IR Magazine will help IR practitioners get to grips with the repercussions of global disruption on investor relations and the latest developments in the profession in a series of essential, reinvigorated in-person, virtual and hybrid events in 2022.
As the Ukraine crisis unfolds, governments impose sanctions and corporations exit Russia, a recalibration of global supply chains combined with rising inflation, high interest rates and the long shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic mean public companies are looking for guidance on navigating the uncertain environment.
IR Magazine will gather leading IROs, industry experts and members of the investment community to debate the state of the market, its trading volatility and changing investor sentiment as they move toward more defensive options and sectors. Such developments have a huge impact on how IROs manage their investors and C-suites.
Our events will explore what rising inflation – notably in energy prices and supply chains – means for businesses and their IROs. There are IR conversations to be had on the consequences for ESG: our events will ask what ESG looks like when confronted by high energy prices, the need for energy security and the focus on climate among responsible investors – especially when there have been major changes toward the standardization of ESG reporting frameworks. How can IROs not only catch up with changing legislation on ESG reporting but also get ahead?
IR Magazine’s events will also address IR in transition. Can practitioners do more to better service lower-tier investors via the efficiencies of virtual engagement? Questions will be answered on how IROs are rethinking their investor days, whether they can be more efficient with their roadshow schedule and how they can make the most of digital IR to get more and higher-quality information to investors.
Lending an ear
‘Our team spends hundreds of hours talking to IR officers in North America, Europe and Asia to truly understand what is top of mind for them at any given time,’ says Gargi Iyer, managing director of events at IR Magazine. ‘IR is going through a transition period and those who can successfully navigate this uncertainty with agility will emerge stronger in the coming years.’
Iyer says external forces such as inflation and supply-chain disruption are causing investors to rethink their portfolios. Countries and companies are removing restrictions on meetings and ESG compliance is now firmly at the top of everyone’s agenda.
‘These factors have enormous implications for investor targeting, roadshows and messaging – adding to an already full plate,’ she says.
‘An IRO’s role can also be lonely, with team sizes shrinking in some regions. Our events help alleviate some of these pressures by helping IROs meet and learn from the challenges and successes of their peers. Listening to how another head of IR has handled a similar situation can be powerful.’
Asked how IR Magazine’s own post-pandemic events strategy has developed, Iyer says the team now has several different formats to choose from. ‘In-person, hybrid and virtual events all have their merits, and what works best is based on what you hope to achieve during the event,’ she notes. ‘Our think tanks aim to encourage open and honest discussion and are exclusively for heads of IR, so these only take place in person.
‘Our forums are hybrid because we want to share best practices with a wider audience. And our virtual events help us collect insights from attendees in different geographies and feed that back to our audience to help it make better decisions. Essentially, IROs can choose the option that suits them best at any given point.’
This is an extract of an article that was published in the Summer 2022 issue of IR Magazine. Click here to read the full article.
