The Fundraiser’s Guide to Fall 2025: Why the Best Fund Managers Are At the US Open, Not a Fundraising Conference
The fourth quarter of 2025 is overflowing with conferences and summits, but which ones actually move capital? In a year where investment dollars feel elusive and visibility comes at a premium, the fall conference season is again upon us. The calendar is crowded, the guest lists are familiar, and the question every emerging manager quietly asks remains the same: Is this event really going to help me raise money?
For emerging venture managers and private capital firms, the traditional “more is more” playbook no longer works. Flying to every marquee conference is expensive and time-consuming, and many events blur together without yielding results. Winning today requires more than attendance. It requires intention. Knowing where to go is important, but knowing how to show up is absolutely critical.
The False Promise of Conferences
Industry conferences promise access to capital, but the reality often falls short. That is the quiet consensus among general partners (GPs) navigating Funds I, II, and III in this market cycle. Many Limited Partner (LP) and GP summits simply fail to deliver meaningful connections. The GP-to-LP ratios are lopsided with dozens of hustling fund managers for every one allocator in the room. Panels often regurgitate the same headlines, and much of the networking feels performative. Plenty of people wear conference badges, but far fewer carry checkbooks. In all this noise, the real signal gets lost.
The uncomfortable truth is that you are probably already behind, if you are relying on a generic conference ballroom to meet your next anchor investor. Reputation and relationships are built before the conference begins, not in the lobby coffee line. By the time an LP shows up at the hotel, they likely already have a shortlist of managers they are interested in. The classic conference circuit might be necessary for visibility, but it is far from sufficient for raising capital. The real challenge is establishing relationships before the event so that a sighting becomes a catch-up, not a cold start.
The Strategic Visibility Stack
Success at events is about presence, not mere attendance. The most effective fund managers approach visibility as a long game, choreographing their brand and interactions well in advance. This means crafting and owning the narrative around your fund: decide what you want to be known for, and hammer that message home in front of the right audiences again and again. Some of that work happens on stage at conferences or in media interviews; some through thoughtful content and white papers circulated in investor circles. The key is consistency and authenticity. Strategic visibility often also means knowing when not to show up. Rather than popping up at every event, savvy GPs selectively choose their moments and focus only on arenas that align with their narrative and goals.
Communications advisory firm Prosek Partners calls this a “conference concierge” approach to visibility. The idea is to manage your conference schedule like an investment portfolio, choosing where to be and planning exactly how to maximize each appearance. It is a response to a market awash in mediocrity. Many fund managers know that skipping events entirely could mean missed opportunities, yet attending often leaves them on the sidelines of the real action. A tailored visibility plan can bridge that gap by leveraging insider intel and relationships so an emerging manager gains access to those behind-the-velvet-rope moments at high-end gatherings or at least walks away from any event with more than just a lanyard. In practice, this might mean securing a speaking slot that puts your fund’s thesis in the spotlight, arranging private meetings through organizers ahead of time, or hosting your own invite-only roundtable during the conference. Beyond logging attendance, it is about orchestrating outcomes like brand lift and warm introductions.
Deciding where to deploy your time and how to engage comes down to your fund’s strategy. Your roadmap will look very different if the goal is fundraising for a new fund versus sourcing deals or hiring talent. Are you actively raising capital right now? Then prioritize forums rich with LPs and allocators – perhaps an investor summit known for family office attendance, or an exclusive LP-only workshop where you can get in front of fresh capital. Do you have an investment thesis that is especially timely (say, a focus on generative AI or sustainability)? In that case, seek out conferences where that topic takes center stage so you can position yourself as a thought leader on the subject. Opening an office in a new geography? Make sure you are at that region’s flagship finance events to signal your commitment to the local ecosystem. The point is to align your event calendar with your specific objectives. By being intentional about both the venues you choose and the way you show up there, you ensure your effort converts into tangible momentum.
Where Connections Form
The most effective fundraising conversations this fall will not be happening in crowded expo halls or after-panel mixers. They will be happening in far more unexpected settings. For example, the real action might unfold:
In a private suite at the US Open finals, far from any official “investor reception.”
