Guest of honour at the convention dinner on 12 May is Michael McDowell and no doubt the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will have a word or two to say about the new regulations for the auctioneering profession which are due to come in next year as a result of the review he set up in his department.

But despite a strong line-up of speakers for the conference, which takes place at the Dunraven Arms Hotel on the weekend of 12-13 May, the real reason for everybody to be there is to say goodbye to IPAV's retiring chief executive Liam O'Donnell.

The convention will be addressed by Professor Roger GH Downer, president of the university of Limerick, Trinity College economist Dr Seán Barrett and IT Solutions expert, Philip O'Reilly of Property CRM.

But after the conference, on Saturday evening, delegates will gather to say farewell to Liam O'Donnell IPAV President Willie Farrell, who hands over to his successor, Limerick based John Shaw, says it's a very special occasion "Liam has been the public face of IPAV for over 20 years and we all owe him a great debt of gratitude for building the organisation in that time. I am looking forward to as many members as possible turning out for his farewell function."