Investor Days are a foundational element of any best-in-class investor relations program. 

Investor Days are a terrific opportunity to clearly articulate why your company is a good investment, showcase the depth and breadth of your leadership team, and help investors and analysts learn more about your company. At the same time, an Investor Day is a huge undertaking that requires a significant investment of time, effort and money.

The following are some tips for maximizing the return on your next Investor Day: 

1. Hold an Investor Day when you have something new to share
   Investors and analysts will dedicate precious hours to attending your event and will expect to walk away with new, meaningful and actionable information. Don’t feel compelled to hold an Investor Day every year or every two years just to stay on cadence. Instead, plan an Investor Day around something that is both new and newsworthy – the launch of a new strategic plan, the announcement of new long-term operating targets or guidance, new management team members, or an important acquisition.  

2. Ask your analysts for input
   Knowing what the audience would find most valuable is the best way to determine content for an Investor Day. Most companies and IROs have a good sense of what investors care about but your analysts are on the frontline fielding questions about your company every day. They can provide input that’s helpful and will appreciate your interest in their insights. It’s also helpful to review the questions analysts ask during your conference calls.

3. Develop key takeaways at the outset
   Take time to determine the key takeaways at the start of the planning process. If you could write the analyst report headlines following the event yourself, what would they say? Make sure that all presentations reinforce those key takeaways with proof points, case studies, stories, or anecdotes. 

4. Determine how you’ll add value to your audience
   Think about the speaker line-up and agenda for the event and how to keep the audience engaged. Avoid death by PowerPoint by mixing up the format of the presentations. Consider a fireside chat with the CEO moderated by a knowledgeable trade or business reporter, a customer panel to provide insights on your customer value proposition, a property or plant tour, or a guest speaker with expertise on your industry, business, and value drivers.

5. Prepare your speakers well
   Since a key objective of an Investor Day is to showcase the bench of company leadership beyond the CEO and CFO, many Investor Day speakers may not be accustomed to speaking with a Wall Street audience. Conduct a training session to educate them on this unique audience, what they care about, and Reg FD disclosure rules. Hold at least one formal rehearsal where speakers deliver their presentations and practice fielding anticipated questions. Many presenters would also benefit from formal presentation training, including a review of bridging, pivoting, and other classic media training techniques that work equally well with a Wall Street audience. Finally, make sure all company representatives attending Investor Day, whether they are presenting or not, are prepared with a compelling personal introduction and elevator pitch adapted to the audience. This is especially important at in-person events where one-off conversations often occur.  

6. Target event attendees well ahead of time
   Investor Day attendees are typically investors and analysts who are already familiar with your company and interested enough in your stock to spend time and money to attend an event. If your goal is to get new investors in the room, you'll need to start the process of targeting those investors well in advance. 

7. Do sweat the details
   A successful Investor Day requires execution against a lengthy list of logistics and details associated with a successful investor event. No matter how great the content you deliver, attendees will always remember a poorly executed event. 

8. Don’t forget the media
   The financial media is an important conduit for communicating your investment story, so think about whether it makes sense to invite media to the event or to arrange a round of meetings with reporters immediately after the event to share the highlights.

9. Remember hybrid events are here to stay
   Since travel budgets never returned to pre-COVID levels, consider the pros and cons of an in-person, virtual, or hybrid event, and remember that a hybrid event is usually the best bet to optimize reach.  

10. Capitalize on the opportunity to build relationships
    At the end of the day, investor relations is about building strong relationships, trust, and credibility with current and prospective investors and analysts. Build time into the event schedule to mix and mingle with guests over breakfast, lunch or breaks. Everyone appreciates gracious and engaging hosts and good old-fashioned hospitality.

11. Leverage Investor Day content
    Consider videotaping the event and creating a video reel of key highlights that can be posted to your IR website. Another effective approach is a series of shorter videos that, taken together, help prospective investors come up the learning curve on your investment story in bite-sized pieces. Alternatively, craft a thoughtful press release with key takeaways and choice quotes from the event. 

12. Conduct a survey or a more extensive perception study immediately after Investor Day
    There is no better time to obtain thoughtful, candid feedback from investors or analysts than when your story is fresh in their minds. Some companies conduct a quick online survey after an Investor Day and others opt for a more formal perception study. Either way, don’t miss the opportunity! 

Whether it’s your first Investor Day or it’s time to elevate your approach, Financial Profiles can help. Leveraging our decades of Wall Street and IR experience, we specialize in planning and executing high-impact Investor Days. Our goal is to help you maximize investor engagement and deliver a compelling narrative that drives investor confidence. If you’re ready to hold a best-in-class Investor Day, let's connect to see how we can help.

Read more: 10 tips to engage investors with your IR website