I’ve been in the sector long enough now to have travelled the length and breadth of the country to attend conferences, events and talks, with the construction sector constantly evolving, both in the way we work and the way we communicate and plan for the future.
After another successful (but tiring) MIPIM in Cannes for Sutcliffe in March, UKREIIF this week has presented our team with less travelling, but equally as many opportunities, with circa 4,000 attendees and countless investors, developers and familiar faces all based up on Leeds fabulous dockside.
At UKREIIF with my respective Sutcliffe, ACE North West and Liverpool City Region hats on, my respective event began with a Downtown In Business pre-conference roundtable at the Malmaison on the Monday, as we discussed the levelling up agenda, the need for additional investment in the Liverpool City Region and a smidgen of politics on top – three topics which have already heavily dominated conversations in Q1 of 2022.
It was a pleasure to hear from Tim Johnson, chief exec of Wolverhampton City Council and Deborah Cadman OBE, chief exec of Birmingham City Council, with both sharing Sutcliffe’s visions when it comes to skills, training, employment, investment and infrastructure throughout the country.
With Levelling Up again the topic of choice on Tuesday morning, I then took part in some much needed networking, meeting up with faces old and new over a coffee, before departing sunny Leeds and heading back to Liverpool – and on my train journey home, I had time to think and I am encouraged by the fact that the public and private sector are seemingly pushing in the same direction when it comes to innovation and making a difference within communities.
Handing over the gauntlet to our BDM Emily Warburton and director William Baldwin, who then flew the flag for team Sutcliffe on the Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday and Thursday, it is safe to say that UKREIIF has exceeded all expectations and I for one have already marked out May 2023 in my diary for next year’s conference.
Before I sign off, I’d also like to speak about the aforementioned Emily, with her role in Leeds as part of the Future Impact Board, seeing her shine a spotlight on the next generation of our sector and with Emily and co at the helm, our sector is certainly in very capable hands for the future!
