What better than a night out to take minds off Tuesday's stock market carnage in the mid-cap sector? That was the challenge of last night's M&A awards organised by M&A Magazine. And the choice of personality of the year - Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media - could be counted on to lift spirits.

McKenna, former chief executive of Lord Lloyd-Webber's Really Useful Group, set up Ingenious in 1998. He co-brokered Robbie Williams' £80m recording deal with EMI.