How Mesirow’s Doug Brookman Navigates DealMAX—and Why His Playbook Works

Last month, ACG opened registration for its annual DealMAX conference, which will return to Las Vegas on April 27–29, 2026, bringing together more than 3,200 middle-market M&A professionals for dealmaking, relationship-building, and idea-sharing.

Designed for dealmakers by dealmakers, DealMAX is guided by a committee of M&A professionals. The 2026 DealMAX committee is chaired by Doug Brookman, managing director of financial sponsor coverage for Mesirow Investment Banking, which he joined five years ago.

Brookman has been an ACG Los Angeles member for over a decade and has served on various chapter-level committees. He went on to join the DealMAX committee and became part of the ACG HQ board last year.

ACG’s Middle Market Growth caught up with Brookman to hear about his DealMAX experience, upgrades that attendees can expect at the 2026 conference, and his advice for navigating the event.

Middle Market Growth: You’ve been attending DealMAX for more than a decade. What brings you back every year?

Doug Brookman: I’ve been to many iterations of DealMAX over the last 10 years and I’ve definitely seen it grow and evolve. It’s been a great way to network with people and see familiar faces, continue to build relationships, and hang out with folks you might not see as frequently across the ACG circuit. DealMAX is the Super Bowl of ACG events throughout the year. There are people that you might only see once a year or a couple of times a year, and one of those times is during DealMAX.

The event layout and format make it easy to see anybody and everybody across the industry, especially those who maybe aren’t in the private equity or investment banking universe. You get to see attorneys and other M&A partners who might be in spaces or geographies that you don’t frequent as much. It’s just a good place to catch up with people across the board.

MMG: Can you say more about the business benefits that stem from attending DealMAX, in your experience?

DB: DealMAX is a good time to share what we’re working on at Mesirow, see what other firms are working on, and find overlap. That often sparks a conversation that leads to something productive down the line.

You learn about new capabilities or an industry focus that you didn’t know someone had. I’ve found myself saying, ‘I didn’t realize you guys did that. I didn’t realize you spent time in that industry. Let’s follow up after the event, and I can connect you with my partners who spend time in that space.’

DealMAX makes it so efficient to schedule 20-minute meetings using ACG Access. During that time, you’re not necessarily getting into the nitty gritty—you’re trying to generally catch up and then maybe double click on one thing. And then from there, after the event, you follow up and those conversations often lead to something productive in the future.

MMG: What aspect of DealMAX do you look forward to most each year?

DB: I love seeing people en masse in the DealMAX Lounge. It always amazes me how many people show up for the event and how many investment banks there are in one room. It’s incredible that the ecosystem is as large as it is and how everybody coexists. Yes, we’re all competitive, but a lot of us are friends—whether it’s bankers or sponsors. I also love seeing the new firms that are out there and exploring the landscape beyond what we know.

MMG: Are there any upgrades or new features to look forward to at DealMAX 2026?

DB: Yes, I’ll mention two. One is the layout of the DealMAX Lounge floor plan. This year, expect it to feel a little more seamless and integrated. We’re spreading the deal tables and ACG sponsor booths across two ballrooms of the DealMAX Lounge, so that both rooms are utilized for deal sourcing. Hopefully, they accommodate an even larger crowd, create more buzz in the room, and draw even greater foot traffic.

The other thing I’ll mention is a new focus on lenders, who are important players in the deal. We’re encouraging not just lenders, but debt capital markets professionals from investment banks and folks from private equity firms who originate debt for transactions to attend. We’re creating a deal sourcing environment in the DealMAX Lounge tailored to these groups where they can interact. As part of that, lenders will be able to purchase a dedicated table in the DealMAX Lounge this year to hold meetings more efficiently. We are also offering discounted group pricing to lenders for the first time. DealMAX covers the entire transaction spectrum, and the new lender focus reflects that.

MMG: What tips would you give a first-time attendee for navigating the event?

DB: First, I’d say: Pace yourself. I mean, it’s Las Vegas. You will be out late, you will be up early, you will be grinding through two and a half days of networking and meeting people. Don’t go too hard on the first night!

Another piece of advice: Don’t book meetings straight through! You will likely cancel things because you’re physically exhausted.

MMG: Do you have any advice for veteran DealMAX attendees? Are there aspects of the conference that are underrated that you’d flag for them?

DB: If you come year after year and sit in one spot the entire time, you are missing out on a lot. Take time to wander through the DealMAX Lounge and talk with the amazing sponsors. They are working on innovative solutions and you never know what you’ll discover to make your team hum even more!

I’ve also been spending time on some of the content this year, and I think the sessions often get overlooked—especially by people in my seat or in private equity business development, who are focused on meeting as many people as possible. There is some great content, and there are really good speakers and panels at DealMAX every year, so give that a look. It doesn’t have to be a big time commitment—maybe pick one or two sessions and carve out time for them before you start booking meetings.

MMG: Outside of DealMAX, what do you look forward to most about being in Las Vegas?

DB: Look, the food in Las Vegas is amazing. I love having a good meal and getting together with people, having some wine, sitting down, and just breaking bread. Vegas is a great place to do that. You really can’t go wrong picking a restaurant, either—if a restaurant isn’t good in Las Vegas, it doesn’t last very long!

Registration for DealMAX 2026 is now open. Visit dealmax.org to buy your pass.

Middle Market Growth is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.