25 Events Emerging Managers Must Attend in 2026

Introduction

Emerging managers do not have the luxury of wasting time on the wrong conferences.

Every year, hundreds of “VC events” take place across the U.S., but only a fraction of them have meaningful LP attendance. If you are raising Fund I or Fund II, being able to tell which ones actually attract allocators can save you months of effort. 

At Fundingstack, our investor research and data team tracks private markets activity and allocator behavior across the U.S. We look at where capital allocators actually gather. Based on that research, we’ve curated this list of 25 events that consistently attract family offices, pensions, endowments, fund of funds, and other active LPs.

Consider this a practical starting point as you build and raise your fund.

1. SuperReturn

Official Website: informaconnect.com/superreturn-north-america

Event Format: Conference

Overview: One of the most established private capital conferences in North America. It attracts institutional LPs across private equity, venture, credit, and real assets. The event includes structured networking and allocator-focused sessions.

Best For: Fund II+ managers targeting institutional allocators and global fund of funds.

2. SuperVenture

Official Website: informaconnect.com/events 

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A venture-focused extension of the SuperReturn brand, bringing together venture GPs and LPs allocating specifically to venture capital strategies.Notably, this event is also held in other locations – the Fundingstack team attended the one in Berlin last year and it was well worth it.

Best For: Emerging VCs raising institutional venture allocations.

3. PEI Nexus

Official Website: peievents.com/en/pei-media-global-events-calendar/private-equity-international-events-calendar

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A broad private markets conference with strong institutional LP participation across pensions, endowments, and consultants.

Best For: Managers targeting diversified institutional LP mandates.

4. Responsible Investment Forum

Official Website: peievents.com/en/event/responsible-investment-forum-new-york

Event Format: Conference

Overview: An ESG-focused private markets event attracting allocators integrating sustainability into portfolio construction.

Best For: Impact, climate, and ESG-forward emerging managers.

5. ILPA Members’ Conference

Official Website: ilpa.org/events/ilpa-members-conference

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A gathering primarily designed for institutional LPs, with select GP participation and strong allocator networking.

Best For: Managers building credibility with pensions and endowments.

6. ILPA Summit

Official Website: ilpa.org/events

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A large-scale LP and GP gathering focused on institutional best practices, governance, and allocator relationships.

Best For: Managers institutionalizing operations and targeting large LP mandates.

7. Global Alts 

Official Website: iconnections.io/events/flagship-events

Event Format: Matchmaking Platform

Overview: A large alternatives event that includes structured GP-LP meetings and strong family office participation.

Best For: Fund I and II managers seeking family office and private wealth LPs.

8. Markets Group – Institutional Investor Forums

Official Website: marketsgroup.org/calendar

Event Format: Curated Forum

Overview: Regional institutional investor conferences connecting public pensions, foundations, and consultants with alternative managers.

Best For: Managers targeting U.S. public pension relationships.

9. SALT Conference

Official Website: salt.org

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A global alternatives conference attracting hedge funds, private equity, venture managers, and wealth allocators.

Best For: Managers raising from family offices and high-net-worth LPs.

10. Milken Institute Global Conference

Official Website: milkeninstitute.org/events/global-conference

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A high-profile investment and policy event attended by institutional investors, sovereign funds, and private capital leaders.

Best For: Managers positioning themselves within macro, policy, or institutional narratives.

11. Context Summits

Official Website: contextsummits.com

Event Format: Matchmaking Platform

Overview: A curated platform pre-scheduling one-on-one meetings between fund managers and allocators.

Best For: Managers actively in-market seeking structured LP meetings.

12. Opal Group – Family Office & Private Wealth Forums

Official Website: opalgroup.net

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A long-running series of alternative investment conferences with strong family office and wealth channel attendance. Team Fundingstack recently attended one in Napa and it was fairly well stacked with Family Offices and CIOs.

Best For: First-time fund managers targeting family offices.

13. With Intelligence – Women’s Private Equity Summit

Official Website: withintelligence.com/events

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A senior-level private markets summit attracting institutional LPs and GPs.

Best For: Diverse-led and women-led funds seeking allocator exposure.

14. Venture West

Official Website: builtworlds.com/event/2026-venture-west

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A venture-focused conference with participation from venture allocators and ecosystem leaders.

Best For: West Coast emerging venture managers.

15. The Montgomery Summit

Official Website: montgomerysummit.com

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A curated tech and growth investing event attracting institutional and private wealth investors.

Best For: Growth-oriented and technology-focused managers.

