UKREiiF Australia: Leeds Forum Launches First Overseas Event

The forum that fills Leeds Dock every May is exporting its model Down Under, while confirming the city keeps the flagship event in 2027

The property and infrastructure forum that takes over Leeds each May is going international. The company behind UKREiiF is launching its first overseas event, UKREiiF Australia, replicating the model that has made the Leeds gathering one of the biggest dates in the UK built environment calendar. The Australian forum will bring together investors, developers, occupiers, policymakers and public sector organisations to showcase development opportunities across the country and attract global capital. For Leeds, it is a notable export: an event created in the city in 2022 is now being sold abroad as a template.

Why This Matters For Leeds

The organisers put the event value to the Leeds and West Yorkshire economy at more than £20m a year in hotel stays, hospitality and services, and it puts thousands of investors and developers in the city for three days annually. An international spin-off raises the profile of the brand, and by extension the city that created it, while the flagship stays put in Leeds for 2027. For local hospitality, venues and professional services.

What UKREiiF Australia Will Look Like

The Australian event is designed to work the same way as the Leeds original: connecting international and domestic investors, developers and occupiers with opportunities in states, cities and towns, and pairing that with a programme of talks and networking. The organisers say it will keep the mix of public and private sector participation that shaped the UK event’s growth, along with its commitments on sustainability, diversity and inclusion. Matt Christie, founding director and director of external affairs, said the new forum would build on the principles behind the original’s growth, particularly its focus on connecting places and projects with the investors and development partners needed to deliver them.

Never Miss a Leeds Business Event

Get our monthly events guide straight to your inbox — every networking meetup, conference, and showcase happening in Leeds.

“The event will build on the principles that have driven UKREiiF’s growth, including its festival-style, strong public and private sector participation.”

— Matt Christie, Founding Director and Director of External Affairs, UKREiiF

What the Event Is Worth to Leeds

UKREiiF launched in Leeds in 2022 and has grown quickly, drawing more than 16,000 delegates to the Royal Armouries and Leeds Dock in 2026, including over 4,000 investors and developers. The organisers say the three-day forum generates more than £20m a year for the Leeds and West Yorkshire economy, has created over £7m in social value, and showcases upwards of £300bn of investable UK opportunities annually. They also point to more than £4bn of investment and development activity, either in planning or on site, traced back to introductions made at the event. The company behind it, Built Environment Networking, was acquired by Infopro Digital in 2024. Alongside the UKREiiF Australia launch, the flagship returns to Leeds from 18 to 20 May 2027.