Stepping Up a Gear: Networking at the UKREiiF Sportif
Last week, three members of the HPA team – Director Zoë Hooton, Architectural Assistant Sam Jones and Specialist Technologist Ray Ockenden – took part in the UKREiiF Sportif, completing a challenging 100km cycle through the Yorkshire countryside.
The ride, organised by Ride the Struggle, forms part of the wider UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) – a major annual event that brings together leaders from across the built environment, including developers, local authorities, investors and consultants. While UKREiiF is best known for its conference programme in Leeds, the Sportif offers a very different perspective: an opportunity to step away from meeting rooms and engage with the sector in a more informal, physical, and often more meaningful way.
A Different Kind of Networking
The ethos of UKREiiF Sportif is connection – sharing conversations across the industry in a setting that encourages openness, resilience and collaboration. Over 100km, the team encountered steep climbs, long stretches of open road and everything in between, providing plenty of time for discussion, reflection and – at times – determination. The combination of challenge and camaraderie makes the event stand out, removing the usual professional setting to create space for more genuine dialogue, building relationships that extend beyond the event itself. The Sportif looks to have raised £26,000 for Yorkshire Children’s Charity during the 2026 event.
Alongside the Sportif, Planning & Heritage Consultant Jess Barrow attended the wider UKREiiF conference, representing both HPA and our sister company Woohoo. With the conference bringing together voices from across the built environment, Jess spent time engaging with local authorities, developers and industry partners, strengthening relationships and exploring opportunities across both practices. Her presence at UKREiiF ensured that while the team were building connections on the road, HPA and Woohoo were equally engaged within the forum itself – continuing conversations around heritage, planning and sustainable development, and reinforcing our commitment to actively contributing to the future of the built environment.
