Leeds may be set to lose its place as the host of annual real estate forum UKREiiF, after organisers announced they are looking for a new city to potentially host the event from 2025. A report by ARUP found that the event injected over £12 million into the Leeds economy this year, while the city experienced 100 per cent hotel occupancy.
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00:00 Hello, I'm Michael Crosland, Business Reporter with the Yorkshire Post and we have news today
00:05 on the annual real estate conference UK Reef. The organisers of the event have announced
00:10 that as of 2025 the event may be set to move away from Leeds, which has played host to
00:16 it since its inaugural event in 2022. After two years' speculation, the forum's organisers
00:23 have confirmed that they are scouting for a potential new city to host the event from
00:28 2025, with both Birmingham and Manchester in the running. The forum drew almost 10,000
00:35 delegates in 2023, with a report from Arup finding that it injected over £12 million
00:42 into the Leeds economy. The report also noted that the city saw 100% hotel capacity as the
00:49 event was happening. The event will stay in Leeds for 2024, when it's expected to welcome
00:54 around 15,000 visitors in May. The organisers say it also has the potential to generate
01:00 more than £20 million for the local economy. Keith Griffiths, who is the Chief Executive
01:07 of Built Environment Networking, which organises the event, said that the rapid growth of the
01:13 forum had fast-tracked a review on the venue and that while Leeds remains a contender for
01:19 2025, the group is exploring other options. I'm Michael Crossland, reporting for the Yorkshire
01:25 Post.
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