Day 1: October 20, 2026
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Registration Open
2nd Floor Concourse and
Grand Hall Corridor
Check in and pick up your badge before heading into meetings, sessions, and networking opportunities.
Plan your arrival to make the most of your time at M&A East. Registered DealSource participants arrive early for a kickoff networking lunch beginning at 12PM.
General Attendees are invited to begin using open DealLounge tables for informal meetings and networking at 2PM. Programming begins at 4PM.
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
PE/IB Kickoff Lunch
Grand Hall Overlook
Enjoy a relaxed setting to connect with industry leaders, hold key conversations, and meet those you couldn’t schedule during the conference. Don’t miss this chance to expand your network and maximize your dealmaking opportunities!
Open to Private Equity investors and Investment Banks participating in DealSource
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2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
DealSource
Ballroom AB
Your most efficient path to sourcing deals! Private equity and investment banking professionals will engage in a series of 20-minute, 1:1 meetings—all pre-arranged through our exclusive scheduling tool.
Open to private equity investors and investment banks.
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM DealLounge
Grand Hall
Host an impromptu meeting! Grab a numbered table and connect at your convenience, or stop by a Sponsor Exhibit Table to explore new opportunities.
Open to all conference attendees.
Afternoon snack
Refuel and connect with fellow attendees before the next round of meetings and sessions
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
ACGWomen's Networking
Happy Hour
202B
Kick off your M&A East experience with an evening of networking alongside fellow women dealmakers. Enjoy great conversation and a glass of wine before the conference officially begins.
Open to conference-attending women dealmakers.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Value Creation Networking Happy Hour
202A
Expand your network with the professionals leading value creation across the middle market-all in a relaxed, peer-to-peer setting.
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Open to operators, corporate acquirers, private equity-backed executives at a discounted conference rate
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Opening Party
Grand Hall
Raise a glass to celebrate 24 years of M&A East! Join over 1,000 leading dealmakers from PE firms, investment banks, and middle-market M&A community for a lively, high-energy networking event where meaningful connections begin.
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Open to all conference attendees.
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Day 2: October 21, 2026
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Registration Open
for All Attendees
2nd Floor Concourse and
Grand Hall Corridor
Check in and pick up your badge before heading into meetings, sessions, and networking opportunities.
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
201ABC
Kick off the day with casual conversation and meaningful connections, giving attendees a chance to engage with peers before sessions begin and the conference gets underway.
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
DealLounge
Grand Hall
Your go-to space for impromptu meetings—whether at a numbered table or a Sponsor Exhibit Table, find the right people and the right opportunities.
Open to all conference attendees.
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
DealSource
Ballroom AB
The fastest way to maximize your deal pipeline! Engage in scheduled 20-minute, 1:1 meetings with top PE and IB professionals, ensuring no time is wasted.
Open to private equity investors and investment banks.
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Coffee Bar
Grand Hall
Stop by for a specialty coffee drink in the DealLounge
10:00 AM - 10:40 AM
Value Creation in Action:
The Operating Partner Playbook
202AB
Learn how leading Operating Partners drive value creation across the investment lifecycle, sharing practical strategies for accelerating growth, improving operations, and maximizing portfolio company performance.
11:00 AM - 11:40 AM
Transforming Founder-Led Businesses into Scalable, Institutional Platforms
202AB
Hear from founders, CEOs, and private equity leaders as they discuss the challenges, strategies, and leadership decisions involved in transforming founder-led businesses into scalable, institutional organizations.
12:20 PM - 1:20 PM
Networking Lunch
201ABC
Connect in a relaxed setting while continuing conversations, building new relationships, and engaging with peers across the middle-market deal community.
Afternoon snack
Refuel and connect with fellow attendees before the next round of meetings and sessions
1:20 PM - 2:000 PM
Bumps in the Road and Roadblocks:
Managing through Challenges in Today’s M&A Market
202AB
Companies in today’s M&A market face an increasing number of obstacles that can stall or even reshape a deal — from valuation and financing issues to timing, diligence, and execution complications. This session will explore what’s driving those disruptions, how companies are successfully navigating them, what they learned along the way, and how those experiences impacted their approach to future transactions.
2:20 PM - 3:00 PM
The PE Landscape:
Trends, Data & What Comes Next
202 AB
Discover the latest private equity market trends, valuation data, and forward-looking insights to help navigate today's evolving deal environment.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Closing Happy Hour
Grand Hall Overlook
Close out M&A East with one final opportunity to connect. Whether you are following up on conversations or making new introductions this reception is the perfect way to end on a high note.
Ready to connect, learn, and source deals? See you at M&A East 2026!
