Whoever said the 2009 Dealmakers Dinner was going to be a sombre affair was wrong. Although most in attendance were refreshingly candid about how difficult it is to get deals away at the moment, Insider’s annual event proved that, once again, it’ll take more than a pesky recession to keep East Midlands dealmakers down.
Walking through the crowds during the night, there was a palpable sense that, when we all meet at the East Midlands Conference Centre next year, things might finally be looking up. So, this was a night for optimism, and for celebrating those brave souls who had managed to put deals to bed over the last 12 months.
And it was a great night for John Garner and his team at LDC. Garner picked up the prestigious Dealmaker of the Year award for his work on the Omega Red deal, as well as on most of the top transactions in the region over the past 12 months.
After receiving his award, Garner said: "This has been a real surprise. It's been a tough year, but I'd like to pay tribute to my team at LDC who have done us proud over the last 12 months."
LDC also won Funding Team of the Year for the second year in succession.
More than 300 people attended the event, which raised money for Maggie's Cancer Care Centres. The event was hosted by Sameena Ali Khan from ITV Central News and Andrew Springhall from Blusource was the guest speaker.
Date: Thu 30th April, 2009
Venue: East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham
Number of Guests Attended: 300
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