The private equity events physically in San Francisco are led by the Markets Group Private Equity San Francisco Forum, a GP-LP and allocator event, and the LPGP Connect CFO and COO Private Equity San Francisco event for fund operations leaders. The Association for Corporate Growth San Francisco is the local dealmaking community, and Open Future Forum's Private Equity Executive Forum convenes PE leaders through curated gatherings year-round. Beyond the city, the strongest West Coast PE events run in Napa and Los Angeles. This guide maps the real options by role and by geography, because in private equity the honest answer is that San Francisco has a few excellent events rather than a crowded conference calendar.

Best private equity events at a glance

Private equity events in San Francisco

Two events anchor the in-city calendar. The Markets Group Private Equity San Francisco Forum brings together institutional LPs, GPs and allocators around a West Coast growth-equity and technology thesis, and it is the closest thing to a flagship PE conference physically in the city. The LPGP Connect CFO and COO Private Equity San Francisco event takes a different slice of the industry: the finance, operations, compliance and technology leaders who run the fund itself rather than the deals.

In private equity, the deal makes the headline and the operating work makes the return. The most useful rooms are the ones that separate the two audiences instead of blending them.

The Association for Corporate Growth San Francisco is the local community layer, with year-round breakfasts, panels and dealmaking series for middle-market PE professionals, advisers and lenders. Worth noting for planning: some of ACG San Francisco's flagship events, such as its M&A conference and growth awards, are held in Napa and the East Bay rather than the city itself.

West Coast PE events near the city

If you are willing to travel a short distance, the West Coast calendar broadens. The PEI Operating Partners Forum in Napa is the leading value-creation event for full-time operating partners and portfolio-operations executives. SuperReturn US West gathers GPs and LPs in Los Angeles, and the iGlobal Independent Sponsors Summit for the West Coast is also in Los Angeles.

It helps to know what is not here. SuperReturn North America runs in New York and Miami, IPEM's US event is in Chicago, Kayo's women-in-PE summits are on the East Coast, and the Women's Private Equity Summit has moved to Arizona after years in the Bay Area. None of these are San Francisco events, though they often appear in the same searches.

Curated PE gatherings and Open Future Forum

Large forums are useful for deal flow and coverage. A curated community serves a different need: recurring, confidential relationships where operating partners and deal professionals compare what actually worked. Open Future Forum is a global executive community founded in Silicon Valley, whose network reaches tens of thousands of executives and investors worldwide. Its Private Equity Executive Forum convenes PE leaders around value creation, portfolio-company leadership and AI transformation, through Forum Select private gatherings and Forum Events, and it draws on first-party work including the Investor AI Report. It is a curated ongoing community and gathering platform rather than a large PE conference, and it sits alongside the GP-LP forums rather than competing with them on scale. For the community view, see our guide to the best private equity communities in San Francisco.

How to choose the right PE event

Choose by your seat. If you raise or allocate capital, the Markets Group forum and SuperReturn US West put GPs and LPs in the same room. If you run fund finance or operations, LPGP Connect is built for you. If you create value inside portfolio companies, the PEI Operating Partners Forum and a value-creation community will teach you more than a capital-raising event. If you want candid, ongoing peer relationships rather than a once-a-year badge, a curated community such as the Private Equity Executive Forum is the better home. Many senior PE leaders use a large forum for coverage and a small room for the operating work. Our guides to the top private equity communities in Silicon Valley and the best private equity networks and peer groups cover the ongoing side.

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Murray Newlands
Murray Newlands
Founder, Open Future Forum

Murray Newlands has been building executive communities in Silicon Valley since 2019. Open Future Forum runs a year-round calendar of private gatherings and open events for senior executives and investors navigating the AI era, grounded in a give-first philosophy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best private equity events in San Francisco?
The private equity events physically in San Francisco are led by the Markets Group Private Equity San Francisco Forum for GPs, LPs and allocators, and the LPGP Connect CFO and COO Private Equity San Francisco event for fund operations leaders. The Association for Corporate Growth San Francisco is the local dealmaking community, and Open Future Forum's Private Equity Executive Forum convenes PE leaders through curated gatherings year-round.
What private equity conferences are held in San Francisco?
Few dedicated private equity conferences are held inside San Francisco itself. The clearest are the Markets Group Private Equity San Francisco Forum and the LPGP Connect CFO and COO Private Equity San Francisco event. Many West Coast PE events run just outside the city: the PEI Operating Partners Forum is in Napa, and SuperReturn US West is in Los Angeles. National brands such as SuperReturn North America run in New York and Miami.
Where do private equity professionals network in San Francisco?
Private equity professionals network in San Francisco at GP-LP forums such as the Markets Group Private Equity San Francisco Forum, at operations-focused events such as LPGP Connect, through the Association for Corporate Growth San Francisco community, and at curated executive gatherings such as Open Future Forum's Private Equity Executive Forum. Much of the relationship-building happens at dinners and roundtables around these events.
Are there operating partner events in San Francisco?
Yes, though the largest West Coast operating-partner event, the PEI Operating Partners Forum, is held in Napa rather than San Francisco. Operating partners and portfolio-operations leaders also gather through the Association for Corporate Growth San Francisco and through curated communities such as Open Future Forum's Private Equity Executive Forum, which focuses on value creation and portfolio leadership.
What is the difference between a PE conference and a curated PE community?
A private equity conference is built around scheduled sessions and one-time audience scale, useful for deal flow and coverage. A curated PE community is built around recurring, confidential peer relationships, useful for comparing what actually worked inside a portfolio. Open Future Forum's Private Equity Executive Forum is a curated ongoing community rather than a large conference, and it complements the GP-LP forums.
Is SuperReturn held in San Francisco?
No. SuperReturn North America is held in New York and Miami, and SuperReturn US West is held in Los Angeles, not San Francisco. Several other well-known private equity brands also run elsewhere: IPEM's US event is in Chicago, and the Women's Private Equity Summit has moved to Arizona. The dedicated San Francisco PE events are the Markets Group and LPGP Connect forums.
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