AOIC marks tenth anniversary with successful conference

Delegates, guests and speakers came together in late October for the Association of Independent Celebrants (AOIC’s) annual conference at Liverpool’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Held over two-days, the event marked the AOIC’s ten year anniversary. During the conference, Harry Foster was officially declared the Association’s new president. He succeeds Philip Spicksley who takes up a new role as executive chair. Meanwhile celebrants Emily Rawlinson and Veronika Sophia Robinson were officially declared vice-president and second vice-president. A new committee was also formed, to guide the ever-growing AOIC into the next 12 months.

Mr Foster said: “I intend to be a proactive president with an open door policy. If I can answer the question I will or find someone who can. I will not pretend that the role of president will be easy, but I will try my very best to represent our members’ best interests.”

During the conference, delegates welcomed SAIF president Paul Bowley and the second vice-president of the NAFD David Barrington as honoured guests. Thanking the dignitaries for attending, AOIC executive chair Philip Spicksley declared the weekend conference a big success:

“The Association continues growing and we wanted this anniversary year to be special. As we go from strength to strength we need to invest in resources, knowledge and experience and we will live up to our strapline, ‘the voice of the Celebrant’,” said Mr Spicksley.