Following a year of economic turbulence and a constant sense of uncertainty in the City, Perfect Information was proud to host its sixth Perfect Information Conference, the PIC 2009. Sopwell House was a beautiful venue providing our delegates with a level of service which was exceptional - no detail was missed. We are so fortunate to have had such a supportive following from all of our sponsors: 7Side; Bureau van Dijk; CILIP; Dun & Bradstreet; FactSet; FreePint; ICC; Mergermarket; One Source; Prenax; SLA. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their valuable support and dedication.

Taking this year's economic climate into account, the PIC had a fantastic turnout with over 90 delegates having gathered in St Albans to learn how to "Transform Today's Challenges into Tomorrow's Opportunities". The PI team were determined that the conference would provide delegates with a haven to develop hope in the future of the City and offer them the chance to begin "thinking outside the box". Each element of the conference was based around aspects of motivation and personal/team development. We are confident that the conference offered delegates the knowledge to understand why they are finding themselves in current situations (redundancies, restructuring, mergers, tighter budgets etc.) so that they can now begin to develop their own solutions to these problems. Speakers ranged from leading figures within the Information Industry to leaders in soft skill fields (in areas of management, talent spotting, changes in information seeking behaviour etc.). The delegate breakdown was:

• Financial: 38.9%
• Legal: 26.4%
• Suppliers: 20.8%
• Other: 13.9% (incl. press, educational institutions, recruitment, industry bodies and consultants)

On the whole, the feedback was very positive, with the vast majority of feedback forms recommending that their company attend the conference in 2010. We have already had a number of excellent and exciting suggestions for venues, topics to include next year and ways to better the conference format that we are eager to execute next year.

Feedback Highlights: (5 = excellent, 4 = very good, 3= good, 2= fair and 1= poor)

• Aspects of the conference such as organisation, booking/admin, the overall conference & networking opportunities received scores above 4.5.
• The main attractions for attending the event were the networking opportunities, programme content, attendee list, previous attendance, word of mouth and the opportunity to have time out of the office to think.
• This year's speakers were all ranked highly. Not one of the speakers fell below the 3-mark. The most popular speakers were Stephen Phillips (chair), Roland Peters (Securitisation), Sebastian Monk (Anti-Money Laundering) and Alan McDougall (Restructuring).

Networking & Social Events:
Both the pre-conference and gala dinner evenings received a very warm welcome from the delegates, as they were seen as excellent opportunities to network and socialise with friends, vendors and new industry peers. This year's pre-conference evening was a relaxed buffet dinner followed by Mergermarket's Wine Tasting Adventure. This year's Gala Dinner, hosted by ICC, was thoroughly enjoyed by all - great food, lovely music and superb company.

Delegate quotes from the PIC 2008:

"A breath of fresh air, lovely location. A close-kit family atmosphere, wonderful food & events. Genuine, honest, hardworking people. Exceptionally well organised!!
Iain Simpson - BDO Stoy Hayward

"Very well organised with a good range of relevant sessions, impressive networking opportunities and no hard selling from any of the vendors"
David Mantle - Barlow Lyde & Gilbert

"Excellent conference! The conference fosters a real camaraderie not found elsewhere"
Sarah Fahy - Allen & Overy

"It was a really good event - even better than last year. There was a logical flow from one session to the next - all in all, an excellent conference"
Frances Holmes - ING Bank

"I really makes a huge difference to an event when you know the organisers have their heart in it. Comfortable and challenging - it's a good mix"
Susan Doe - Sidley Austin LLP

A note from the organiser... "This year's conference had a distinct air of optimism and determination: it was almost tangible. The event was a milestone for the Information Industry as it reminded all of the members that they had a network of passionate and driven peers who are there to support and encourage one another in any time of need. From our sponsors, to our speakers, to our delegates, we are extremely thankful and appreciative of the support and commitment you have all shown over the past 12 months. Not only did you come together for two and a half days away from the office at a time of staff shortages and job uncertainties, but you came with such enthusiasm and concentration - resulting in an astonishing amount of in-depth, knowledgeable discussion and debate. PI looks forward to being able to host as successful a conference again next year."
Carley Donegan - Events Manager, PI


PIC 2009 SPONSORS