On behalf of London Business School and the Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, we are delighted to welcome you to the 9th annual London Business School Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference.
Over the last year, the private equity and venture capital industries have faced numerous challenges including difficult exit markets, heightened external scrutiny, a shifting regulatory framework and pressure to put capital to work in both western and emerging markets. Despite opportunities arising as a result of decreased bank lending and corporates in distressed situations, investor sentiment remained cautious given persistent macroeconomic headwinds.
Recent market developments, however, point to an increasingly optimistic outlook for the asset class. As institutional investors across the world recalibrate their portfolios amidst global monetary easing, many have increased allocations to alternative and real assets. The flood of capital into the leveraged finance and high-yield markets has driven a surge in LBO activity and presented opportunities for recaps. With fundraising activity picking up on the back of improving economic fundamentals, especially in the US, competition for deals and investor commitments remains stiff.
This year’s conference theme explores the strategies industry players are using to stay competitive and generate returns in the current challenging cycle. Keynote addresses and panels featuring industry leading practitioners, advisors, and other stakeholders will discuss these trends and various topics such as investing in emerging and growth markets, buyouts in Europe, LP perspectives, most recent trends in the venture capital space and other pertinent industry topics.
Please note that the conference will be run under the Chatham House Rule, i.e. participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speakers, nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
We hope that you will enjoy this year’s conference, and we look forward to your support and participation.
Sincerely,
