Small & Mid-Cap Community Celebrate At QCA Annual Dinner 2019
More than 320 members of the small and mid-size quoted company community attended the Quoted Companies Alliance’s (QCA) Annual Dinner yesterday (19 September 2019) at the Savoy Hotel in London. Guests included company directors, investors, market operators, journalists, policymakers and regulators.
The event was sponsored by London Stock Exchange plc, with BoardEx as supporting sponsor and Winterflood Securities sponsoring the after-dinner drinks.
Nikhil Rathi, CEO, London Stock Exchange plc and Director of International Development, LSEG said to attendees:
“London Stock Exchange is proud to once again sponsor this important dinner. We are extremely grateful for the exceptional work that the QCA team does to champion the interests of smaller quoted companies and the community that supports them. AIM continues to be the leading growth market in Europe, accounting for 65% of all IPO and Follow-on capital raised - three times more than the next Growth Market. This reflects the ambition, entrepreneurship, resilience and determination that ensures that London’s markets continue to evolve and attract global capital. We look forward to continuing to work together with the QCA so that issuers and scaling businesses of the future can access the capital they need to drive economic growth.”
Gervais Williams, Chairman of the Quoted Companies Alliance (and Senior Executive Director, Miton Group Plc) addressed attendees. He said:
“This evening is a celebration of the vigour and successes of the agile. With bond yields collapsing and global growth under pressure, these aptitudes will be all the more important in the coming years. Analysis conducted by the QCA this year revealed that small and mid-caps in the UK employ over 3 million people and contribute over £26 billion in tax revenue.
The QCA and all those involved have a very full in-tray at present. The turbulence of the political and economic agenda is becoming more extreme. And whatever the nature of Brexit, the QCA will seek to ensure that our public equity markets continue to protect and support smaller companies.”
Tim Ward, Chief Executive of the Quoted Companies Alliance, commented:
“We head towards 2020 wary of political uncertainty but optimistic about the prospects of the UK’s small and mid-sized companies, who we know remain determined to ride out periods of disruption. The growth company ecosystem is a valuable UK asset that is essential to the future of our economy.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of London Stock Exchange, as well as those quoted companies, advisers, policymakers and regulators, that promote so actively our vibrant markets.”