Communicating with shareholders in the midst of a crisis is a major theme of Investor Relations magazine’s UK Investor Relations Congress in London on July 17. Coming in the midst of a volatile year, the conference will address issues such as the declining interest in equities in favor of fixed income, IR in the face of social activism and the new market abuse regime. There will even be a role-playing session, ‘The investor meeting from hell,’ which will demonstrate pressure-cooker IR in action.
‘I think this year companies will be most interested in learning how to deal with major crises, including shareholder activism and compensation issues,’ says Heather McGregor, a partner at Taylor:Bennett. ‘Fiat had to deal with credit rating issues, and Prudential was forced to reconsider its executive pay scheme following investor discontent, just to name a couple of examples,’ she adds. McGregor will be chairing ‘Question time’ with a panel of small and mid-cap fund managers.
Another hot issue expected to dominate is socially responsible investment (SRI). ‘Companies are moving away from a defensive position, that is, one in which they are just responding to pressure groups. They are realizing that SRI is making a difference, especially in emerging markets. Investors are increasingly looking to invest in companies with good corporate responsibility,’ observes Scott Fulton, head of IR and research at Financial Dynamics.
‘A moral maze’, featuring the controversial author of The Silent Takeover, Noreena Hertz, and Karina Litvak, director of governance and socially responsible investment at Friends Ivory & Sime, will look at how companies can account for their environmental, social and ethical impact.
And if they’re hoping for boring speeches or PowerPoint presentations, participants can expect to be disappointed. The format for this year’s conference will concentrate on interactive participation with formalized networking sessions.
The Investor Relations Magazine UK Awards 2002 will follow the one-day conference, with best-of-breed IROs and companies to be rewarded for their efforts in what has been a very tough year.
South African buzz
King is still the main buzzword in South Africa, and it has nothing to do with swinging hips and rock and roll. The King II report has created waves with its guidelines for an ideal corporate environment in South Africa. At Investor Relations magazine’s second annual conference in the country, to be held in Johannesburg August 20-21, the King will undoubtedly dominate proceedings.
Panels will discuss the workability of the document and how companies have to change to comply with the recommendations. They will also discuss controversial areas such as disclosure, executive pay and non-executive directors. As with the inaugural conference last year, delegates can expect the one and a half day event to focus on international best practice and experience. The main sessions will be on the first day with a half-day ADR workshop on August 21.
‘A bear market brings with it enormous challenges and thoroughly tests a company’s communications strategy. The South African IR conference will provide a fantastic platform for IR delegates to discuss how different companies have addressed these adverse market conditions and agree or debate best practice,’ predicts Bronwyn Goller, head of IR at Nedcor. Goller will be speaking at a disclosure workshop during the conference.
One aspect of IR that is expected to draw a crowd is IR for retail shareholders. South Africa has focused in the past on institutional and corporate investors, but now with the mandatory 20 percent free float of shares, there is a challenge to communicate with a wider variety of investors. The conference should bring international best practice in communications to retail shareholders to South Africa,’ opines Anita Walsh, divisional managing director of investor and branding communications at South Africa-based Ince Motiv.
Another crowd pleaser will no doubt be the inaugural Investor Relations Magazine South Africa Awards. The gala event will be held on the evening of August 20.
Upcoming Investor Relations magazine events
The UK IR Congress & Awards
July 17, Le Meridien Grosvenor House Hotel, London
IR for a Global Market – South Africa
August 20-21, Sandton Sun & Towers Inter-Continental, Johannesburg,
including the first
Investor Relations Magazine South Africa Awards
Investor Relations for Central & Eastern Europe
17-18 September, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Budapest
The 2nd Annual Aira Conference & Awards
in association with Investor Relations magazine
September 25-26, The Westin, Sydney
The Amsterdam Conference & Eurozone Awards
October 14-15, Okura Hotel, Amsterdam
The Asian Investor Relations Summit & Awards
November 18-19, Hong Kong
For further details of the programs, check out www.IRontheNet.com. If you would like to get involved, e-mail [email protected]
