TFT at UKREIIF 2026: asking the £10m question about regional office developments

UKREIIF, Tuesday 19 May 2–3pm, at the Industry in Focus Stage

Regional offices are firmly back in the spotlight. Across the UK, investors and occupiers are showing renewed interest in well-located, high-quality workspace outside London. But alongside this renaissance come tighter budgets, higher expectations and growing pressure to future‑proof assets.

We want to explore a simple but essential question: Is it possible to create valuable, resilient regional offices with less to spend?

At UKREIIF 2026 TFT is hosting a panel with a difference, challenging our panellists and our audience to deploy a limited budget on giving older offices a new lease of life.

Putting a £10m office refurbishment to the test

We're inviting UKREIIF attendees to step into the role of asset owner and help decide how best to deploy a limited £10m refurbishment budget.

Using a fictional case study asset, The Tenner Works, the panel will explore how investment decisions around sustainability, technology, amenity and user experience can help reposition an ageing regional office for long-term success, when your building can’t have it all.

Together, our panellists and audience will debate where money genuinely adds value and where it may be saved.

The case study: A familiar regional office challenge

To ground the discussion in reality, the session centres on a typical refurbishment opportunity: The Tenner Works, a Central Leeds building from the late‑1990s. It's multi‑let Grade B office space,c.50,000 sq ft of potential. But, the building is tired, lacking attractive amenity and customer experience. Furthermore, its aging MEP systems and its current EPC C won't stand up to incoming regulation, let alone tenant expectations for building performance.

Attendees will be asked to decide how best to spend the £10m, balancing ambition, viability and long‑term resilience.

What Will the Panel Cover?

Structured around real-world decision‑making, the discussion will explore:

Investment & leasing strategy: How to approach a refurbishment around current occupiers, future market demand and exit value.

Sustainability & Carbon: What really matters for long-term value — from fabric-first upgrades and electrification to EPC targets, whole-life carbon and operational performance.

Amenity & Occupier Experience: Which amenities genuinely differentiate regional offices today, and which may not stack up when budgets are tight.

Technology & Flexibility: How smart building technology, connectivity and digital platforms can enhance performance, and why tech is often value‑engineered out.

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Our expert panel

The debate will be chaired by Gemma McKenzie‑Rodgers, Associate Director at TFT, and brings together perspectives from development, sustainability, research and smart building technology:

Miles Jones, Federated Hermes

Eric Chong, British Council for Offices

Emily‑Rose Garnett, UK Green Building Council

Nicholas Canacott, Blend Technology Consultants

Each panellist will share practical insights, case studies and their own “shopping list” priorities for the £10m budget.

Join the Debate at UKREIIF

If you’re attending UKREIIF, this is your chance to help answer one of the most pressing questions facing the regional office market.

Put this session in your diary and we'll see you there!

The £10m Question: Will the regional office renaissance stand the test of time?

🗓 Tuesday 19 May

⏰ 2–3pm

📍 Industry in Focus Stage, UKREIIF

Come along, join the debate — and help decide where the money should go.

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