Team building for private equity firms

The best team building for a private equity firm is short and easy to move: a 60-minute hosted game or tasting for the deal team, booked about 2 weeks out, that reschedules free up to 2 days before if a deal heats up. The same hour works for portfolio company leaders and for an LP thank-you.

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A small private equity deal team laughs around a conference table at dusk while colleagues join a hosted game on the wall screen

Three groups a private equity firm plans events for

Your own deal team is only one of them. Most firms also bring portfolio company leaders together and thank their investors.

  • Your own team

    The deal team and the firm

    Partners, principals, associates and analysts, plus IR, finance and operations. Often 8 to 40 people, sometimes across two or three offices.

  • Portfolio companies

    Portfolio CEOs and leadership teams

    A CEO summit, a CFO peer group or a portfolio offsite. See leadership team building and company offsite plans.

  • Investors

    LPs and co-investors

    A thank-you evening around the annual meeting. More on virtual client appreciation events and client gifts.

Team building activities for PE and VC firms

Every session runs about an hour with a live host or instructor, on Zoom by default or on Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request. Prices are live from our catalog.

For the deal team: games that fit a late afternoon

A live host runs every round, so nobody at the firm has to plan or emcee. Hosted games need only a laptop and the link.

For portfolio company leaders: workshops with something to take back

Hosted 60-minute sessions that work as one slot in a CEO summit or as a virtual session for a peer group.

For LPs and investors: an evening with a kit at each door

Each guest gets a kit at the address they give us, and an instructor leads the hour on video.

Want people in one room? Hosts run games at your office in 17 US cities. See all activities.

Fitting an hour around deals and the fund calendar

Signings, quarter-ends and the annual meeting decide the date before anyone picks an activity. Six things to plan around.

  • Any week

    Deals move the date

    A hosted game reschedules free up to 2 days before the event ($200 after that), so book the date you want and move it if a signing lands on it.

  • After each quarter-end

    Quarterly reporting to LPs

    Valuations, portfolio updates and LP reports fill the weeks after each quarter closes. Mid-quarter works better for the finance and IR team.

  • January to March 2027

    Year-end valuations and the audit

    The December 31, 2026 year-end means audited financials and annual valuations in the first quarter. Hold the thank-you until they are done.

  • Set by your firm

    Annual meeting season

    Many firms hold an annual meeting for LPs, on a date they set. Pair it with an investor evening and send the kits ahead.

  • For a December 10, 2026 event

    The holiday party

    Book a hosted game by November 25, 2026, and a kit workshop to US addresses by November 19. Anyone abroad needs about 5 weeks, so choose a hosted game for them.

  • Weekdays, 4 to 6 p.m.

    The hour that usually works

    Late afternoon, before deal teams head into evening calls. Two offices on different coasts? Start at 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific.

Events for portfolio company leaders

A CEO summit puts leaders from companies that rarely talk in one place. One hosted hour turns a room of logos into people who call each other later.

For a full agenda, see the company offsite plans, or workshops for each leadership team on leadership team building. A summit with several activities at once runs as a multi-event program.

  1. Evening 1

    A game that mixes the portfolio

    CEOs from different companies on the same team, with a host running it. People who only knew each other's logos leave with a few names.

  2. Day 2 morning

    A workshop slot between the sessions

    One hosted hour on presenting to a board or building a leadership team, beside the operating partners' content.

  3. After the summit

    A virtual follow-up for each peer group

    CFOs, CHROs or sales leaders across the portfolio meet again on video a quarter later, around a game or a tasting kit.

LP and investor appreciation

A tasting evening around the annual meeting thanks investors without a flight. Plan it as a client event, not a staff event.

See virtual client appreciation events for formats, or send client gifts instead of an event.

General information, not compliance advice. Your firm's and each LP's policies apply: check with your compliance team.

Before you send the invitations

  • Ask about gift rules first. Many LPs are pensions, endowments or foundations with their own limits on what staff can accept.
  • Know the kit price per person. Every activity page shows it for your headcount, so compliance can count it.
  • Wine and charcuterie kits ship to the continental US only, and wine is not sent to some states. Guests must be 21+.
  • Investors in Canada or abroad? Allow about 5 weeks for kits, or pick a hosted game that needs no shipping.

What it costs for a deal team, the firm or a CEO summit

Totals for 8, 25 and 60 people, worked out from live catalog prices.

Hosted games and workshops are a package that covers up to 25 people, so a small deal team pays the package price. Kit workshops are a base fee plus a price for each kit.

Planning for the wider finance function? See financial services and finance team pages.

Total price for the whole group, by headcount
Fun-Filled FeudHosted game for the deal team8 people$97525 people$97560 people$1,415
You're On Mute!Workshop for portfolio leaders8 people$85025 people$85060 people$2,550
Coffee TastingTasting kit for each guest8 people$1,09125 people$2,60460 people$5,719

Continental US shipping is included on kits; Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, Canada and international addresses cost extra. Pay by card with a 50% deposit, or by invoice against a PO. Get a free quote for your exact headcount.

Private equity team building questions

What is good team building for a private equity firm?

The best team building for a private equity firm is short and easy to move: a 60-minute hosted game or tasting for the deal team, booked about 2 weeks out, that reschedules free up to 2 days before if a deal heats up. A hosted game show or escape room suits a deal team; a tasting kit shipped to each home suits a holiday party or an investor evening.

What if a deal closes the week of our event?

Move it. A hosted event reschedules free when you ask at least 2 days before; inside 2 days there is a $200 fee. Kit workshops are harder to move once the kits have shipped, so pick a hosted game when the calendar is uncertain.

Can we run an event for our portfolio company CEOs?

Yes. A hosted game works as the evening mixer at a CEO summit, and a workshop on presenting or leading a team fits a daytime slot. Peer groups across the portfolio can meet on video later, with each person joining from their own company.

Can we host an LP or investor appreciation event?

Yes. A wine tasting, a cocktail class or a coffee tasting with a kit shipped to each guest makes a good evening around the annual meeting. Many LPs have gift rules for their staff, so check before you send kits. This is general information, not compliance advice: check with your compliance team.

How much does team building cost for a small deal team?

Most hosted games are one package for up to 25 guests, so a deal team of 8 pays the same as a firm of 25. Fun-Filled Feud is $975 for up to 25. You're On Mute! is $850 for 25. Kit workshops are a base fee plus a price for each kit.

Does this work for a venture capital firm too?

Yes. A VC firm has the same three groups: the investment team, founders across the portfolio, and LPs. The same formats and lead times apply.

How do we pay?

Reserve online with a 50% deposit by card, or book with a PO and get an invoice instead. Enterprise customers can use monthly invoicing.

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