During a high-trust volunteer trip abroad, where a handful of GPs and LPs bond over a shared philanthropic mission.
On the fairways at The Masters golf tournament, amid a small circle of investors who have been attending together for years.
At an intimate charity gala , adjacent to a global summit but focused on a cause, not deals.
Why do these settings often beat the standard conference? Because at the end of the day, fundraising is about trust. Trust is built between people over time, through shared interests and genuine interactions. Many of the most durable LP-GP relationships do not begin with a pitch deck in a conference hall, but rather start with a real conversation in a relaxed, meaningful context. When two people connect over a passion, whether it is tennis, philanthropy, or art, a foundation of goodwill and understanding is laid. Only later might a capital partnership grow from that foundation, but it will grow stronger because the roots go deeper than a business card exchange.
This dynamic is fueling a rise in curated, under-the-radar gatherings that break the typical conference mold. For instance, Capital Allocators, an event series inspired by Ted Seides’ allocator-centric podcast, convenes senior LPs and GPs for substantive closed-door conversations. No massive expo hall, no superficial cocktail mixers. Instead, it is built for candid dialogue among decision-makers. Similarly, the iConnections Global Alts conference in Miami has earned a reputation among emerging managers for actually delivering LP interactions under one roof, rather than just hype. Even industry association forums like those run by AIMA (the Alternative Investment Management Association) are lauded for high-quality content and a strong allocator presence, proving that depth and focus can beat breadth. The common thread with these examples is intimacy and focus. They are fertile ground for real engagement, not just business card farming.
AI, Deep Tech & the New Deal Flow
The frontier of deal flow in 2025 is not at the traditional venture forums. It is at technical gatherings where tomorrow’s disruptive founders are hashing out ideas today. AI is not a “vertical” anymore. It is the underlying infrastructure of every industry, and it is remaking where investors need to be present. The best fund managers know that to catch the next wave of startups, you have to immerse yourself in the ecosystems where those founders live and breathe. That means prioritizing the premier tech conferences and research summits. Some must-attend technical gatherings include:
NeurIPS – the Neural Information Processing Systems conference, where the cutting edge of machine learning research is showcased
ICLR – the International Conference on Learning Representations, another hotbed of AI innovation and talent
ICML - the International Conference on Machine Learning, a premier venue for foundational AI research
Arize AI Observe – a summit focused on AI/ML infrastructure and observability, bridging the gap between research and real-world deployment
CES – the Consumer Electronics Show, which, while a long-time VC favorite and broader than just AI, features countless AI-driven products and draws tech leaders from every corner of the world
These are the kinds of events where deep tech meets the real world. Future breakout founders are demoing their projects in poster sessions and workshops long before any polished press release or Demo Day. If you are an investor who can navigate these rooms or bring the right technical team members with you, you will pick up strong early signals on where opportunity lies. You will hear the unfiltered challenges and ideas shaping the next generation of companies. In short, you will be in the right conversations before they hit the mainstream venture circuit.
Even if your fund does not lead with branding itself as an “AI fund,” it is increasingly important to have a credible presence in these domains. Showing up at a major AI or deep tech conference signals to entrepreneurs and co-investors that your team understands technology’s trajectory and is hunting for innovation at its source. But what if you are not a deeply technical investor? How do you avoid looking out of place at, say, NeurIPS or CES? The key is preparation and partnership. Many savvy GPs will bring along a technical advisor or a portfolio company CTO to these events, someone who speaks the language and can help translate key insights. Others do their homework, investing time to grasp the basics of the latest AI advances so they can ask smart questions and hold their own in conversation. It is also about listening more than talking. You do not need to pretend to be an engineer if you are genuinely curious and thoughtful with the experts you meet.
In practice, bridging the brand-tech gap might mean hosting a small dinner during an AI conference that brings together researchers and investors, positioning your fund as a thoughtful convener in the space. It could be as simple as engaging with the content: explore your favorite frontier tech topics on arXiv (pronounced “archive”), attend the technical talks, take notes, then share a public recap or commentary about what you learned. By doing so, you are adding value to the community and signaling that you are not just a tourist passing through. The bottom line is that whether you run a deep tech fund or a generalist fund, integrating into the AI and tech ecosystem is now part of staying relevant. The funds that do this well in 2025 will not only source better deals, but they will also earn a forward-thinking reputation that attracts LP interest in its own right.
