IR Magazine Forum – Small Cap
Trends and best practices

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Live: 9:00am to 3:30pm Eastern.

Book your place

About the event

The IR Magazine Forum – Small Cap is a best practice event on effective shareholder communications designed exclusively for CEOs, CFOs, IROs and advisors from small and micro-cap companies. Spanning multiple industries, the one-day virtual conference focuses on the unique issues affecting small cap companies.

WHY ATTEND?

Timely event: Increasing sell-side coverage, managing volatility or getting the messaging right have always been a challenge for small companies. The economic fallout from Covid-19 means small caps are even more at risk when it comes to attracting the attention of investors and analysts in the coming months. With the year-end fast approaching, this event is perfectly positioned to help you take stock of the year-to-date, refocus and plan for 2020-2021
Benchmarking: it is a great opportunity to evaluate where you stand in comparison to your peers, how other small cap companies have managed and overcome similar challenges
Run lean: learn how to have a maximum strategic impact with limited resources – do more with less, learn how seasoned IR professionals prioritize their team
Unique format: far from a traditional webinar format, our virtual event platform enables attendees to have one on one video chat and participate in virtual roundtable discussions with fellow IROs from small and micro-cap companies globally.
Discover something new: learn about new technologies, innovations, and services that are available to help to transform your IR strategy, increase productivity and make better decisions
Network with the community: meet with investors, analysts, experts, and peers

AN INTERACTIVE, VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

In light of the situation surrounding Covid-19 and putting the safety of our attendees first, the IR Magazine Forum – Small Cap will take place as a virtual experience.

Using the latest cutting edge technology available, our virtual event platform closely replicates being there in person with the chance to interact with speakers and have one-to-one networking in-between panel talks.

Going virtual connects our attendees to even more attendees, from the comfort of their desk.

NIRI IRC® CREDENTIAL
Holders of the NIRI IRC® credential can earn up to 4 professional development units (PDUs) per day. IRC-credentialed speakers may also earn PDUs. More information is available at www.niri.org/certification.

Agenda

Click on the session title below to view details. Small Cap Forum 2020 Agenda PDF

09:00 AM
Welcome to the forum
09:15 AM
SNAPSHOT: Impact of Covid-19 – what are the emerging risks and future outlooks for small and micro-cap firms?

A short briefing to take stock of the current market, the exposures on the small cap side and the current focuses for small cap IROs.
09:30 AM
PANEL: Owning the narrative: strengthening your message and ensuring the evolving market understands the story
With an unprecedented level of volatility in the market and uncertainty in the economy, it’s a challenging time to tell a consistent equity story. Public companies are encouraged to focus on their long-term value proposition, while also providing short-term operational updates. In this session, we will explore how messaging has evolved over the last year, and how you can ensure the market understands your story. We will discuss:
- Best practice examples of quality, compelling small cap communications during this period of volatility.
- Practical steps you can take to adapt your communications to address a potential new investor base.
- How companies can use the IR website and other key digital tools to enhance outreach and communication.
10:30 AM
Coffee break
10:45 AM
PANEL: Getting corporate access right in a virtual world
Investors will almost always say that they won’t invest in a company without meeting the management team first. But the opportunity to shake hands and look someone in the eye seems far away, so how can small and micro-cap companies run a successful virtual corporate access program? For virtual investor meetings how ambitious should you be with your investor targeting and engagement efforts?
- How do you run an entirely virtual roadshow, and what have been some successes and failures?
- Accessibility: what are some new approaches to corporate access?
- Expanding investor base in crisis mode: what are the best ways to continue to develop new relationships over the next year?
- What is an appropriate use of management’s time?
- How do you manage expectations virtual engagements while making sure time is used efficiently.
- Are companies planning to integrate virtual strategies into their long-term outreach plans?
- How can small cap IROs get a foot in the door with large investor targeting events?
11:45 AM
Coffee break
12:00 PM
PRESENTATION: Responding to the changing investor base during Covid-19, and attracting the right investors for your company

