Venue to be announced, San Francisco
The IR Magazine Think Tank – West Coast takes place on Thursday, September 19 as an invitation-only event exclusively for senior IR officers. Our think tanks are free to attend and our unique format enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect topical issues affecting today’s IROs.
What makes our format so unique?
Our think tanks are far removed from the traditional conference set-up as the event consists of a series of panel sessions followed by roundtable discussions on select IR issues. These interactive sessions are an opportunity to share experiences with and learn from other top-rated IROs. All table discussions are confidential, and none of the participants’ comments is attributed. This allows attendees to talk freely and have frank, open discussions.
How do our roundtable discussions work?
Industry experts, top-rated IROs and members of the investment community set the agenda on a panel discussion by sharing their thoughts on session topics.
Small round tables of IROs discuss these issues face to face.
Each table gives feedback from its discussion and shares ideas with the group as a whole.
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. For more information about the Investor Relations Charter (IRC)®, please visit www.niri.org/certification.
Please see below the 2024 agenda.
Click here to view a pdf version.
Timings on the agenda are shown in Pacific Time (PT)
08:00 AM
Registration, refreshments and networking
08:45 AM
Welcome to the IR Magazine Think Tank
Steve Wade, Head of Content, IR Magazine
09:00 AM
Controlling the narrative in times of low valuations
With so many factors affecting the rise and fall of a company’s value, it is essential for IROs to understand the factors that govern these movements. In this panel we will focus on the methods IROs can use in a low valuation environment, specifically looking at how to control your company narrative and which communication channels to use when engaging current and potential investors.
09:30 AM
Aligning communications with the milestones in an IR professionals’ calendar
IR professionals have many milestones to work towards throughout their calendar year. Milestones such as quarterly earnings, proxy season, the annual meeting, annual reports and at each point the information they need, people they address and channels they use to communicate will change. In this panel we will assess how IROs can ensure they are prioritizing enough time to each milestone, differentiating their communications accordingly and using the most relevant channels to optimize their outreach.
10:00 AM
Roundtables – Best practice for optimizing data collation, time management and corporate messaging
10:30 AM
Networking coffee break
11:00 AM
AI – The creation of a strategic multi-year plan. The now, near and far view
With the rapid increase in the amount of proprietary information and data acquired by investment firms, knowledge sharing and accessibility is of paramount importance to Investor Relations professionals. However, AI tools on the market continue to create challenges with their limitations, security issues and lack of reliability. In this panel we take a deep dive into best practices for navigating the publicity surrounding Ai to get c-suite buy in and look at how IRO’s can produce a comprehensive plan detailing the challenges and solutions of incorporating Ai into their IR programme, now, in the near future and further down the line.
11:30 AM
Roundtables AI – What is out there and how are people using it?
12:00 PM
Best practice for efficient and successful targeting
Efficient targeting is an essential part of all successful IR programmes and crucial to driving strategic value. With many internal and external factors to consider, evaluate and understand; prioritising time, data sets and which channels to use is critical in cultivating relationships with compatible investors.
This panel will provide actionable insights and assist in creating a marketing strategy that can help with investor conversions and increased sell-side coverage.
12:30 PM
Roundtables – is there an ultimate guide to targeting?
12:45 PM
Networking Lunch
13:45 PM
How to deal with a shareholder activist campaign
With the continual expansion of the global investor base and a growth of laws and regulations encouraging shareholders to exercise their rights there has been a noticeable surge of shareholder activism over the past decade.
As shareholder activism becomes more prominent, this panel aims to help IROs navigate and manage the process effectively, preparing for the challenges in 2025 and beyond.
14:15 PM
Roundtables – best practices for when an activist comes knocking
14:45 PM
Measuring the success of your investor engagement program
The success of an IRO is measured not just in financial terms but also in the effectiveness of communication and engagement with stakeholders. IROs play a pivotal role in shaping how an investor perceives a company and are crucial for optimizing strategies and achieving sustainable growth. In this panel, we will explore the essential Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that IR professionals should track to measure the success and impact of their efforts.
15:15 PM
Afternoon networking break
15:45 PM
Buy-side Q&A: Have all your questions answered by the buy side
Increased pressure on the buy side means that the IR-portfolio manager relationship will be paramount in 2025.
Discover how IR can most effectively partner with the portfolio managers and analysts in this open Q and A session, that gives you the opportunity to get answers to any burning questions direct from the horse’s mouth.
