Why Your Company Should Consider a Virtual Investor Day

For companies undergoing major transformation, be it strategic or otherwise, Investor Day events are the go-to method for unveiling strategic updates to investors, as well as a wider audience of stakeholders (including key customers, vendors, and employees).

Countless in-person meetings and events have been put on hold over the past 10-plus months, leaving investors hungrier than ever to engage with management teams. Virtual Investor Day events provide an excellent opportunity for companies to engage the Street in this global pandemic environment, while also expanding accessibility to larger stakeholder groups which may not have otherwise attended the in-person event. As such, we have provided a “rule of the Virtual Investor Day” as you make the decision whether an event like this makes sense for your company.

Investor / Stakeholder Sentiment:

• Informally, the feedback has been strong; investors do not think that virtual events replace in-person meetings, but are appreciative of this format rather than a typical NDR or sell-side presentation.
• Increased attendance due to higher event capacity, coupled with moderators’ abilities to field more questions in virtual versus in-person settings, can help foster more robust Q&A sessions.
• All-virtual modalities can be revisited by investors on-demand, along with the variety of supplemental materials, including standalone presentations and factsheets that come along with it. This proves helpful to bring new and existing investors up to speed for those who could not attend the live event.

Form Matters:

• Keep the event focused and on the shorter side. Hitting a specific topic, such as a business segment, is better than trying to do a full-day event, and attendees will thank you for it.
• Leverage video to get across points rather than entirely relying on PowerPoint.
• While attendees at in-person events want to see panels, in practice, they are far more difficult to manage.
• Curated Q&A’s run far better. However, not all investors love these, so it is important to schedule time with top holders after the event to address any questions that were not answered.

To-Do’s / Preparation Tips:

• List points you are trying to get across before creating the day’s schedule. If you are not sure, do a perception study and particularly focus on potential investors who you are trying to get across the finish line.
• Integrate special topics, including human capital, overall ESG, impacts of the pandemic on culture, and other unique issues critical to your company’s overarching narrative.
• Integrate video and video teams early. Ideally, your internal marketing team can be a go-to resource for video and photo assets. Enlist them to help with the creative side.
  • Videos should be well thought out and professionally produced.  A good video can take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to produce, so start early.
• Do not forget to hype up the event! If possible, bring up the pending event in your earnings calls or other public engagements in the months prior to the Investor Day to build anticipation and get stakeholders excited.

What to do after the Big Day:

• Circle back with attendees to gauge feedback in the days following the event while it is still fresh in their minds. This can be easily accomplished via a brief online survey.
• The event will continue to be a major resource well after it ends. Split the event video (including Q&A) up into segments for digestibility, then add to a prominent area of the IR site for investors to access at their leisure.

A Few of our Favorites (and Why):

• Lydall, Inc. utilized vignettes to communicate and break down complex technologies and trends central to the Company’s growth strategy.
• Starbucks used differing locations for each speaker, ranging from Costa Rican farmland to the interior of a common Starbucks coffee shop, taking a unique turn from a plain conference room or office backdrop.
• Luminar had seven different executives speaking but with focused and concise talking points, packing a punch with each brief presentation and helping maintain attendee interest.
• Disney provided helpful materials for those unable to attend or view the event, including an event transcript coupled with a full event outline providing an overview of the highlights and major announcements addressed.
• Quidel used its Investor Day to communicate the shifting trends in its business as a result of the global pandemic, while reinforcing its long-term product development plans.

If you would like to learn more about how Clermont Partners can help you plan and execute a flawless Investor Day, contact us.