A look back at UKREiiF 2024

Our first experience of UKREiiF

UKREiiF, which stands for the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum, was the event to attend in Q1 of 2024. Now in its third year after gaining such traction since its first year, the event has grown considerably to 13,000+ delegates attending. Looking at the weeks of exciting posts on LinkedIn, Concertus could not miss this opportunity to send our Commercial team to see what it was all about.

Jessica Etienne, one of our Associate Directors, and Andrew Brooks, one of our Associates, represented Concertus. They spent three full days attending the main event at the Royal Armouries and attending some spectacular fringe events across the city.

The three-day event welcomed local councils, government departments, and the UK’s most prominent investors, developers, and end-users. To “connect people, places, and businesses to accelerate and unlock sustainable, inclusive, and transformational investment”. UKREiiF showcases the scale of development progress and future investment opportunities for the public sector.

Jess has recently looked back at her experience attending various insightful seminars, catching up with new and current construction partners, and keeping collaboration at the forefront of each conversation.

Day One

Booking last minute to visit such an event only made me feel a little apprehensive, but the feeling of excitement was so much more. The commute from Matlock, Derbyshire, to Leeds was a familiar one for me, so it was an early train to get the most out of the three days. Already sitting on the train were many professionals suited and booted for the event. I met multiple people here who had previously been to the event or were newcomers like myself. Already, I knew we were in for a great three days. Andrew and I met at the station and walked to the Royal Armouries, following the crowds of people, picking up multiple merchandise en route from exhibitors, and seeing the fringe events in full motion in the café and bars—it was only 8 a.m.!

After collecting my pass and what I can call the “UKREiiF Bible”, the doorstop catalogue of the events for the next three days. I set off to the Pagabo Pavilion and the Pavilion Square to attend the Procurement Act 2023 event. With the upcoming legislation changes and a background in Procurement, this was a great event to settle myself into the day. It did not disappoint. There were great discussions about what the new act would introduce, including a breakdown of the significant change. The panel discussed the future of social value and how our organisations can prepare for the upcoming legislative changes.

Next was a visit to the Royal Armouries to the SCAPE Public Stage, where the South Yorkshire Combined Authority were to discuss the “New Era of Good Growth”.  I bumped into a familiar face from home who was also attending for the first time, so it was great to have a quick debrief and a natter. The panel discussion was impressive. I have excellent knowledge of the East Midlands Combined Council Authority, and being a Derbyshire resident, I found it interesting to hear about their work in South Yorkshire. The joining of councils to collaborate and make collective decisions will support achieving enhanced economic growth.

After a busy morning, it was time to eat! I was very fortunate to be invited to the Atkins Search lunch by Nicole Broughton, So a quick power walk back into the city to RIVA Blu. If anyone has ever been to Leeds, you will know it’s a shopper’s dream, so I found it challenging to have the willpower not to rush into Zara. Anyway, back to business. At lunch, it was finally great to put faces to names. Since the lockdown, it’s fair to say communication is mostly behind a screen. Another benefit to attending UKREiiF is that most of your network is at the same place at the same time! I had insightful discussions with the team from Atkins Search and guests from Stepnells and Pick Everard. Thank you again, ladies, for a fantastic lunch. I will most definitely return to RIVA Blu. It was delicious!

I went back along the canal to the Pavilion Zone to see if I could catch up with some of the Derbyshire County Council representatives to see how their day was going. I was in luck! Having just met with Andrew, Chris Henning was at the Midlands Engine Pavilion. Already by 2 p.m., we were finding the event a great benefit. We both talked to the Procure Partnerships team about the renewal of the new Consultancy framework. Having been connected on LinkedIn for some time with Tom, it was great to have some proper introductions and a chat finally. “The Year of Derby “Olympic” opportunities in the Midlands Engine Partnership Zone Pavilion were up next. It was great to hear about the new opportunities in Derby, both in the capacity of Concertus and as a Derbyshire Gal, as it’s so great to hear about all the growth in Derby to keep it thriving.

Back into the city to meet up with Chris and Simon from Addison Hunt. If you are reading this and will attend any future UKREiiFs, The Adelphi is a great place to meet outside of the main event. Swarmed with people enjoying a drink in the sun after a busy first day, it was a real buzz. I saw many familiar faces and met many new ones in that Yorkshire pub. Chris, Simon, and I wandered further into the city to the Women in Construction in Nottingham and Lincolnshire event, which was happening at the Corn Exchange. Wow, what a building that was! It was fantastic to hear the panel talk about their journeys in the construction industry, their challenges, and how they have developed throughout their career. It is inspirational, and seeing so many people supporting Women in Construction is fantastic.

Last up is the Pick Everard reception. Although I arrived a few hours after it began, two floors were full of people in full networking swing. It was great to catch up with so many familiar faces, but this was outweighed by the number of new contacts I got to introduce myself and Concertus to. I have a lot of follow-up meetings to arrange. On my journey back to the Hotel, I wrote up my notes from the day, thinking, how can tomorrow top it?

Umbrella!

