Rainmakers conference to give voice to region’s key wealth generators

Leading homegrown Northern investment businesses have come together to launch a major new event designed to place the corporate financiers and advisers of the North at the heart of the movement for economic renewal. 

The first Rainmakers Conference will be held at The Point conferencing facilities at the Emirates Old Trafford on March 20, 2024.

Tickets can be purchased here.

The event is being organised by TheBusinessDesk.com and the partners in this event believe passionately that the jobs created, specialisms developed, and the entrepreneurs unleashed give the Rainmakers community the right to a seat at the table and a voice in the debate on the economy of the North.

The conference will be an opportunity to not only celebrate the contribution from funds raised and deals created, but also to look to the future at the challenges ahead.

The event has been forged alongside the key partners from private equity and specialist financiers in the North, and backed by elite teams of advisory businesses, the event will bring together funders, entrepreneurs, business leaders to focus on opportunities and challenges.

It will feature keynote speakers and panel discussions addressing key challenges such as the mobilisation of pension fund assets into investment opportunities, impact investing, building a talent pool in corporate finance, creating the pipeline of investable businesses with potential.

Check out the agenda and book your places at www.rainmakersconference.co.uk.

Garry Wilson, managing partner, Endless

Garry Wilson, Group Managing Partner, Endless and chair of the BVCA (British Venture Capital and Private Equity Association), said: “This conference will be a fantastic opportunity to gather the very best of regional private capital together from Investors right through to management teams. It will be an amazing networking event and will be a platform for even more growth in the near term.”

Gary Davison, Managing Partner at TDC: “Manchester is the UK’s second city with a burgeoning community of entrepreneurs and pioneering technologists all working to develop the strength, depth and prosperity of a thriving regional business community. On the back of this hotbed of corporate activity, a forward-thinking and successful financial services sector has been built encompassing investment and advisory services with a collective vision to stimulate the growth of those businesses.

“As an investment business that was born in Manchester several years ago, we’re proud of the opportunity we’ve created for companies and other funders operating in the UK lower mid-market. We’re excited to be a part of this conference, alongside some of the most significant players across the region’s finance community, as we showcase what the North has to offer to the UK as a whole and beyond.”

Grant Berry, Executive Chair of NorthEdge: “We are delighted to be taking part in this inaugural event, highlighting the quantity, quality and contribution of SME businesses based in the regions to the UK economy, the important role regionally-focussed GPs play, and the support needed from UK-based LPs to continue delivering on the Levelling Up agenda.”

Gary Tipper – Managing Partner – Palatine Private Equity: “The North has long been at the forefront in the development of entrepreneurial businesses, many of which have grown to be national and international leaders in their sectors.  Private equity has been a catalyst and support for the journey of many of these companies. We are proud to be associated with the Rainmaker Conference which celebrates the partnership of Business and Private Equity creating value in the past and more importantly going forward.”

Daniel Martin, senior director, corporate lending, Shawbrook Bank:  “With over 25% of medium size businesses surveyed recently* stating that they plan to expand by acquisition, we are seeing more SMEs taking up sponsor backing alongside traditional debt facilities to meet their growth ambitions. Despite a challenging economic landscape, UK Private Equity Houses have remained steadfast in their commitment to growing their portfolios and investing in new ventures demonstrating their resilience and ingenuity.  Naturally, we welcome the opportunity to be a partner in TheBusinessDesk.com’s first Rainmakers Conference, where both PE houses and SMEs can come together to exchange insights and learnings that enable them to reach their business ambitions.”

*SME Research 2023, Conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Shawbrook between 9th August and 8th September 2023. Medium sized business defined as having turnover of £100 million – £500 million.

Giles Chesher, partner and head of the Manchester Corporate team at Squire Patton Boggs: “The North continues to be the second largest region for Private Equity in the whole of Europe.  The investors, advisers, funders and management teams are among the best in the world while being uniquely a collaborative, constructive and straightforward community.  We regularly work together in a way that delivers best-in-class investments and outstanding returns.  We want to celebrate the ability of the North to deliver regional, national and world-wide private equity transactions in a way that is unashamedly Northern and unquestionably outstanding.”

Paul Waite CEO, Rowan: “We are delighted to be supporting the first Rainmakers conference in shining a spotlight on the Northern investment community and their impact on the regional economy. Our work at Rowan, supporting private capital and private equity backed SMEs, enables us to see first-hand the contribution of regional business on the wider UK economy. As a North West private equity backed start-up, scaling nationally across several sites, we’re strong supporters of the levelling up agenda.”

Christian Mayo, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance in the North at KPMG UK: “There’s no denying that the last year has been challenging for anyone doing deals across the board, however it’s also proven the strength and resilience of the North West’s deal making community, which continues to achieve. Against this backdrop, it’s more important than ever that we all work together to build value, support entrepreneurs, and help make the North West an even better place to do business.

“We’re incredibly proud to be involved in the Rainmakers Conference this year, and we’re working with some fantastic partners/businesses to help bring it to life. One of the reasons we chose to become a partner in the event is because of the focus it places on community and its recognition of the region’s brightest and best, and this really resonates with the values that KPMG holds as a firm. While the North has always had a strong corporate finance presence, this is the first conference of its kind in the North West, so it’s only right that we recognise and celebrate the excellence and talent that exists here – and there’s plenty of it!”

Tickets can be purchased here.