Over three days at UKREiiF, experts from across a variety of Gleeds’ sector, services and locations, headed to a very sunny Leeds to join the conversation with industry leaders and the future generation to continue the drive for innovation and growth across the built environment.

Paul Dennison, Head of Development and Residential Sector Lead, kicked off the activity on the first day as he facilitated a fireside chat with the Government Property Agency on ‘How Leadership Creates Vision, Culture and Thriving Communities’. The conversation highlighted how strategic property decisions directly fuel national growth and opportunity.

UK Manging Director, Brian McArdle, joined the Government Property Agency on the second day of the conference to discuss ‘Strategic Partnerships: Driving Value and Innovation in Urban Regeneration. The session brought together central government, local authorities, developers, investors, and community stakeholders to discuss impactful regeneration and integrating financial, social and cultural value.

Mona Hassan, quantity surveyor from our Liverpool team, was also part of the ‘Urban Development and Investment: Bridging Today’s Strategies with Tomorrow’s Vision’ panel in partnership with Avison Young. They unpacked the key forces shaping the UK’s urban landscape, giving a clear view of where opportunities lie and how to capitalise upon them in urban transformation.

A thread that ran throughout each of these discussions was that the vital role of private investment working together with the public sector. Strong collaboration will be the foundation for delivering the infrastructure, places, and communities our region needs. With the UK government’s focus on supercharging the economy, private-public partnerships will play a vital part in making this vision become a reality as we continue through 2025 into 2026.

The conversation shifted to the future generation during UKREiiF as Gleeds hosted a session with Regeneration Brainery, a non-profit organisation that helps to get young and diverse people into the property and regeneration industry.

The informal drop-in session welcomed individuals for breakfast and to connect with some of our talented under-25 professionals, who led discussions on a range of forward-thinking topics across the built environment. The aim was to share insights, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire early-career attendees to start building their own professional networks. The topics that were explored included understanding business development, AI and quantity surveying and infrastructure and aviation. Attendees left with valuable knowledge, fresh perspectives, and – perhaps most importantly – a new connection to support them on their professional journey.

This is positive news as the focus on closing the skills gaps remains a hot topic in 2025. The Government has now launched Skills England, a new body that will align the capabilities of the workforce with the needs of the future workplace. Apprenticeships have also been reformed with the length of them shortening to eight months from twelve from August 2025.

A focus for Gleeds in 2025 is also how the gender gap in the UK Construction industry can be closed. With only 15% of women in the built environment, and only 1% in site-based roles, Mona Hassan was part of the ‘Building Balance: Advancing Gender Equality in Construction’ panel. This essential discussion covered how gender equality is being embedded into the very foundation of our industry and what is needed for the workforce of the future.

The Gleeds team also did a fantastic job at raising money for Martin House Children's Hospice at the Gleeds annual drinks reception at UKREiiF! Martin House supports children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families, across West, North and East Yorkshire. Their vision is that every child and young person can access palliative care where and when they need it.

With a lot of change in the industry, the general feeling at UKREiiF was that there is a lot of positive news following a difficult 2024. As the conference closes its doors for another year and we look towards the next year we’ll take away the conversations, connections and key learnings from an insightful few days. It was great to spend time with our peers and the future generation focussed on how we can continue to drive innovation and growth in the built environment.