How has the small cap investor base evolved? Has there been a move towards passive vs active, value, or short-term investors? What does this mean for long-term prospects for small caps and liquidity?
12:15 PM
PANEL: Generate visibility: how to target analyst coverage
Sell-side coverage can help small and micro-cap companies gain more visibility, liquidity and trading volume. During times of crisis, a tenured sell-side analyst can also act as an extension of the IR team, helping to reassert a company’s equity story. But sell-side coverage of small and micro-cap companies has decreased in recent years, due to sell-side economics and regulatory changes. In this session, we’ll discuss how companies can attract sell-side coverage and what alternatives exist.
- How can small caps react to the impact of MiFID II on their analyst coverage?
- How have small cap companies improved and increased their work with the sell-side? What are best practice strategies for engaging covering analysts?
- What strategies can small cap IROs adopt to maximize their existing analysts?
- What are the pros and cons of paid-for research, and how can small caps access different pools of research?
13:30 PM
PANEL: Doing more with less: prioritizing an ESG journey as a small cap
As ESG becomes an increasingly unwavering factor for investors and regulators worldwide, small caps are stretched to meet the requirements. Learn ways to keep up with large cap companies and harness ESG for your business advantage.
- Obtain ESG scores without a big spend or resource requirement.
- What resources are available?
- What is the post-Covid-19 impact on ESG, and what do future priorities look like?
- How to manage the increasingly important element of social governance
14:15 PM
Coffee break
14:30 PM
Live Q&A: Meet the portfolio managers. What do investors and analysts want from small caps at this time?
This session gives the opportunity to have your questions answered by investors and analysts, understand how the markets are viewing key issues of the day, and what is driving current decisions.
- How are investors looking at companies differently during the current market crisis?
- What are the main priorities and concerns about small cap shares?
- What have been some solid examples of successful communication during Covid-19?
15:15 PM
BREAKOUTS: Join other delegates to discuss a key topic of your choice in our interactive discussions

In this session, delegates can choose from one of three key themes and participate in a secure video chat with fellow small cap IROs.

– The ESG challenges of small caps – Join this breakout session to share what you are doing to succeed with ESG as a small cap, in a market dominated by large caps with big budgets and resources. How can small caps get ahead, get on indexes and benefit from this movement?
– Virtual corporate access – What have been some best practice or forward-thinking methods of corporate access during the pandemic, and what is the future looking like for new technologies in the IR world? This session will look at the successes of virtual earnings calls, investor days, and tips and tricks to succeed.
– Attracting sell-side coverage – This session debates the benefits and challenges of securing sell-side coverage, whether paid for analysis is worth it, and how small caps can harness compelling comms to access the right analysts for their company.
–How to run an IR program as a small or micro-cap – From budgets to press coverage, messaging and marketing, this session will tackle the unique challenges of small and micro-cap companies, and will break down the key components of running an effective small or micro-cap IR program.
15:30 PM
Summary and close of forum

Who attends

Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic IR role at a small or micro-cap company. 2019 attendees included:

Click here to request the full attendee list

Job title	Company	Job title	Company
Analyst, corporate financial	RPT Realty	Executive assistant	Kadmon
CCO	HBC	Investor relations	Safehold
CEO	Q BioMed	Investor relations	Safehold
CEO	Verb Technology	Manager of strategy, corp. development and investor relations	EnPro Industries
CFO	Smith-Midland Corporation	Manager, international small cap portfolio	The Royce Funds
CFO	Phunware	Manager, investor relations	Safehold
Co-founder, president	Intro-Blue	Senior director, investor relations	Veeco Instruments
Director, financial reporting	Bel Fuse	Sr. manager – IR & financial communications	Garrett Motion
Director, investor relations	Criteo	SVP, investor relations & marketing	Safehold
Director, investor relations	NAPCO Security Technologies	SVP, investor relations & treasurer	Titan International
Director, investor relations & corporate communications	Anterix	Vice president of finance	Bel Fuse
Director, investor relations & corporate communications	Kadmon	VP, investor relations	Iridium Communications
Director, IR	Constellium	VP, investor relations	Telaria
Director, IR	Nanobiotix	VP, treasurer	Glatfelter

Click here to request the full attendee list

Attendees say

"Easy participation. Visibility and up-voting of questions."

GCs Counsel

"I was impressed by how seamless the virtual format was.
"

Anonymous

"Hopin was a great platform - the 4 speakers in view really made it seem like they were sitting on a stage."

DFIN

"The discussion on research options was great"

Zacks/SCR

"The Forum was truly focused on small cap and micro cap, which is hard to find elsewhere. All the attendees including the speakers, panelists and audience are navigating same challenges and excitements, therefore even the sideway chat was very open and helpful. "

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor

"The networking was great, as were the speakers. IR Magazine is savvy to shine light on what is usually an overlooked sector in small caps. "

Prosek Partners

"The event was very well organized, and incorporated a cross-section of experts that spoke to various aspects of IR."

The Equity Group

"Great to spend some time with people at different ends of the IR experience spectrum, looking at how they approach challenges in the role"

Smurfit Kappa

"Fabulous opportunity to talk about topical issues relevant to IR professionals across sectors and to share ideas and experiences"

Metro Bank

"Very interactive, I liked the opportunities to discuss in the groups"

S&N

Partners

BTV

BTV

Supporting Partners

About BTV:
BTV is a TV production and Digital Marketing Agency that helps issuers increase brand awareness to a national retail and institutional investor audience through unique services including:

BTV – Business Television, a half-hour weekly investment program, profiling emerging Canadian and US companies brings investors information for their portfolio. With Hosts, Taylor Thoen and Jessica Katrichak, BTV is broadcast on BNN Bloomberg, US-Biz TV and Air Canada and interviews top analysts plus showcases companies at their location for an insightful business perspective.

