A decade after its last conference in Birmingham, the British Council of Offices returned to the city on Wednesday last week. The three-day event, attended by around 800 participants, began with the announcement of a snap general election and the arrival of 52 intrepid cyclists who had completed a tough 270-mile journey from Newcastle to Birmingham.

Before the conference officially kicked off, the BCO’s NextGen group hosted a brunch at the Mailbox, one of Birmingham’s grade A office spaces, where several dozen under-35s gathered to network and discuss their work in the sector. Topics of conversation included the flexibility of office spaces due to hybrid working and the importance of office developments incorporating amenities such as museums and cafes.

In his opening speech, Peter Crowther, vice president and soon-to-be president of the BCO, welcomed the face that there were 200 NextGen delegates in attendance, double the number from last year. The future is looking bright!