The Darden Private Equity Club (DPEC) will host its second annual Darden Private Equity Conference at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business  28 February – 1 March 2013. The event will bring together private equity professionals and interested students to discuss current trends in the industry. In building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, DPEC aims to provide opportunities for professional networking and student education.

“Our goal for the conference is really two fold,” said Cortland Ouzts, president of DPEC. “First, we hope the conference offers an engaging series of speakers to help create industry awareness on Grounds. But more than that, we hope the conference develops into an event where alumni and professionals can discuss recent trends, debate industry developments, and network among themselves.”

Last year’s conference included three panel discussions covering topics such as “creating a competitive edge in today’s increasingly turbulent market” and “the future of private equity: the limited partner perspective”. 

According to Lexington Partners’ John Loverro, one of last year’s panelists and a Darden alumnus, “The conference is more than a PE 101 workshop. By discussing real industry challenges, such as how PE groups can differentiate themselves in the market and how LPs see the PE landscape, we were seeking for the conference to be just as informative to industry professionals as it is to current students.”

Holding a conference at the University of Virginia creates a special appeal for alumni. Loverro continued, “I had a great time at last year’s conference. Several of my classmates participated or attended, and it was great to re-connect with friends as well as network with other alumni and professionals in the industry. Needless to say, I’m always looking for an excuse to go back to Charlottesville, and I’m already looking forward to the upcoming conference.”

The 2013 Darden Private Equity Conference will open the evening of 28 February with a cocktail reception at The Colonnade Club on the University’s historic West Lawn. As the intellectual nexus of the University, the Lawn embodies the conference’s goal of providing a forum for professionals and students across disciplines to learn and share ideas. The event will continue the following day, 1 March, with a keynote speaker and panel discussions at the Darden School of Business.

If you would like to participate in this year’s conference as an attendee, a panelist or a sponsor, please register through the following Registration Link. For questions, please contact the Darden Private Equity Club.