CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Chicago chapter of NIRI, The Association for Investor Relations (NIRI Chicago), today announced its upcoming Investor Relations (IR) Workshop will address the role of investor relations, including factors that place it at an inflection point today. This year’s annual workshop will be held on Friday, Sept. 20 at 150 N. Riverside Plaza, Chicago. Attendees can register until end of day on Sept. 18 and obtain a $50 discount using promo code IRW2024PR.

“Investor relations is an ever-evolving practice with objectives that can vary depending upon the size of the company and the goals set forth by the company’s leadership,” said Barb Noverini, chapter president. “Over the past several decades, investor relations has evolved into a strategic function supporting executive leadership and the board of directors. The role of investor relations continues to expand in scope and complexity as it communicates and engages with investors and analysts, manages Wall Street expectations and influences company strategy. In recent years, sustainability and governance have become a more important core competency, and artificial intelligence is now on the doorstep with promises to enable more efficiency and real-time insights. With so many changes and increased expectations, the role of the investor relations officer is at an inflection point.”

Highlights of the 2024 IR Workshop will include:

• Keynote: Jim Valentine, CFA, DBA, managing partner of Analyst Solutions, will share his views on how IROs are often tasked to be “internal equity research analysts” and will address why fundamental analysis and identifying your company’s “critical factors” are even more important now, despite ongoing active-to-passive shift.
• Understanding Your Stock Price: Valuation theory runs the gamut based on industry, company size and other factors. Fully understanding your shareholder base and the metrics prioritized by investors empowers IR professionals to effectively connect with potential shareholders and deliver insights on investor behavior to internal stakeholders.
• AI for IR: From Implementation to Execution: How can artificial intelligence (AI) be integrated into your investor relations program? Our panel features IT experts who will cover the essentials of secure corporate implementation, alongside industry experts discussing advanced use cases and practical, real-world examples of how AI can expand an IR team’s capabilities.
• Sustainability: A focus on sustainability information quantity over quality fails to recognize and address issues that truly matter to a given business and its stakeholders. At this inflection point, many companies need to clarify what is material to them. Our panelists will guide IR officers on how to achieve a balanced approach to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic viability. We will explore strategies for maintaining a strong defense on essential issues while highlighting differentiated areas that can stand out to investors.
• A View from Above: A Fireside Chat with Fortune 500 CFOs: Investor communication is a skill that many CFOs learn on the job or in a previous IR role. However, shareholder communication methods and objectives have evolved over time. In this session, CFOs will discuss their views of IR goals, the impact of passive fund popularity on the shareholder base, and the role of technology in investor relations. Additionally, we will explore career paths leading to the CFO role and how the C-suite’s view of investor relations has changed and will continue to evolve.
• Shareholder Optimization: Balancing the Shift in Passive and Active Funds: To attract new shareholders, IR officers need to facilitate interactions between their management teams and a variety of funds. The challenge of connecting with new investors has intensified with the rise of passive funds and ETFs and a resulting decline in actively managed funds. This session will explore strategies to optimize management’s time in engaging with both passive and active funds, including insights on how to effectively conduct these meetings.

NIRI Chicago’s annual full-day IR workshop is open to the public. The event will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 20 with registration, breakfast and networking with practitioners and IR service providers. The cost is $225 for NIRI Chicago members and $300 for non-members who register before Sept. 18, with a $50 discount using promo code IRW2024PR. Additional information and a registration link can be found on the NIRI Chicago 2024 IR Workshop webpage.

Sponsors and Exhibitors
NIRI Chicago thanks the following sponsors and exhibitors: Anonymous Design, Irwin, Hyatt, Q4, Notified and NYSE.

The Chicago chapter of NIRI, The Association for Investor Relations (NIRI Chicago), provides professional development and networking opportunities to practitioners of investor relations, a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance. Through its collaborative community, NIRI advances engagement in the capital markets and drives best practices in corporate disclosures, governance and informed investing. For more information, visit www.nirichicago.org.

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SOURCE NIRI Chicago