Procurement professionals should block the 13th May 2009 out of their diary after Sigaria announced the date for its Procurement Leaders London Forum.

The showcase event will be preceded by its annual awards ceremony on the evening of 12 May, both of which will be held at Banqueting House, Whitehall in London.

The Forum, which is the industry’s highest-profile gathering of senior procurement talent promises to be even better than last year, with IBM’s global head of procurement, John Paterson, set to speak together with Novartis CPO Philip Duncan and Johnson & Johnson CPO Hans Melotte.

Alex Martinez, event organiser and marketing director at Sigaria, said that both events would bring together the brightest minds in purchasing. “2009 promises to be a truly great event. We have some of the most respected figures in world procurement already signed up and Banqueting House provides a fitting location for such an esteemed gathering,” he said. “As the economy looks increasingly fragile, business leaders need to develop their networks and share ideas. The London Forum will provide the perfect platform.”