sales and lettings agents who have achieved some remarkable results during 2021. As with previous Guild Awards, the judges’ decision on award winners is heavily swayed by customer-centric service, with the Awards Customer Service Rating powered by The ESTAS, the only industry awards based solely on customer reviews,” he adds.

Winners are selected from each region, showing the strength of the network right up and down the country. As a network, The Guild aims to continue to raise industry standards for the better and ensure offices throughout the UK provide their customers with a high-quality estate agency experience.

“We look forward to seeing everyone at the conference in March and celebrating their incredible achievements over the past 12 months,” concludes McKenzie.

For more information about the Guild Conference or to book tickets click here.