The decision to move a real estate investment forum from Leeds to Liverpool has been described as a “sad day” for the city by its co-founder.
UKREiiF – the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum – had been held at the Royal Armouries since it launched in 2022, with more than 17,000 delegates attending, organisers said.
The Liverpool Experience Campus has obtained host rights from 2028, while next year’s event will still take place in Leeds from 18 to 20 May.
Co-founder Keith Griffiths said the event had become “a pillar of the business community, bringing national attention and significant income to the local economy”.
Griffiths, who has since left the group, said: “It is a sad day for Leeds and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.”
He said during his tenure the event generated more than £60m in economic benefit.
Griffiths said he would be launching a new festival for entrepreneurs, which he hoped would “fill the gap” left by the departure of UKREiif, describing the market for entrepreneurs as “far larger than the real estate market”.
The festival will launch at the Royal Armouries in June 2027 and become an annual event from May 2028 when UKREiif has left, he added.
