Our Marketing & Events Manager Kayley Buxton thoroughly enjoyed attending UKREiiF this past week. Here were her key takeaways:

Investment is 🔑  

• The UK is at the forefront of the renaissance of regional capitals, as showcased in the UKREiiF conference agenda, exhibition spaces, and fringe events. This resurgence is being powered by strategic local, national, public, and private partnerships in the sector, but the industry still grapples with physical, environmental, societorial, and philosophical challenges. Nonetheless, these obstacles are being addressed by a united effort to revitalise regional hubs and create sustainable, thriving communities.

Levelling Up 📈 

• During the 3-day conference, Levelling Up was discussed extensively with several key points highlighted, including the slow pace of progress, an unbalanced bidding process, excessive focus on output, lack of clarity and stability, and the need for better connectivity in the north to drive change. This was a topic that resonated deeply with everyone in attendance, and it was clear that improvements in these areas could have a significant impact on the success of the initiative.
• The panel discussing the effectiveness of “levelling up” was asked for solutions to the issue. Their responses resonated with the audience, which included ideas such as emphasising shared efforts instead of treating it as a zero-sum game, encouraging the national government to trust local authorities, recognising that progress will only occur if the public sector takes initiative, promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors, and acknowledging that policy layering needs to be addressed.

NextGen & EDI ⚖️

• The presence of a pavilion dedicated to educating attendees on ED&I & the Youth was truly refreshing. It provided students and NextGen attendees with an opportunity to share their experiences and insights on a range of topics. This effort wasn’t limited to peers, but also extended to employers and other professionals, making it an inclusive and informative experience for all.

Women in Real Estate ♀

• I had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion and lunch hosted by Women in Real Estate, where I had the opportunity to hear firsthand from industry leaders about their experiences and the steps they took to reach their current positions. In addition to connecting with other WiRE members, the event left me with valuable takeaways: the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals, curiosity, networking, self-confidence, and continuous learning.

What’s next? 🔜

• Vertiports, AI integration and rural powerhouses!

Thank you to everyone at Built Environment Networking for such a fantastic event. Our members and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring a new city and catching up with our community!