In the investor relations world, one Internet search made it to the top: how will my investor events look like in a post-COVID world? If you didn’t type this question into Google, you probably brainstormed possible answers with your team.
Like many investor relations officers, you probably imagined a day when the pandemic ended and you re-adopted your entirely in-person schedule. The industry is one step closer to this reality today, as many IPOs and public companies host physical events again. However, a full adoption of in-person events may be way off.
A new study published by IR Magazine reveals that roughly 44 percent of AGMs held in the first half of 2023 were virtual, while just 21 percent were in-person. More interestingly, 35 percent were held in a hybrid format, and researchers believe hybrid meetings will continue to increase in numbers.
Why should you join the hybrid crowd in an industry where standing out is critical to engaging investors? You won’t want to miss out when the benefits include helping you develop an outperforming IR strategy that appeals to a larger international audience.
Why You Should Embrace a Hybrid Capital Markets Events Calendar
Here are three benefits of running a virtual/hybrid investor event.
1. Targeting International Audiences
According to the study published in IR Magazine, hybrid meetings had the most excellent attendance in Asia. This tracks with another poll performed in the previous year that shows Asian investors prefer virtual events over in-person options for their access to C-Suite.
If you plan on targeting Asian investors or analysts, you must meet them where they feel most comfortable.
2. Increasing Overall Attendance
A hybrid format is a good idea, even if you have no intention of targeting Asian investors. Physical events can be taxing on local investors and analysts. They may not have the budget to make it to your conference, or they may not have the time to devote to a long trip away from the office.
Offering a hybrid event makes it easier for these individuals to attend. When they can log on and off according to their schedule, there’s a better chance they can squeeze your conference between other meetings. You’ll also appeal to retail investors, a growing influence in capital markets.
3. Collecting Engaging Metrics
Your hybrid capital markets events are ripe with engagement metrics. Their digital format allows you to collect far more data from your investor.
Event engagement metrics, on their own, offer great insights into what works and doesn’t work for your brand. However, their real advantage is when you integrate these event behavior analytics with your overall IR platform.
The latest end-to-end IR platform can synthesize these data points with investor information gleaned from other areas of your digital footprint. By tracking and analyzing all your engagement metrics together, you can make better predictions regarding what your investors need — which can accelerate targeting and outreach.
Hybrid is the New-Normal of Investor Conferences
If you don’t have a webcasting tool to support hybrid capital markets events, now’s the time to reach out to an experienced IR firm offering best-in-class IR technology & expertise. And if you already provide hybrid capital markets events, confirm you’re using the best tools to run a mixed corporate access event.
