If you’re going to NIRI’s annual conference this year, here’s a rundown of what’s new and notable
June 4-7
Orlando, Florida
Twitter #NIRI
New model IR
This year NIRI is all about ‘breaking the mold’, the tagline for the conference in 2017. Investor communications are evolving at breakneck speed, write co-chairs Dennis Walsh and Karen Fisher in the conference program, so IROs must adapt to keep up.
Meet Gary
NIRI has a new CEO – Gary LaBranche – and the annual conference is a great opportunity to meet him. You can hear LaBranche, who joined NIRI in March after eight years as CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth, give his opening remarks on Monday morning, or head to the breakfast event with NIRI’s new chief at 7.30 am on Wednesday.
Orlando fun
How can IROs make the most of the Orlando location? ‘With its international airport, this easy-toaccess gateway city offers something for everyone, including seven world-renowned theme parks,’ LaBranche tells IR Magazine. And it wouldn’t be NIRI without golf: here, attendees are rather spoilt for choice – there are 170 courses nearby.
Track changes
The NIRI conference divides its sessions into different ‘tracks’, like regulation and careers, and this year a new one is joining the collection. ‘The ‘Innovations in IR’ track dives into IR and technology, and includes sessions devoted to understanding how the buy side is using big data and digital IR communications, among others,’ explains LaBranche.
Governance heavyweights
In recent years, governance has become a greater focus for IR professionals, especially in the US market given the growing importance to investors of boardlevel issues, such as proxy access. In Orlando, NIRI is calling in big hitters to discuss the topic: Molly Carpenter, corporate secretary at JPMorgan Chase, and Glenn Booraem, investment stewardship officer at Vanguard Funds.
This article appeared in the summer 2017 issue of IR Magazine
