Liverpool Experience Campus Doubles Down on Major National Events

Labour Party Conference 2026 at Liverpool Experience Campus © Jono Symonds Photo & Video

Liverpool Experience Campus will host UKREiiF from 2028 and the Labour Party Annual Conference for a sixth consecutive year in 2027, reinforcing its role as a major venue for investment, political debate and events with significant economic impact.

Liverpool Experience Campus has secured the UK’s leading real estate, investment and infrastructure forum, UKREiiF, from 2028, while extending its run as host of the Labour Party Annual Conference into a sixth consecutive year in 2027. The two announcements underline the venue’s role in attracting major national gatherings and connecting the city region with investors, policymakers and business leaders.

UKREiiF, which launched in 2022 and now attracts more than 17,000 delegates annually, will move to Liverpool following its final edition in Leeds in May 2027. The event brings together investors, developers, local authorities, government representatives, occupiers and built environment professionals to discuss regeneration and investment opportunities across the UK. Since its launch, it has helped facilitate more than £4 billion in investment discussions and regeneration opportunities.

The move follows a joint bid involving Liverpool Experience Campus, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool BID Company. The partnership reflects a shared ambition to use the forum to showcase development opportunities across the city region and attract further investment.

Liverpool’s waterfront campus combines convention and exhibition facilities, an auditorium and an arena with extensive outdoor event space. Its interconnected layout offers organisers the flexibility to bring large audiences together while accommodating different event formats across a single site.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: “This is a massive win for the Liverpool City Region and a real vote of confidence in everything we’ve been building together. UKREiiF is the UK’s premier real estate, investment and infrastructure event – and from 2028, it’ll call Liverpool home. That means thousands of investors, developers and decision-makers coming here and seeing first-hand the ambition, talent and opportunities right across our city region.

“I want to put on record my genuine thanks to Leeds and West Yorkshire. They’ve done a brilliant job hosting UKREiiF and building it into the major event it is today. Taking the baton from them is a privilege – and we’ll work hard to build on the foundations they’ve laid and take it to the next level.

“We’ve seen with Labour Party Conference how Liverpool can take a major national event and make it part of the fabric of the city – growing together and creating something that feels bigger than the conference itself. That’s the ambition for UKREiiF too. We want to make the whole city region part of the experience: opening doors, showcasing opportunities and giving people a proper feel for what is happening here. If we get that right, UKREiiF won’t just be hosted in Liverpool – it will become part of Liverpool.”

Helen Roberts, Member of Accommodation BID and Chair of Liverpool Hospitality, said: “We’re delighted to welcome UKREiiF to Liverpool from 2028 and to have the opportunity to showcase our city to thousands of delegates. Liverpool has a strong story to tell when it comes to regeneration, investment, development and our visitor economy, and this event will provide a fantastic platform to put that story in front of an audience that can help shape our future."

Hosting UKREiiF is expected to generate visitor spending and support businesses across the city region, while giving developers and policymakers direct exposure to Liverpool’s development pipeline and investment prospects. The event’s arrival also adds to the city’s portfolio of major business gatherings, with the campus providing the infrastructure to accommodate its anticipated growth.
 

From L-R Cllr Liam Robinson, Helen Roberts, Nathan Spencer, Faye Dyer and Mayor Steve Rotheram at Liverpool Experience Campus - Credit Jono Symonds Photo & Film

Faye Dyer, Chief Executive of Liverpool Experience Campus, said: "UKREiiF's move to Liverpool is a reflection of the event's remarkable success and ambition. Having been expertly developed and grown into the UK's leading real estate, investment and infrastructure forum, the event now requires scale, flexibility and capacity to support its next chapter.

Liverpool Experience Campus provides the experienced team and infrastructure to realise that ambition - a combination of conference, exhibition and arena facilities, alongside extensive outdoor waterfront event space, all seamlessly connected across a single campus. This enables organisers to bring together thousands of delegates in one location, while retaining the flexibility to expand and evolve year after year.

