RICS East operations director, David Potter, reflects on the past year's successes.

It has been a bumper year for RICS in the East of England.  Thank you for all your support.

We have increased the number of local and regional events held this year.  The local member groups are doing well and, of course, we have all benefitted from the great support of RICS matrics.

The number of members attending our events is also at record levels.  Conferences, focus groups, CPD breakfasts, lunches and evening seminars have been held across the region. All part of our comprehensive CPD and networking programme, planned and organised in partnership between members and staff.

Our premier event is the annual RICS Awards dinner, held each year in May. This year we were in the awe inspiring venue of Hatfield Palace with some 220 participants and guests. 

The regional final is a large and prestigious occasion at which we entertain civic and professional guests and celebrate the region’s recently completed outstanding projects. 

The project winners and the RICS ‘Project of the Year’ are described elsewhere on the website so make sure you take a look at some of these stories. 

The range and variety of projects entered this year was truly outstanding.  The number of entries was an increase on the previous year. I am very grateful to all participants and, of course, our sponsors, for helping to make the event such a success.

The unique appeal of the RICS Awards and the opportunity to celebrate excellence in regeneration, sustainability, building conservation and community benefit provide an ideal launch pad from which to promote the profession and the work of surveyors in the region. 

Lisa Davidson, our newly appointed PR & Communications Co-ordinator, has the important role of directing these (and other) opportunities towards the media, as well as keeping busy uploading information on the regional website and editing the regional newsletter.  Lisa works closely with members on these tasks and is always keen to hear from potential spokespeople.

The summer edition of our newsletter is published next week and its theme is the environment. In one way or another, environment has an effect on all our working lives and this edition looks at some of the key sustainable projects being built in our region. In addition it gives you all the latest updates on our regional local associations and matrics groups along with some great advice from our regional business and legal experts.

Please contact me if you have any comments on the local or regional services provided by RICS.