CEO Clips are short company video profiles broadcast to a large audience of investors on TV and 15+ financial sites including Reuters, Yahoo! Finance, Bloomberg and Stockhouse.com. More than 2000 companies have been featured.

TV Branding / Awareness Ads – creative company spots broadcast on BNN Bloomberg and US Bloomberg.

For more information please visit www.b-tv.com
Business Wire

Business Wire

Supporting Partners

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in news release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy, and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals, and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX Network. Business Wire’s worldwide newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media globally.

For more information, visit BusinessWire.com
Q4

Q4

Supporting Partners

About Q4 Inc.

Q4 is a leading global provider of cloud-based investor relations and capital market solutions. Q4 empowers customers to be leaders in IR through innovative technology and exceptional customer service. Our comprehensive portfolio of communications and intelligence solutions, including websites, webcasting, stock surveillance, and IR Desktop arm industry professionals with the tools and insights required to run award-winning IR programs, make more effective decisions, and better engage with the investors. Q4 has offices in New York, Chicago, Toronto, Copenhagen, and London.

For more information visit www.q4websystems.com
TMX

TMX

Supporting Partners

About TMX Group (TSX: X)
TMX Group’s key subsidiaries operate cash and derivative markets and clearinghouses for multiple asset classes including equities and fixed income. Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, TSX Alpha Exchange, The Canadian Depository for Securities, Montréal Exchange, Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation, Trayport and other TMX Group companies provide listing markets, trading markets, clearing facilities, depository services, technology solutions, data products and other services to the global financial community. TMX Group is headquartered in Toronto and operates offices across North America (Montréal, Calgary, Vancouver and New York), as well as in key international markets including London, Beijing and Singapore. For more information about TMX Group, visit our website at www.tmx.com. Follow TMX Group on Twitter: @TMXGroup.

À propos du Groupe TMX (TSX : X)
Les filiales principales du Groupe TMX exploitent des marchés au comptant, des marchés dérivés et des chambres de compensation couvrant de multiples catégories d’actifs, dont les actions et les titres à revenu fixe. La Bourse de Toronto, la Bourse de croissance TSX, la Bourse Alpha TSX, La Caisse canadienne de dépôt de valeurs, la Bourse de Montréal, la Corporation canadienne de compensation de produits dérivés, Trayport et d’autres sociétés du Groupe TMX offrent des marchés d’inscription, des marchés de négociation, des mécanismes de compensation, des services de dépôt, des produits d’information et d’autres services à la communauté financière mondiale. Le Groupe TMX a son siège social à Toronto et des bureaux dans l’ensemble de l’Amérique du Nord (Montréal, Calgary, Vancouver et New York), ainsi que dans des marchés internationaux clés, dont Londres, Pékin et Singapour. Pour en savoir plus sur le Groupe TMX, visitez le www.tmx.com. Suivez le Groupe TMX sur Twitter : @TMXGroup.

Become a partner

Why partner with us?

The global Small Cap Forum brings together some of the most influential people in the IR community. Our audience recognise the sudden change of pace cannot be navigated alone and are constantly looking for partners to help shape their shareholder engagement strategy and execute it. This event provides partners an opportunity to position yourself as a critical partner to the community.

The unique buzz we create at our virtual events – which is a far cry from a traditional webinar – afford our partners exceptional opportunities to entertain visitors and show-case their expertise.
Becoming a partner means you will:

– Have the opportunity to support attendees at an event where they are looking for solutions
– Position yourself as a thought-leader and share expertise with your potential clients
– Get virtual face-time with senior decision-makers from the IR community
– Increase brand awareness and gain credibility through association with this timely event
– Generate qualified and targeted leads from the analytics provided by our virtual platform
– Be part of the community by participating in virtual roundtable discussions, understanding their challenges and sharing expertise
– Gain new business opportunities through higher-brand presence among potential clients
– Participate in one on one video chats to build relationships with new and existing customers
– Launch new products and solutions at our virtual event in your expo booth

All our partnerships are created using a mix of branding, thought leadership, lead generation and meetings with your target audience. You tell us your objectives and we will work with you to create you a package that’s makes sense for your company and will help you achieve those objectives.

To find out more about how we can help, contact Ian Richman or call on +1 212 430 6865.

Book your place

Please note that these are our early-bird prices and any bookings made after August 14, 2020 will be charged at the standard rate. If you have any questions, please contact Priscilla Lim at [email protected] or +44 20 8004 4989.