We are delighted to provide the platform for UKREiiF's continued growth, while showcasing the innovation, investment opportunities and ambition that define Liverpool City Region. We recognise the outstanding work undertaken in Leeds to build UKREiiF into the success it is today and are proud to take the baton from our northern industry colleagues."

Nathan Spencer, Co-Founding Director and Managing Director of UKREiiF, said: “UKREiiF has grown enormously since we held our first event in 2022, and the support of people and businesses in Leeds and West Yorkshire has been a massive part of that success – and I truly thank them for all they’ve done for us.

UKREiiF is now moving into its next chapter, with both domestic growth and international expansion. After reviewing our strategic direction, we believe Liverpool gives us a site and a city region that can support our continued growth. It offers a warm welcome for delegates and the space and flexibility to help the event continue to grow. Crucially, it also allows us to retain the things that make UKREiiF special, while pushing the event beyond the walls of a traditional conference."
 

Labour Party Conference returns in 2027

The announcement of UKREiiF’s future home comes as Liverpool Experience Campus prepares to welcome the Labour Party Annual Conference for a sixth consecutive year in 2027. The event has become a fixture on the city’s calendar, drawing politicians, party members, exhibitors, media and visitors to the waterfront.

The conference has been held in Liverpool on eight occasions: in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, as well as this year’s gathering, the first hosted under the Liverpool Experience Campus identity. The 2027 edition will extend that relationship, reinforcing the venue’s capacity to accommodate a major political event across multiple connected spaces.

This year’s conference attracted more than 20,000 visitors and occupied the entire campus, including the convention centre, exhibition centre, auditorium and M&S Bank Arena. Its programme featured more than 500 fringe events, alongside keynote speeches, exhibitions and networking opportunities. The four-day gathering is estimated to have generated around £30 million in economic impact.

The event’s footprint extended well beyond the venue, benefiting hotels, restaurants, retailers, transport providers and other local businesses. Its format also demonstrated how the campus can be adapted to meet the demands of a large, multi-part event: a 2,800-seat auditorium was installed in the exhibition centre for plenary sessions, while the arena was converted into meeting rooms, breakout spaces and event zones. The interconnected Pullman Liverpool served as the conference headquarters hotel.
 

Labour Conference 2026 © Jono Symonds Photo & Video

The Prime Minister, Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP wrote in a handwritten letter to the LEX team: “I just wanted to say huge thanks to you all for looking after us so well and for making my first conference such a special one in my home city. See you all next year!”

Sustainability was another element of the conference’s delivery. The event marked the first Labour Party Conference organised in partnership with catering provider Levy, whose focus on responsible sourcing, waste reduction and sustainable food choices aligned with the ambitions of Liverpool Experience Campus and the Labour Party. Catering options were designed to reduce environmental impact, while a fully electric operational fleet supported activity across the site (see above). Visitors also encountered a plug-in solar-powered bar, illustrating how event infrastructure can incorporate lower-carbon solutions.

Liverpool Experience Campus has set a target of reaching net zero by 2030, two decades ahead of the wider events industry’s target, and continues to invest in low-carbon technologies and sustainable operations.

Faye Dyer, also said: "Being confirmed as hosts for the Labour Party Conference for a sixth consecutive year is a strong endorsement of Liverpool, our team and our partners across the city region. Over a number of years, we have built a proven track record of delivering one of the UK's most high-profile political events, creating a seamless experience for organisers, delegates, exhibitors and media. What sets us apart is the unique nature of our interconnected waterfront campus that gives organisers the flexibility to create an event that can continue to evolve and grow.

"The conference generates significant economic benefits for businesses across the city region and provides a valuable opportunity to showcase Liverpool to decision-makers, investors and visitors from across the UK. We look forward to welcoming the Labour Party back to Liverpool in 2027."
 

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