The corporate access landscape continues to develop to meet the changing demands of new regulation, team size constraints and budget limitations. This development is seeing the emergence of a novel breed of events, with companies thinking outside the box to give their corporate access a fresh twist and maximize its impact on investors and analysts.
Here, we run down the most innovative corporate access events taking place around the world, providing inspiration for those IROs seeking to explore something different in terms of features such as location, format and the use of technology.
A team effort
What do you do when a significant industry conference is cancelled? In the European utilities sector, companies decided to step in and set up an event themselves. March 2017 saw utilities companies representing a total market cap of more than €240 bn ($261 bn) coming together to host the European Investor Forum for Energy Leaders in London.
Gunhild Grieve, IR director at German utility RWE, and Miguel Viana, IR director at Portugal’s EDP, teamed up to establish the new event and worked with IR professionals from within the European utilities sector to ensure the conference met the needs of companies and investors alike. Working with companies from seven countries, including Spain, Germany, Portugal, the UK and France, and investors from multiple destinations, the event involved more than 150 institutional investors, more than 20 European utilities issuers and more than 600 one-on-one meetings.
Commenting on the success of the multi-company approach, Viana says: ‘By working together and combining our time, budgets and efforts, we have been able to create an event that really raises our profiles with investors and analysts. I’m already looking forward to 2018’s joint event.’
An innovative venue
When the AstraZeneca team was looking for a suitable venue to host an informative session about its DNA damage response (DDR) pipeline and introduce its new cancer treatment based on the technology, the exploration of the DNA theme set the perfect scene for the September 2016 event.
The discovery of human DNA was first announced in February 1953 at the Eagle public house in Cambridge, UK, by the Nobel Prize-winning scientists James Watson and Francis Crick. In recognition of this link, and to celebrate the company’s relocation to Cambridge, AstraZeneca hosted a presentation in the pub that was followed by an expert Q&A session.
‘Sometimes trying a new and innovative approach really works, and this event was a huge success for us,’ says Henry Wheeler, director of investor relations at AstraZeneca. ‘We had a full room and achieved a good level of analyst coverage about our DDR portfolio and the pioneering science behind it. After the event ended, people stayed for a chat and to sample the pub’s own DNA beer, which is always a good sign that the event was enjoyable and worthwhile.’
Bringing investors to the people
In late 2015, Unilever took around 70 analysts on a three-day trip to Manila and Singapore. The second day of events in Manila saw Unilever experiment with the innovative approach of taking small groups of attendees to meet a consumer in his own home to understand his needs and wants.
The investor event, which also included interactions with local traders and retailers, and a hands-on experience of Unilever’s latest distributor network technology, was attended by Unilever’s CEO, CFO and other members of the senior leadership team. Key sessions were also webcast live for the benefit of those not attending in person. Receiving glowing reviews from both those who attended and industry experts, the visit won the prize for best investor event at the IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2016.
‘We really take pride in our investor days and they’re my favorite IR activity,’ says Andrew Stephen, head of investor relations at Unilever. ‘We think this was a first for this kind of event, and it was really appreciated by the investors and analysts. Investor days are a great opportunity for them to find out what it’s really like to run a consumer goods business.’
A 3D approach
In August 2016, DistributionNOW (DNOW), a global distributor to the oil & gas and industrial markets, held an analyst day in Wyoming to showcase its acquisition of Power Service. For an old-school industry, the use of technology was key to the success of the event, with DNOW embracing its potential to educate analysts about the acquisition and its business plans in a simple yet effective manner.
Analysts were first shown an animated video including a 3D example of the entire energy value chain and the application of DNOW products and solutions across its end-markets. Models of rotating and process equipment were also created using a 3D printer, with skid-mounted versions provided to analysts as a reminder of the day.
‘We heard rave reviews from the analysts, and many who couldn’t attend requested to do so in the future based on feedback they heard afterwards,’ says Michelle Lewis, chief strategy officer and senior vice president of IR at DNOW. ‘Using 3D technology really enabled analysts to better understand the acquisition benefits, and the value we ultimately provide to both our shareholders and our customers.’
An exhilarating experience
At a Raymond James conference in March 2017, outdoor power sports company Polaris Industries showcased the capabilities of its Slingshot vehicle by providing a ride event for its thrill-seeking investors. The Slingshot is a three-wheeled roadster, capable of 0-to-60 mph in less than five seconds. As the conference dates coincided with the company’s appearance at Daytona Bike Week, Polaris provided a range of vehicles for display throughout the event, allowing investors the opportunity to check out different models, sit in the vehicles and have their pictures taken with them.
The highlight of the event was rides in the Slingshot, with investors driven by members of the Polaris senior management team, combining a shot of adrenaline with get-to-know-you time with management. ‘These investor outreach events provide our management team with the opportunity to discuss with investors why consumers buy our vehicles and the usage patterns and demand drivers for our products,’ says Peggy James, IR specialist at Polaris. ‘Nothing beats an exhilarating ride in a high performance vehicle to pique an investor’s interest in the space.’
Hearing from experts in the field
Medical device supplier Wright Medical Group carries out ongoing corporate access activity with its investors and analysts by inviting them as guests to key industry events and conferences where they can meet with the surgeons and physicians using their products.
As a recent example, Wright Medical met with investors and analysts at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ annual conference in March 2017 in San Diego, California. Over breakfast, Wright introduced them to some of its customer base of leading orthopaedic surgeons and experts who were able to talk at length about their experience with Wright’s
products and how they perform in operational settings.
Attendees then had the opportunity to visit Wright’s exhibition stand to see and feel for themselves some of the company’s key products. ‘We always have a good turnout for these events,’ comments Julie Tracy, senior vice president and chief communications officer at Wright Medical. ‘Our investors and analysts really value being able to discuss the merits of our products and their performance. It’s also a great opportunity for them to speak with our management team and other key thought-leaders in our markets.’
This article appeared in the summer 2017 issue of IR Magazine
