M&A SOUTH 2021 Chairman’s Welcome

Welcome to M&A SOUTH 2021, formerly the Atlanta ACG Capital Connection Conference . This is the 19th year of the premier sourcing, networking and educational event for dealmakers in the Southern U .S . The planning committee has been working since last August to assemble the components to bring this conference to the merger and acquisition community . We are looking forward to providing an opportunity for conference participants and sponsors to both fill their pipelines and to sharpen their expertise through speakers, breakout panels and other educational items .

While this year’s event will look different, it will still provide meaningful conversations and connections . We have an outstanding lineup of speakers and thought leaders for this event, including our keynote conversation around private equity, the Atlanta Hawks and community support with Tony Ressler, Grant Hill, John Hope Bryant and Sam Johnson .

We will have panels highlighting Cross Border M&A, Trends in Healthcare, thoughts from our Corporate Development communty, our Annual Debt Market Update, and the ever popular panel on M&A Trends . Additional content on tax changes and the impacts of the new administration will also be available . Our panelists are sure to deliver great insight for you to take back to your clients and customers .

As you have seen, you can schedule one-on-one meetings through our easy-to-use platform . Your calendar is open for meetings from 7am-7pm on Monday and Tuesday . Alongside the private meetings, we will have informationrich content sessions, followed by live Q&A with our thought leaders . Our great panels will be available for you to view afterwards just in case you miss any of it!

New this year, we have invited students and faculty of the Atlanta University Center to join our conference . This gives all attendees the ability to educate and network with Atlanta’s diverse community of students . This is an ongoing initiative of ACG Atlanta to connect and educate the next generation of graduates to the Mergers & Acquisitions community here in the South .

With a shift to a fully virtual event this year, make sure to drop in to see our Private Equity and Investment Bank exhibitors during their Office Hours . This is a great way to make an introduction or find out what deals are in the hopper . Firms have also been adding great content for you to access .

We hope that you will spend some time at our closing happy hour with Jim Furyk . Close out the two days of the conference with cocktails from Atlanta’s own Post Meridiem and toast to a great 2021 . We remain indebted to our sponsors, many of whom have supported this event for more than a decade . On behalf of the M&A SOUTH committee and ACG Atlanta, I hope you will find this event a great way to jumpstart your pipeline for 2021 .

Welcome .

Steve Tye Managing Director, Croft & Bender Chair, M&A SOUTH 2021