UKREiiF Introduces Dedicated Day to Revitalise High Streets and Urban Centres
UKREiiF, the premier forum for real estate, investment, and infrastructure in the UK, has announced the launch of High Streets & Urban Centres Day. This new programme focuses on the regeneration of town and city centres nationwide, bringing together key stakeholders involved in their transformation.
Scheduled for Tuesday 18 May 2027, this event will mark the opening day of UKREiiF 2027, hosted at the Royal Armouries in Leeds from 18 to 20 May. The initiative recognises that high streets are no longer solely retail challenges but complex hubs where housing, leisure, culture, civic services, and investment intersect.
High Streets & Urban Centres Day aims to unite the diverse organisations responsible for addressing issues such as vacant units, underused precincts, and partially occupied retail parades. Attendees will include representatives from retail, hospitality, leisure sectors, landlords, local councils, business improvement districts, developers, and investors.
The programme features a variety of formats including main stage panel discussions, roundtable sessions, a headline partner session, a breakfast meeting, and a networking reception. This mix reflects the evolving nature of town centres and the collaborative approach needed for their revival.
Participants at UKREiiF represent a broad spectrum of influential organisations. Landlords and investors such as Landsec, British Land, Grosvenor, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, and McArthurGlen will be present alongside retailers including McDonalds, IKEA, Aldi, JD Sports Fashion, and Morrisons. Hotel groups like Accor, Hilton, and Travelodge, as well as leisure operators such as David Lloyd Clubs, The Gym Group, and Anytime Fitness, will also attend.
Maisie Powell, External Affairs & Content Manager at UKREiiF, emphasised the collaborative nature of the event: “Every town and city in the country is asking the same question about its centre: what brings people back? The answer is rarely one sector. It’s a hotel operator talking to a council, a leisure brand talking to a landlord, an investor seeing a pipeline where others see empty units. Those conversations already happen at UKREiiF. High Streets & Urban Centres Day gives them a dedicated space, and a programme built around the decisions that turn a high street around.”
Embedded within UKREiiF’s extensive forum, which attracts over 17,000 delegates and features investment opportunities exceeding £300 billion, High Streets & Urban Centres Day offers a focused platform for occupiers, local authorities, developers, and investors to forge partnerships crucial to the future of the UK’s urban centres.
Headline partner, session, and hospitality opportunities are currently available. Organisations interested in partnering or receiving updates on the programme and speakers can register their interest at ukreiif.com/high-streets-urban-centres-day.
