APSE Annual Seminar review by Matt Miller

Matt Miller, Executive Consultant for APSE Solutions, looks back on his first APSE Annual Seminar and Service Awards

As a new member of the APSE family, this was my first Annual Seminar and Service Awards. This meant that I could attend the event without comparing it to previous ones, but it also meant I had no idea what to expect! Firstly, what a location. Bristol is a beautiful city with so many independent coffee shops and retailers within easy walking distance and a general busyness that I feel many other cities would be very jealous of. That’s before you mention the architecture as well. 

The first day of the event was a good introduction for me as setting aside the morning for delegates to arrive and visit the different exhibitors gave the event a nice, relaxed feel. I took this opportunity to talk to various councils around the hall, introduce myself and explain what the Solutions team did. I also had the opportunity to talk to the exhibitors, in particular, Space & Place who I’ve come across in my past life at Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Economic Development team. Their business card even has a picture of a Stoke-on-Trent Levelling Up project on the back!

Throughout both days there was a great range of speakers covering a range of topics that appealed to the different delegates who attended. The themed breakout sessions were a great way for delegates to really get into discussions about their service areas and if the refuse, recycling and waste one was anything to go by I think some of the delegates could’ve stayed in those sessions all afternoon.

The first evening we were hosted at the SS Great Britain. What a venue! For someone who has a bit of an interest in engineering and navel history, walking through the museum to get to the main reception area was a real treat. 

Day two was a packed schedule of talks from a range of speakers again providing insights into not only local government across the different nations of the UK but an in-depth look into some hot topics. The main seminar ended with a presentation from Camilla Mankabady, Director of Communications for Liverpool City Council who led the city’s organisation of the Eurovision Song Contest that was hosted there. I had no idea that Eurovision was so much more than the main, televised contest. What Camilla and her team and partners did in such a short space of time was nothing short of amazing!

Finally, the annual service awards. What a great evening showcasing and rewarding the finalists and winners. The joy, and often complete shock at winning these awards was clear to see. These awards mean so much to those who entered and won, and it is great to be able to say thank you to them. I sat with delegates from Nottingham who were not expecting to win anything from either of their nominations, but went home with the award for Best Community and Neighbourhood Initiative and couldn’t have been happier!

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