Unsurprisingly, IR Magazine’s research shows that a significant number of investor events remained virtual over the course of the research period from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022, a time that includes the Covid-19 pandemic. During that period, a fifth of IR professionals attended in-person investor days, compared with 26 percent who attended these events virtually.
This article is an extract from the newly published Best Practice Report: Investor day best practices and measurements for success, in partnership with Q4.
Click to read Best Practice Report – Investor day best practices and measurements for success – Q4
Looking at the post-pandemic period, specifically H2 2022, in person was back in favor. During that time, 29 percent of IROs say they attended a virtual investor day but 36 percent attended in the flesh.
Physical events are certainly the preference among the IROs we hear from in this best practice report as they talk about showcasing management, bringing the investment community in to really see and feel what the company is doing, and giving analysts and investors first-hand experience of some of the intangibles that might not go into the financial modeling but can make all the difference when it comes to competitive edge.
Setting out your stall and goals
‘I always begin with the end in mind: what that success looks like,’ says Mary Winn Pilkington, senior vice president of investor relations and public relations at Tractor Supply Company, when asked why – and when – the firm puts on an investor day.
‘The key thing is you’ve got to have news,’ she continues, though that doesn’t necessarily mean new news. In her view, an event-driven approach works best. ‘You might have management change, maybe you’re rolling out a new strategy, a new innovation or you think there’s something that’s misunderstood by the market,’ she explains. ‘You’ve got to think about what the goal of the investor day is.’
