Welcome to the UKREiiF opinion series! We’ve gained exclusive access to the opinions of leaders from across our industry. Stay tuned to find out thoughts on the important issues that affect the UK Built Environment.

By Matt Christie, Director at UKREiiF

One of the most common discussions myself and the team have with local authorities is “We’re interested in getting involved in UKREiiF but are worried about being overshadowed by regions with greater resources and workforce during the event”. It’s a natural worry; however, when we conceptualised the forum, one of our key principles was to make it as effective and accessible to smaller (but equally great) places as to the major metropolitan, urbanised cities. Actions speak louder than words; therefore, it has been a pleasure to work with regions that don’t traditionally engage with events like ours by facilitating personalised introductions (using our ever-growing black book) to investors, developers, and occupiers.

Embodying this practice is our collaboration with Torbay Council over the past 18 months, which has culminated with the signing of a groundbreaking £100 million+ contract with developers whom they met on the road to UKREiiF 2023. How did it come about?

Having submitted an initial inquiry, the senior team at Torbay, comprised of both officers and elected members, detailed the need to move forward with six stagnating key sites that would reinvigorate their town centre. Initially struggling to engage the right level of investor and developer, they set UKREiiF the task of facilitating a pitching session to potential partners who could finally unlock their schemes. We took up the task and organised a pitching session where the senior team met with 10 pre-qualified investors and developers, and from that, two viable development partners emerged. As you will see from the news last week, the Cabinet is now about to sign off on a preferred partner, and work on several of the sites will begin imminently!

Why am I telling this tale? Simply put, we can act as a bridge between your ambitions and getting spades in the ground. Several regions have caught on, and using UKREiiF, there are at least five other regions using our platform to unleash the potential of their towns and cities. With that, I have several tips for those who are curious and are reading this:

  • Have self-confidence! Engage with UKREiiF, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your brand, and be prepared to talk willingly about both.
  • Demonstrate stability and synergy between officers and elected leadership—the market isn’t as volatile as you may think but can be de-risked further through evidence of a broadly supported plan!
  • Be open to new ideas and approaches. Familiarity can breed complacency; with over 2000 investors and developers in attendance, there’s bound to be someone you’re unaware of who could be the golden ticket!
  • Don’t see the event as simply three days in Leeds!

I often describe the event as “Glastonbury for Regeneration”. We have something for everyone; moreover, unlike other forums that simply sell tickets and then expect you to fend for yourself, with us we can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want. We have bespoke solutions to meet every need—it could be a lottery ticket where we’ve given you the first four numbers gratis!

I invite you to give me a call to discuss how we can apply the Torbay Blueprint to your own unique situation. Issue me a challenge if you want!

Speak soon,

Matt

[email protected]