The SEF regularly organises events on its core themes and project series. A brief overview is provided below.

The Foundation's three major annual conferences have become its trademark:

The Potsdam Spring Dialogues take place in March/April each year and focus on "Policy-shaping in an enlarged Europe", with special emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe.

The Berlin Summer Dialogues are held in Berlin Town Hall each June/July and discuss the latest "hot topic" in Global Governance, with transatlantic relations a key area of interest.

The International Symposium is generally held in Bonn towards the end of the year. It provides a forum for detailed analysis of development policy themes and cross-cultural issues.

These three major events are supplemented by other conferences and workshops.