From Events to Ecosystem
Another advanced tactic in the fall fundraising playbook is to create your own “events within events,” which tap into the energy of big conferences without being confined to their scripted agendas. The smartest managers attend industry summits and then orbit them, hosting their own carefully timed gatherings in the white space around the main event. Why? Because timing can matter more than scale when it comes to making an impression.
Consider this approach: you know that a large percentage of your target investors will be flying into town for a big-name conference. Instead of vying for attention in a packed ballroom, you organize a private breakfast the day the conference starts, perhaps before the official programming kicks off. You invite a select handful of LPs and peers for a candid roundtable discussion over coffee, away from the chaos. Or, maybe you notice there is a gap in the official schedule one afternoon, so you arrange an off-site salon or tour that appeals to a niche interest, such as an art gallery visit for art-loving investors or a local tech lab tour aligned with your fund’s theme. By the time others are shuffling into the next crowded panel, you have spent quality time with the people you most wanted to meet. Even something as simple as hosting a relaxed rooftop cocktail hour after the day’s formal events can create an atmosphere where real conversations flourish while others are exhausted from the conference grind.
The beauty of these “white space” plays is that they do not have to be extravagant or huge. In fact, smaller is usually better. It is about precision and relevance, bringing together the right combination of people at the right moment. Remember, delegates and LPs are most receptive when they are not overwhelmed. Catch them just as the day begins, or when they have had their fill of panels and are craving a genuine exchange. That is when your outreach will be most memorable.
Measuring What Matters
With all the effort and expense going into conference season, measuring the ROI is essential. Prosek created a useful framework to assess each event on four key dimensions:
LP Exposure - Did this event put you in the room with the right investors? This could mean reconnecting with existing limited partners or, more crucially, meeting new allocators you would not have met otherwise. If you are raising a fund, an event is valuable if it efficiently delivers face time with actual capital sources, ideally at a scale that would be hard to replicate through separate, individual meetings.
Deal Flow & Insights - Beyond LPs, did you encounter promising deal leads or gain market intel? Perhaps you met a founder with a great startup, connected with a potential co-investor, or heard something in a panel that sparked a new thesis idea. An event that significantly expands your pipeline or sharpens your investment perspective has paid for itself in future opportunities.
Brand & Thought Leadership - Did your presence at the conference noticeably boost your brand equity or credibility? For example, speaking on a panel, moderating a discussion, or even just having your name associated with a high-quality event can elevate your profile. Essentially, ask if the conference helped reinforce what you want to be known for (your expertise, your fund’s mission) in the eyes of the community.
Media & Amplification - Did the event yield any press coverage or valuable connections with journalists? Conferences often attract media. Were you quoted in an article or did you forge relationships with reporters that could be useful later? Alternatively, did you generate content from the event (a well-received LinkedIn post, a newsletter recap) that amplified your visibility? This dimension is about leveraging the event to tell your story to a wider audience.
Few events will knock it out of the park on all four fronts. In fact, hitting two out of four can be considered a success worth repeating. The key is to know before you go which of these outcomes you are prioritizing, and then to track, rigorously, after the fact. It is not enough to say “I think it was good for branding.” Define what success looks like, e.g. a noticeable uptick in LP inquiries or social media engagement after a speaking slot. If you were aiming to meet new LPs, count how many meaningful dialogues you had and how many are leading to next steps. If you sponsored the event for visibility, assess if people mention it in follow-ups and whether it actually raised your firm’s profile.
To make these insights truly actionable across years, treat your event strategy as an iterative process. It is wise for fund managers to establish a simple tracking system, even a basic spreadsheet, to log each event, the costs (money and time), and the results across the dimensions above. Assign numeric values to each category so you can compare apples to apples. Then, set aside time at year’s end to review it holistically. Which conferences gave you the biggest bang for your buck? Which ones were duds? This evidence-based approach will help you refine your calendar for the next year, doubling down on the winners and cutting the rest. Over time, this turns a scattershot approach into a finely tuned machine. It also prevents the common scenario of attending a conference just because you always have (“we go every year”); instead, you are going because the data shows it is worth it.