16:05 PM
The IR situation room
A carefully structured, collaborative session that gives attendees an opportunity to work together to solve each other’s real-life IR challenges in a consultation-style setting
16:50 PM
Summary of discussions and end of the conference
17:00 PM
End of think tank and cocktail reception
Our attendees are leading IR practitioners with an established track record and strategic IR role within their company.
Below is a sample list of our past attendees:
Job title | Company | Job title | Company | |
AD, head of IR | OmniAb | Senior manager, IR | Salesforce | |
Chief financial officer | Medexus Pharma | Senior vice president | Genasys | |
Chief financial officer | Nuvve Corp | Senior, manager, IR | Box | |
Director | Airbnb | SVP, IR | FIGS | |
Director IR, FP&A | lithia | SVP, IR | Okta | |
Director, IR | Atlassian | SVP, IR, corporate development | Workiva | |
Director, IR | ContextLogic | VP, finance | Hinge health | |
Director, IR | Del Monte | VP, finance | Unity | |
Director, IR | Electronic Arts | VP, head of IR, communications | Kinnate Biopharma | |
Director, IR | Gap | VP, head, IR | Upstart Holdings | |
Director, IR | Roku | VP, investor and industry analyst relations | Cambium Networks | |
Director, IR | Splunk Technology | VP, IR | Allbirds | |
Director, IR | United States Steel Corporation | VP, IR | Bill.com | |
Head of IR | Affirm | VP, IR | BlackBerry | |
Head of IR | AOL | VP, IR | Central & Garden & Pet | |
Head of IR | DataStax | VP, IR | Coinbase | |
Head of IR | Expensify | VP, IR | Domo | |
Head of IR | Joby Aviation | VP, IR | Farmers’ Business Network | |
Head of IR | Longboard Pharmaceuticals | VP, IR | J.M. Smucker | |
IR | PDF Solutions | VP, IR | NuVasive | |
IR & treasury | Granite Construction | VP, IR | PagerDuty | |
IR manager | Fortive | VP, IR | Revolve Group | |
IR, corporate development | Hippo Holdings | VP, IR | SciPlay Corporation | |
IRO | FLYW | VP, IR | Stem | |
Manager, IR | GAP | VP, IR | Sutro Biopharma | |
Manager, IR, strategic finance | 10x Genomics | VP, IR | The Honest Company | |
Senior director, IR | Equinix | VP, IR and capital markets | Rover Group | |
Senior manager, IR | Applied Materials | VP, IR, corporate development | Edgio | |
Senior manager, IR | Elastic | VP, treasurer and head of IR | Intuitive Surgical |
Partners
Edelman Smithfield is a global financial communications boutique that specializes in the financial markets and strategic situations, with the reach and resources of the world’s largest public relations firm.
We are a top advisor for companies across industries in M&A, IPOs, investor relations, restructuring, and shareholder activism defense. We are also a trusted partner for financial markets companies as they seek to protect, promote, and evolve their reputation.
Our purpose is to help clients solve complex issues, build trust, and enhance valuation. To find out more information, please visit www.edelmansmithfield.com.
Cocktail Reception Partner
NIRI SF Chapter was founded in 1977, making it one of the oldest, largest, and most established local NIRI chapters in the US. Please visit www.nirisf.org for more information.
Supported by
NIRI SF Chapter was founded in 1977, making it one of the oldest, largest, and most established local NIRI chapters in the US. Please visit www.nirisf.org for more information.
Why partner with us?
Our events provide a unique opportunity to get in front of some of the most influential people in the IR community globally. As a partner, you will gain an extensive amount of exposure through a wide range of print and digital marketing materials, both pre and post event, as well as on the day itself. Additionally, you can use the event to align yourself with industry excellence and network with key decision makers from across the region.
Being a partner will provide:
We’d love to have a chat with you about how you can get in front of a truly engaged and motivated audience at the IR Magazine Think Tank – West Coast. Get in touch with Ian Richman or call on +1 212 430 6865.
This event is exclusively for senior corporate, in-house IR professionals. To request an invite for this event, please fill in the form below and if you are eligible, we will send you a confirmation email along with detailed event information.
If you have any questions please contact Thomas Williams at [email protected] or call on +44 208 090 2156.
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For partnership inquiries
+1 212 430 6865
For agenda inquiries
+44 744 420 0646
For all other inquiries
+44 208 090 2156