Muse

Our first task – after establishing the places and spaces in the spotlight for the triumvirate of discussions – was to craft an overarching theme for each event and to draft synopses that would appeal to UKREiiF attendees.

Running concurrently to that, it was also our job to source speakers and a host for the individual sessions, ensuring that we had a diverse mix of voices and sector experience to draw out contrasting insights and perspectives.

The places in the spotlight for the three panels were Greater Manchester as a whole, looking at the placemaking picture across the borough; Salford and its regeneration journey as it celebrates 100 years of city status; and Blackpool – specifically how the £350 million transformation of the Talbot Gateway district has been a catalyst for growth in the town.

Adding an extra dimension was the fact that the session on Greater Manchester was one of Muse’s flagship events for the week, kicking off their attendance at UKREiiF and introducing their space to partners and prospective clients – no pressure!

Once the details for each event had been agreed and ironed out we sprang into planning mode, utilising the book of contacts we’ve built up across the sector to start getting panellists and hosts lined up.

Fortunately we work with Muse on a number of regeneration programmes across the north west so have forged some strong relationships with a host of local authorities and built environment specialists down the years – very handy for events of this nature.

We also needed to get on the phone and craft some compelling emails as the Greater Manchester session was invite only with space for around 80 guests. A packed audience was the only outcome we were targeting.

But the work didn’t stop once we’d lined up our participants and attendees. In the weeks leading up to the sessions we held a series of prep calls for the three panels, discussing questions and topics and ensuring everyone felt they would be able to speak about the themes, developments and achievements most pertinent to them.

Strong organisational skills were required here, with comprehensive briefing documents needing to be updated and distributed as UKREiiF approached. After all the hard work securing panellists and hosts, the last thing we wanted was for someone to head to the wrong location on event day!

With all that done – along with creating a short video edit for the Salford session from existing footage – all we could do was look forward to the events and the captivating discussions to be had during each panel.

A packed audience filled Muse’s space on the first morning to see leading figures from Manchester’s property scene discuss how best to shape the next phase of the city’s remarkable regeneration story, and that set the tone for the sessions focusing on Salford and Blackpool.

Key representatives from Muse, local authorities, architects, and placemaking organisations drove lively debates, our chairs – including Business Desk North West editor, Michael Taylor – expertly pieced together the narratives for each session, and crowds packed the event space for all three panels.

We worked very closely with the team at Muse before, during and after UKREiiF, and it was rewarding to receive the following feedback from their head of communications, Carly Jones.

“Delivering a programme of that scale takes a huge amount of coordination behind the scenes and your input, from shaping sessions and securing speakers to managing logistics and supporting us on the ground – played a significant part in making it a success. All sessions ran smoothly, and the feedback we’ve received so far has been extremely positive. That’s a real credit to the effort you all brought to the programme.”

Here’s to going even bigger and better in 2027. The team at RMS is, as always, looking forward to the challenge.