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Commercial Property

Leeds facing battle to hold onto prestigious º£½ÇÊÓÆµREiiF real estate conference

Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool will battle it out to host three future events

Leeds city centre

Leeds is facing a battle to hold onto the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ’s premier real estate event after three other cities were shortlisted to stage the conference.

The º£½ÇÊÓÆµREiiF (º£½ÇÊÓÆµ’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum) has been staged in the Yorkshire city since being set up in 2022, bringing millions into the local economy and pushing hotel occupancy rates in the area to 100%.

Next year’s event is predicted to bring 15,000 visitors to Leeds and give the local economy a £20m boost. Attendees comprised government and local authority representatives, investors, developers, occupiers, and the broader built environment industry. But organisers Built Environment Networking are now considering where to hold the subsequent three events, and have shortlisted Leeds alongside Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool.

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Chief Executive Keith Griffiths said: “The rapid growth of º£½ÇÊÓÆµREiiF has fast-tracked our plans. We’re now exploring options to future-proof the event, prompting our review of the venue and host city.

“While Leeds remains a contender for 2025 and beyond, and the feedback about the city has been stellar, we’ve been equally impressed by other cities we’ve visited. The potential venues and the teams we might collaborate with make the decision challenging.”

º£½ÇÊÓÆµREiiF brings together investors from the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ and abroad to showcase development and regeneration opportunities around the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ. Speakers at this year’s event included Investment Minister Lord Johnson, South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard, West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin and Koen Lamberts, vice-chancellor at the University of Sheffield. Next year the event will be held at Leeds Dock from May 21-23, but organisers are looking for a venue for 2025, 2026 and 2027.