The Global Calendar: What to Watch in Q4
As you plan your fall 2025 strategy, it helps to think in terms of a global calendar. LPs and allocators are spread worldwide, and so are the key gatherings that attract them. Here is a curated guide to some high-impact events by region in the coming months, and why they matter:
North America - The US Open tennis tournament in New York (late summer) has become a magnet for informal dealmaking – many funds host clients in suites, and the atmosphere is relaxed yet network-rich. The Milken Institute Global Conference (early May) is the premiere event for capital markets , takes place in Beverly Hills, and gathers leaders from across sectors, including philanthropy, health, and media for conversations about processing global issues. Now an old standby, CES in Las Vegas (early January, technically just after Q4) is where you not only see emerging tech trends but also bump into corporate venture arms and family offices scouting innovation.
Middle East - The region’s rise as a capital hub continues. The Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh (often dubbed “Davos in the Desert”) draws global investors and sovereign fund chiefs – attending signals you are serious about partnering with Middle East capital. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Finance Week and Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum have quickly become essential for anyone courting investment from the Gulf. While you are there, take in the F1, which is usually around the same time and provides opportunities for lots of client binding. These events are efficiently organized and tend to gather a who’s who of Gulf-based allocators in one place.
Europe - SuperReturn International (often hosted in Berlin for its Europe edition) is a premier private equity and venture capital forum with a strong LP turnout. It is one of those conferences where missing it could mean missing the chance to connect with dozens of European pension funds, endowments, and family offices that are actively allocating. And looking slightly ahead, the networking around Davos (the World Economic Forum in Switzerland each January) actually begins in Q4 as agendas are set and private meetings are scheduled; being part of those early conversations or pre-summit meetups can position you favorably once the world’s power brokers converge in the Alps.
Asia - Singapore has solidified its place on the VC circuit with events like the Milken Institute Asia Summit (typically in September) attracting global investors alongside Asian family offices and institutions. Additionally, keep an eye on newer gatherings like the Qatar Economic Venture Forum (QEVF) and similar regional investor conferences in Southeast Asia, which signal where sovereign and institutional money in Asia is paying attention. If your strategy involves Asian capital, showing up at these events demonstrates commitment to the region and can yield introductions that would be hard to get otherwise.
Remember, simply showing up is not enough; you want to show up in context. If you plan to span regions, let people know your travel plans and use them as conversation points, e.g. “Will I see you at Milken Singapore next month?” A well-timed second encounter on another continent can significantly deepen that relationship. This not only signals that you move in the same circles they do, but it sets the expectation that your relationship is going to be a running dialogue, not a one-off chat. By sequencing your appearances strategically, you build a narrative of being everywhere that matters, without actually having to be everywhere.
Play the Long Game
Visibility is not a one-off stunt, but rather it compounds over time, as does reputation. Fall 2025 is shaping up to be a high-stakes season in the private capital world. The fundraising pipeline is tight, liquidity is scarce, and nearly every fund, from first-time managers to established giants, is somewhere on the fundraising trail or about to be. In such an environment, everyone is visible, but very few are truly making an impact. The GPs who ultimately win will be those who treat visibility as a strategic discipline, not a gamble or an afterthought.
Finally, remember to be human. It is easy to get caught up in tactics and forget that, at its core, capital moves on relationships and trust. People invest in people. When you do get into that exclusive dinner or snag that coveted introduction, do not just launch into a pitch. Listen, engage, and be genuine. Share your story, but also share a laugh or find common ground about something other than business. Those human moments are what make you memorable when allocation decisions are being made later. In the long game of fundraising, the best-prepared, best-positioned, best-connected manager wins. By playing that long game with intentionality and authenticity, you will not just be another face in the conference crowd. You will be the person people remember long after Fall 2025.
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Sincere appreciation to our contributing author Katie O’Reilly, Partner & Head of Network Development at Prosek Partners and Senior Advisor to the Milken Institute. Along with Shea Tate-Di Donna and Kaego Ogbechie Rust, authors of The Venture Fund Blueprint.
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