Deals awards will recognise efforts behind the scenes

Feb 20 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

DEALS are a key indicator to the economic health of a region and their quality is a showcase for the talent of entrepreneurs and professionals.

The Journal has launched the Deal Awards to recognise the strength of the corporate market in the North East and celebrate the ambition, vision and skill of our company bosses.

It will also reward the often overlooked contribution of the lawyers, accountants, advisers and investors across the region who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the deals come together.

There are four awards for the work carried out and the success of deals themselves which will look at the work of all of the above. They are: Acquisition of the Year, Sale of the Year, MBO/MBI of the Year, and Small/ Mid-Size Company Deal of the Year. There will also be awards for individuals: the Emerging Dealmaker of the Year, Dealmaker of the Year and Deal of the Year.

The winners of the four awards looking at deals themselves will be pitted against each other to win one of the biggest prizes of the evening, Deal of the Year.

The prizes for individual deals will look at the aspirations of those doing the buying or selling and how well those have been achieved. The judging panel, with help from experts at Durham Business School, will consider the conduct of the professionals, the structure of the deal. The winners of each and indeed the Deal of the Year will not necessarily be the biggest or the most lucrative or that creating the most jobs – although all of these factors will be considered.

It is not all about the results, it is also about the professionalism and vision and level of risk-taking and the timing of those behind the deal.

The Journal editor Brian Aitken said: “There is a huge amount of entrepreneurial talent in the North East and, lest we forget, the region also has a fantastic professional services sector. We want to highlight the quality, verve and ambition of the deals which are helping the region’s economy grow.”

Award entries can come from all sectors right across their circulation area from the south of Teesside, across County Durham, west to Cumbria and as far north as the Scottish Borders.

The awards have attracted big-name sponsors from the region’s corporate services sector. The main title sponsor is Newcastle law firm Watson Burton and other backers include UBS Wealth Management, accountancy firm UNW and Lloyds TSB.

The academic partner for the awards is Durham Business School, which will be researching the deals before the judges make their decision.

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The Journal Deal Awards

How to enter

ENTRY forms for each category can be downloaded from www.nebusiness.co.uk/dealawards

Alternatively, you can email Kirsty Tarn, events manager, at kirsty.tarn@ncjmedia.co.uk with your contact name and address details and indicate the category or categories you wish to enter. Forms will then be emailed to you.

Rules & Procedures

The awards are open to companies situated within the circulation areas of The Journal/Evening Gazette.

All deals will have taken place between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2008.

Entrants may enter more than one category.

After submission of your nomination, you may be contacted by our researchers, Durham Business School, and be asked to provide further information to assist our judges.

All additional material must clearly state company details and award category applied for.

The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

All entries must be received by 5pm on Friday, April 4. You can submit your entry via email to kirsty.tarn@ncjmedia.co.uk  or by post to Kirsty Tarn, events manager, regional events and exhibitions, ncjMedia Ltd, Groat Market, Newcastle, NE1 1ED. For further inquiries contact Kirsty Tarn on (0191) 201-6072.

Deal Awards Ceremony

THE inaugural Journal Deal Awards will be announced at a black tie dinner on Thursday, June 26, at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

To secure your place at the awards, please contact Kirsty Tarn as above.

Tables of 10 are available for £750 plus VAT. Individual tickets are also available to purchase for £80 plus VAT.