About the Event

The 2026 Leadership In Dealmaking Summit, organized by The M&A Advisor, runs September 14 and 15, 2026, at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. The summit features the 17th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards and 17th Annual International M&A Awards.

Audience and Attendees

The summit convenes senior executives in corporate development, private equity, investment banking, legal advisory and strategy. The 2025 edition, held at the same venue, was described by founder Roger Aguinaldo as the forum where influential voices in the industry gather to set the agenda for the future of dealmaking.

Programme Structure

The 2026 event page confirms only the awards component so far. The prior year's edition at the same venue opened with a cocktail reception on day one, followed by a Deal Forum of thought-leadership sessions and one-on-one meetings on day two.

Main Topics

In past editions, the Deal Forum has centered on M&A Ideas thought-leadership sessions and on-camera M&A TV interviews with dealmakers, alongside the Emerging Leaders and International M&A Awards recognizing individuals and cross-border transactions in the industry.

Closing Session

Full 2026 closing details have not yet been published on the event page; in the 2025 edition, the summit closed with an Awards Gala on the evening of the second day.

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