With 52 weekends in the year, it seems extraordinary that the two organisations representing auctioneers and quantity surveyors have clashed with their annual conferences. Both the IAVI and the Society of Chartered Surveyors are having conferences over the last weekend in March. The auctioneers will meet in Tralee while the chartered surveyors have chosen Kilkenny for their knees up. Good to see that the highly effective Sandra McDowell, who steered the IAVI through many a tricky situation during the property boom, is now back in the PR saddle representing the chartered surveyors who, like the auctioneers, have had a very good run over the past five years. As the market slows down however, the two organisations will have plenty to chew over in Kilkenny and Tralee.