By Mya Driver, Marketing Executive at UKREiiF

You’ve probably seen the news by now, but just in case you haven’t: in 2024 UKREiiF injected £20.9 million into Leeds and the wider West Yorkshire region! This remarkable sum has grown from £5.5 million in 2022 to £12.1 million in 2023, and now nearly £21 million in our third year. Altogether, we’ve contributed a massive £38.5 million since our inception.

Several factors contribute to our annual growth, including delegates choosing to spend their evenings in city centre bars and restaurants, visitors staying an extra night in the city, and selling out the city’s hotels during UKREiiF week. A key factor in our economic impact is our collaboration with local businesses for each event. This includes food vendors, businesses near the venue, and our freelance ‘red-tops’ who assist delegates throughout the event.

Here are some of the ways we’ve partnered with local businesses over the years to support and give back to the local economy:

We prioritise supporting local freelancers, including photographers and videographers, as well as employing extensive on-site local security and support teams. Additionally, we collaborate with local suppliers for printing our signage and branding, and we choose local food and beverage outlets for our events. One of the local pop-up food outlets, Homeboy Pizza Co., has expressed the challenges of securing cash flow to invest in their business. With the opening of a new shop and the purchase of a brand new £15,000 oven, maintaining a steady cash flow is crucial for their growth. Harry Pykett, the owner, stated that “UKREiiF gives us the opportunity to grow,” emphasising that the busy mid-week event allows them to reinvest in their business. Thanks to this reinvestment, Homeboy Pizza Co. has been able to open a new shop and acquire new equipment, fuelling their continued expansion. Harry further explained that UKREiiF feels like a supportive community, where local food vendors and small businesses can broaden their markets during the three-day event.

The UKREiiF venue is located in the heart of Leeds City Centre, surrounded by both independent and global businesses. Independent shops like North Star Coffee, which SCAPE Group took over as their base for the three days,  and Yoga Hero are well-known landmarks along the ‘Boulevard,’ which bustles with delegates during UKREiiF.

North Star is a big fan of what UKREiiF brings to the area. They described the impact as “incredible,” noting that their takings quadrupled during the three-day event. The influx of delegates provided an opportunity to showcase their bakes, food, and coffee to a new and enthusiastic audience, helping them spread the word about their amazing coffee.

North Star Coffee also shared that the increased funds from UKREiiF were significant for their business. They explained that this busy period gave them the confidence to face the next quarter, describing the event as “almost like having a second Christmas in the year.”

“It’s fantastic that UKREiiF supports local businesses around it and it shows how much UKREiiF cares about its neighbours and wants everyone in the area to succeed.”

If you want to learn more about UKREiiF and how to get involved, visit here: www.ukreiif.com

By Mya Driver, Marketing Executive at UKREiiF