When you’re up North, you can only expect the heavens to open. A group of us in the Hotel looked outside, saying the same thing: I haven’t brought a coat! That’s okay. UKREiiF was prepared for day 2, with thousands of umbrellas available. Luckily, I had my Concertus one (marketing would be proud!). With the downpour, I focused on staying at the Armouries and seeing what was on inside!

The West Midlands Pavilion had a breakfast event, during which they discussed the “Town Centre Regeneration,” which provided insight into the regeneration pipeline and the focus of the West Midlands.  Wates hosted a session, “The Construction Playbook: Still the Path to Building a Better Future?” I knew this event was perfect for me and my position at Concertus. I have read the Construction Playbook and the associated PPNs in detail, especially as it was a focus for my dissertation last year. The panel discussed the strategy behind the playbook and emphasised the need for organisations to embrace it to drive change. There were engaging questions from the audience, making it a valuable discussion, and although I know the subject, hearing other people’s opinions and their challenging questions only gave me more insight and a better understanding.

I also attended a session on “Delivering the West Midlands Investment,” which focused on projects across the region and how investment would spur growth. Concertus has recently started working in the West Midlands, so it was important to understand the region’s aspirations to see how we can align ourselves for future opportunities. UKREiiF had two impressive Exhibition Halls. There was such a mix of stands from contractors, Combined Authorities, Councils, and consultants. I walked around the exhibition hall and the new dock hall, engaging in discussions.

“Focus on the East Midlands: Our Time is Now” was next in the Royal Armouries. The panel comprised the newly elected Mayor Claire Ward for the East Midlands Combined Council Authority, East Midlands Freeport, and East Midlands Development Company. Although the discussion focused mainly on investment opportunities, there were discussions on how supply chain organisations like us and SMEs will have opportunities for the pipeline.  Although, at the time, it was not 100% clear what these opportunities were, it was interesting to hear what the aspirations are for the East Midlands.

Two drinks receptions then closed the day at the Armouries. First, the Oxford County Council drinks evening, where I was allowed to introduce Concertus to the Council’s leadership team. It was great to hear and discuss the newly implemented Oxford LEP and how we can support the Council in the future. A drinks reception followed this in partnership with Invest in Nottingham, where we celebrated the successful work in the area, and the panel discussed the future developments in Nottingham, such as the Broadmarsh scheme.

One last stop before I call it a night. The Morgan Sindall evening reception at the Water Boat House. Need I say anymore? You need to if you have yet to attend a Morgan Sindall event. They do not disappoint! Hundreds of people, music, and fresh pizzas. What more do you want after a long day? It was great catching up with the East Midlands team and meeting the other regions’ teams. I have lost count of how many people I was introduced to, but since being at the Water Boat House, I have met up with so many people from that one event. So, a big thank you to Stuart, Jonathan and the Morgan Sindall team for the invite!

Time to say goodbye

The third day was much quieter at the armouries as people travelled back to their hometowns. Some people I met had travelled by car, train, and plane! I felt lucky that Leeds was only an hour away from home. In the morning, I attended the “Kier Places” event in the Cratus Group Pavilion, where they discussed regeneration through the power of partnerships. The panel talked about how joint ventures support public sector organisations and the process of establishing a partnership. Having previously worked on a joint venture project, I was heavily invested in this discussion. It was interesting to hear from the public sector organisations how they have seen significant benefits in partnering with Private Sector organisations. Afterwards, I took advantage of walking around the exhibition hall in more detail and without a soggy umbrella-like yesterday.

I had valuable discussions with HM Land Registry about their new, improved systems to help customers obtain relevant data in seconds. I was very quick to send the link back to operations to make sure the team were aware of this new free software. I then caught up with Andrew for a coffee in the sun for a debrief of the event. Although we both attended on behalf of Concertus, we hardly saw each other over the three days. The event is so big, with 13,000+ delegates, 2,500+ fringe events, 800+ speakers, and 40+ stages, that you must split up and pre-plan your approach to get the most out of it. After three long days, it was time to head back to Matlock. Although I felt somewhat defeated by exhaustion, it was totally worth it. The number of conversations, new knowledge, and takeaways over the three days was actually quite impressive.

My Key Takeaways

• Net zero, sustainability, and social value—there is a reason every panellist spoke about them! They become increasingly critical every second.
• Regeneration and revitalisation: With the introduction of Combined Authorities, the need for investment in our regions is in high demand—and so it should be! It is imperative to promote economic growth, ensure our regions thrive, and offer opportunities to current and future generations.
• Innovation and technology: Adoption of new technologies, such as AI, data analytics, and BIM, is crucial for improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing the customer experience. I have always been quite nervous about AI, but I feel there are more pros than cons!
• Collaboration & Partnerships: “Working together, equal and shared knowledge” comes to mind. These words were said so many times last week. There is an emphasis on collaboration and partnerships between the public and private sectors to drive innovation, improve outcomes, and deliver lasting value.

Thank you for sharing your experience, Jess! Events such as UKREiiF are instrumental in bringing together an array of key decision-makers from every area of the built environment. These events foster current relationships, open the opportunity to make new partnerships and allow the public sector to come together with the same agenda: to make the communities across the UK thrive, making them great places to live and work.