Colleagues from every corner of Principle came together for our biggest Staff Conference yet, built around one theme: The Power of Teamwork.
On Friday 16 October 2026, colleagues from across Principle gathered at The Studio in the centre of Birmingham for our annual Staff Conference.
With new offices in Manchester and on the South Coast, it was our biggest gathering yet: 110 colleagues from four offices in one room.
Every one of us plays an important part in Principle’s success, but our biggest achievements come from how we work together. The day was about recognising that, celebrating what we’ve achieved this year and looking ahead to where we’re going next.
Cracking the code
We started with an icebreaker. Each table got an envelope with eight clues and eight letters, and had to work together to crack an eight-letter code. The rule was that every clue was needed, so nobody could solve it alone.
It was the perfect start to a day about teamwork, and a few competitive streaks came out early.
Business overview: a year to be proud of
Our founders, Brett Williams and Joe Jobson, took us through the year quarter by quarter, and there was plenty to celebrate:
New business across the country, including Oxygen Towers in Manchester (382 units), Beorma Tower in Digbeth, Grand Ocean View in Brighton, Royal Arch in Birmingham, 50 Kensington Garden Square, and portfolios for Freehold Group, Aitch Group and Adderstone
Two new offices: 111 Piccadilly in Manchester and our new South Coast base between Portsmouth and Southampton
Awards and recognition: Highly Commended at the ACE Awards, a win at the Midlands Insider awards, double finalists at the PMAs, and three PM50 places for Tanya Malik, Jessica Deller and Esme Williams
Our people: a long list of promotions, new qualifications (including new MRICS, FTPI and chartered colleagues) and lots of new faces joining the team
Joe then reminded everyone where it all started: two desks in an empty room in 2018. Today, Principle has £7.7m in revenue and manages 27,000 homes.
His message for the years ahead was simple: 20% growth, every year. He was clear that growth isn’t only about winning new business. Keeping the clients we already have, and growing those relationships, matters just as much.
Growth also creates opportunity: more roles, more responsibility and more chances for people to progress. As Joe put it: “You’re not just working in a growing business. You’re building it.”
Strategy and growth
Next, the team leading our growth shared their plans:
Matt Kirk covered the North, from opening the Manchester office to the next phase of growth in the region
Kevin Daniells introduced our new South Coast operation. In just three months, it has 10 estates and 854 units onboarding, plus around £70,000 of Building Surveying work. He also challenged everyone to “turn LinkedIn purple”
Lettings set out the plan to become the go-to lettings partner: big enough to do it properly, small enough to care
Building Surveying shared a year of more than 300 instructions and around £3m of refurbishment works, with highlights including 5 Grosvenor Square in Mayfair and The Brickworks in Cardiff. Their target for the next 12 months is £4m
Managing change
Change has been a constant over the last 18 months, with new systems, new offices and new people. This session looked at how we each experience change, using the “Change House” model: contentment, denial, confusion and renewal.
The key takeaway was that change works best as a team effort. Tables then shared what had made a change they’d experienced go well.
Marketing update with Pull The Pin
Our marketing partners (and Birmingham neighbours), Pull The Pin, shared their core aim: to amplify the Principle name and our people, to support the business’s growth. The update covered:
New branded proposal and brochure templates
Weekly thought leadership across the website, LinkedIn and PR
Press coverage of both office openings
Strong SEO growth, with around 400 extra website visitors a month
Client email newsletters on the way
The rollout of HubSpot before the end of the year
Different strengths, stronger teams
After lunch and the team photo, we explored the nine Belbin Team Roles, from Plants and Shapers to Completer Finishers. Everyone worked out which roles they naturally lean towards, and tables mapped the strengths (and gaps) in their teams.
Then it was time to put it into practice. Each team had 30 minutes to build a LEGO London Bridge, with one catch: you could only use bricks from your own bag. Comparing the scores teams gave themselves before and after the build sparked plenty of honest reflection, and a lot of laughter.
What makes a winning team?
The afternoon’s guest speaker, Jimmy Gopperth, brought a perspective from elite sport: 23 years in elite rugby, 526 professional matches and 156 appearances for Wasps.
His talk on trust, teamwork and performance tied the whole day together.
Directors’ Q&A
As always, the floor was opened to Brett, Joe and the directors for an open and honest Q&A, with some great questions from across the business.
Staff Awards 2026
We closed the day by celebrating the colleagues nominated by their peers for going above and beyond this year:
Rising Star Award: Brigita Norunha, Junior Property Manager
We’re United Award: Sean Evans, Credit Control Assistant
Never Settle Award: Aliyah Lowe, Credit Control Team Leader
Positivity Award: Courtney Reid, Lettings Administrator
Leadership in Action Award: Tanya Malik, Senior Property Manager
Calm in the Storm Award: Alex Jordan, Specialist Property Manager
Kudos Champion: Ade Rowaiye, Senior Service Charge Accountant
Employee of the Year: Jonas Williams, IT Manager, and Rachel Morton, Lettings Property Manager
Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to everyone who made the day such a success, especially our presenters and the team behind the scenes.
Here’s to building the next chapter together.
