A total of 327 telecom executives, bankers, investors, and other professional advisers and intermediaries from 26 different countries gathered at the second annual Telecom Finance Conference and Awards Dinner in London on January 24-26, for three days of heavy networking.

Miraculously more friends were made than enemies, despite several bankers seizing the opportunity to have a dig at partners and competitors with their acceptance speeches at the Awards Dinner. Private Eye editor and TV personality, Ian Hislop, also spiced up the evening with an entertaining and often controversial after dinner speech, as well as manfully struggling with the pronunciation of all the companies and banks in the deal of the year shortlists.

The mood of the sector clearly remains buoyant after another vibrant year for dealmakers, although there are concerns that opportunities for expansion are dwindling. Growth continues to be most attainable in the emerging markets.

Middle Eastern telecom operators were especially well represented at the conference both on the programme and in the audience, and were noticeably more upbeat than their European peers.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Telecom Finance 2007, especially our sponsors MTC Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Standard & Poor’s, Linklaters, Ovum Consulting, Allen & Overy, Milbank, ABN AMRO and Migration Solutions. And to our co-organisers Broad Group.

Telecom Finance 2008 will take place again in the Renaissance Hotel Chancery Court, London at the same time next year. Please contact enquiries@tmtfinance.com if you would like to be involved in this event.

Dominic Lowndes
Editor, Telecom Finance