Events

Past Conferences

“I was absolutely delighted to host the 2023  Conference in Glasgow after a hiatus of 3 years.  I was concerned that after such a long break delegates and sponsors may no longer be interested in the Conference; but it was quite the reverse with huge  interest, and great attendance, from both delegates and sponsors.   We received fantastic feedback from attendees  in relation to the event; everyone was delighted to meet again in person seeing people that they may not have seen “in real life”  for many years. The atmosphere  was incredibly positive and  uplifting.

There were a number of  highlights of the conference:  from Lynda Towers  of Morton Fraser giving a fascinating talk on  Scotland’s constitutional future; Cllr Susan Aitken, the Leader of Glasgow City Council giving a very open and honest  overview of her role; and Jackie Weaver of Cheshire Association of Local Councils who explained her role and gave us insight into her experiences of trending no 1 on Twitter!  Jackie was also incredibly patient posing for many, many selfies!    

 Other excellent speakers covered a very wide range of topics including  FOISA, procurement, employment law, finance, licensing, planning to name but a few. As well as the CPD and networking we also raised £1600 for two very deserving charities, namely the Lord Provost’s Fund for Vulnerable Citizens and War Child.”

– Elaine Galletly, SOLAR President 2022-2023

“I was absolutely delighted to host the 2018 Conference in Clydebank. As always the event was well attended by delegates from across Scotland and beyond. There were so many highlights of the conference it is difficult to pick a few, but we had an extremely open and informative presentation from the Minister for Local Government and Housing as well as the keynote sessions from the Chief Executive of COSLA and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. It was fantastic to have sessions led by a colleague from ADSO and our first ever offsite sessions, visiting the Titan Crane and learning about the history of shipbuilding in Clydebank, the lawyer’s role in regeneration and the future transformation of Clydebank was extremely well received by delegates. We extended the SOLAR, awarding both administrative and legal teams. Speakers covered a very wide range of topics including Brexit, GDPR and ALEOS and it was pleasing to have so many Sponsors and guests tell me how friendly our conference was. As well as the CPD and networking we also raised a record £1750 for two very deserving charities, namely Cancer Research UK and St Margaret of Scotland Hospice in Clydebank.”

– Peter Hessett, SOLAR President 2017-2018

“It was a real pleasure to host the SOLAR Annual Conference at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen in 2017. As usual, the event was well attended by a variety of delegates and sponsors from across Scotland and the British Isles working both in the public and private sectors. Delegates heard about the key changes being proposed to local government as well as hearing examples of how local authorities are seeking to address the challenge of a growing demand for services against continuous budget reductions. Speakers also provided law updates in areas such as employment law, licensing and planning. In addition to recording CPD and having some fun along the way, SOLAR raised £1,500 for Kayleigh’s Wee Stars and the British Heart Foundation.”

– Fraser Bell, SOLAR President 2016-2017