Estate agents will be taking a breather from the racing Dublin market this weekend when they check into Waterford's Tower Hotel for the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute's conference and knees-up. As in previous years, Sherry FitzGerald is likely to be well represented, but this year the agency will be on the prowl to enlist some of the main country players for its new franchise operation.

Already, Sherrys has signed up about 10 provincial agents and are looking for 30 more to establish a national brand. Their decision to float the company is likely to be one of the main talking points over the weekend, which is more than can be said for the topic chosen by the main speaker, Munster MEP Pat Cox - EU Structural Funding.