ONE of social highlights of the Irish property market will end next month when the final annual dinner of the Society of Chartered Surveyors is held in Dublin’s Burlington Hotel.

The €85 a head event, which attracts over 800 surveyors and their clients, has been running since 1895 – making it one of the longest running social events in the city. The reason for bringing down the curtain on the annual dinner has nothing to do with the devastation caused by the collapse of the property and construction markets but stems from the decision of the SCS and the Irish Auctioneers Valuers Institute to formally merge on March 31st.

Next year the new organisation, with a combined membership of of over 4,000, will probably have to move the event from the Nama-controlled Burlington Hotel to Citywest, which is in receivership.

At least this year’s event on February 3rd will be an opportunity for the industry to get a square meal. These days too much networking is going on over a measly cup of coffee.