Highlights

Two days of reestablishing connections and learning best practices

Back in person for the first time since 2019, the energy was palpable among the nearly 800 participants at the 2022 SEM Conference. From standing-room only sessions and bustling hallways, to engaging lunches and a vibrant reception, attendees were thrilled to be back in person.

The Conference began with one of the event’s regular highlights, the Women’s Networking Lunch, and concluded with a fireside chat with keynote speaker Soledad O’Brien. At the heart of the event, LPs, GPs, and consultants discussed important topics focused on increasing allocations to small and emerging managers. Sessions also touched on ESG and Impact investing considerations and how diversity, equity, and inclusion can impact a firm’s performance.

Insights for investors and managers

LPs and consultants spoke peer-to-peer about their approaches to investing with emerging managers and heard about relevant trends in alternatives. A few highlights:

The number of private equity funds raised by emerging managers has increased over 160% since 2021, largely driven by venture and growth funds
In the last three years, there have been about 250 newly launched real estate managers – mostly driven by spinouts
Digital infrastructure will continue to grow – the current exponential growth of data doesn’t happen with static infrastructure

GPs learned best practices for raising a fund and creating a successful business:

Building a business (from an established hedge fund manager): To be successful, it takes a mix of confidence and humility and the ambition to build a “business within a business” to manage a team.
ESG and Impact investing: Collaboration and guidance are key to establishing ESG metrics; third-parties can be helpful in gathering data.
Marketing: Emerging managers should create a marketing “playbook” to promote consistent messaging and streamlined communications.

Overheard

“Our best meeting is when a manager spends an hour and a half with us, and only learns about us."

– Jim Dunn, CEO, CIO, Verger Capital Management, on the importance of managers learning about allocators’ specific needs

"Work through the problem, not around it."

– Karen Herold, Founder and Principal, Studio K Creative, and guest speaker at the Conference’s Women’s Networking Lunch

“You treasure what you measure and what you measure gets done."

– Cecilia Nelson-Hurt, Chief Diversity Officer, Heidrick & Struggles

By the Numbers

SEM Conference 2022 welcomed…

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participants

0 %

first-time attendees

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managers in initial fundraising or who have raised one fund

Investors and Consultants

Conference registrants from over 125 institutional investors and consultants represented many different types of firms.