16. Chicago Booth Private Equity Conference

Official Website: chicagobooth.edu/events

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A respected academic private equity conference attended by institutional allocators and industry leaders.

Best For: Managers targeting Midwest institutions.

17. Bloomberg Invest

Official Website: events.bloomberglive.com/event/bloomberg-invest-2026/summary

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A multi-asset investment conference drawing institutional CIOs and allocators across public and private markets.

Best For: Managers positioning venture within broader asset allocation discussions.

18. Sohn Investment Conference

Official Website: sohnconference.org

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A high-profile investment conference with hedge funds, family offices, and allocator participation.

Best For: Managers raising from private wealth channels.

19. AIMA

Official Website: aima.org/events.html

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A regulatory and policy event attended by alternative asset managers and institutional stakeholders.

Best For: Managers preparing for institutional scaling.

20. 3rd Coast Venture Summit

Official Website: 3rdcoastventuresummit.com

Event Format: Conference

Overview: A regional venture and private capital event with LP and ecosystem participation across the Southern U.S.

Best For: Emerging managers targeting regional family offices.

21. RAISE Global Summit

Official Website: raiseglobal.co/events

Event Format: Conference

Overview: RAISE Global Summit brings together emerging fund managers, LPs, and venture ecosystem leaders through panels, networking sessions, and curated programming. The event focuses on supporting the next generation of fund managers and connecting them with potential allocators and industry partners.

Best For: First-time fund managers and emerging GPs building relationships with family offices and early-stage LPs.

22. Bridge Global Private Capital Conference

Official Website: bridgefundingglobal.com/events

Event Format: Conference

Overview: Bridge Global hosts private capital events connecting GPs with institutional investors, family offices, and capital allocators across venture, private equity, and private credit. The conferences typically feature panel discussions and networking opportunities between fund managers and LPs.

Best For: Emerging managers looking to expand their network among family offices and cross-asset allocators.

23. Camp Hustle

Official Website: camphustle.co

Event Format: Curated Forum

Overview: Camp Hustle is a smaller, curated gathering of venture capitalists, LPs, and startup ecosystem leaders. The event emphasizes informal networking and relationship building within the venture community.

Best For: Venture managers building relationships within the Silicon Valley investor ecosystem.

24. Beyond Summit

Official Website: beyondsummit.allocate.co

Event Format: Conference

Overview: Beyond Summit connects venture investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders through curated programming and discussions focused on venture investing and technology innovation.

Best For: Emerging venture managers looking to expand relationships across the venture and startup ecosystem.

25. Slush

Official Website: slush.org

Event Format: Conference

Overview: Slush is a large global startup and venture capital conference known for bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders. The event includes dedicated programming for investors and curated meetings between venture capitalists and LPs.

Best For: Venture managers interested in building international relationships with global investors and LPs.

General Tips on How to Get the Most from GP-LP Events

Before the Event

Pick your targets: Look at the speaker list, sponsors, or attendee announcements and identify a handful of LPs you would genuinely like to meet.

Set up a few meetings early: If you know someone will be attending, send a quick note ahead of time and suggest grabbing a coffee or connecting during the event.

Sharpen your story: Be ready to explain your fund clearly and quickly. A simple explanation of your thesis and stage is usually enough to start the conversation.

Bring simple materials: Make sure your deck or one-pager is updated in case someone asks to see more.

During the Event

Prioritize real conversations: Instead of trying to meet everyone, focus on a few meaningful discussions with LPs and other managers.

Listen as much as you talk: Ask LPs what they are allocating to, what they look for in new managers, and what trends they are seeing.

Attend LP-focused sessions: Panels featuring allocators can give useful insights into how LPs think about portfolio construction.

Capture key details: After conversations, quickly note who you met and anything important you discussed.

After the Event

Follow up soon after: Send a short message referencing where you met and thanking them for the conversation.

Organize your contacts: Keep track of the people you met so you can remember context later. fundingstack.com/features/investor_crm_software can help 😄

Keep the relationship warm: Share occasional updates about your fund or portfolio progress and stay in touch over time.

Final Thoughts

Attending GP / LP events is a great way to meet new LPs, as well as reinforce connections over food or cocktails - particularly since landing an institutional LP often takes years of relationship- and trust-building.  You may miss some of these events depending on timing, budget, or where you are in your raise. That is normal.

The point is not to attend everything. It is to know which events matter.

Keep this as a pocket guide. Every few months, check the official websites, see what is coming up, and decide what fits your strategy. 

Good luck :)