A new year brings new investor conferences to look forward to. It goes without saying that for any growth company, these events are pivotal in shaping the future of your business. While some investor decisions may be out of your control, there is still quite a bit you can do to set your company up for success and maximize your return from an investor conference.

After 25 years of attending events like these, in addition to hosting our own Gateway Conference, we’ve learned the main areas where clients need help preparing. Here are five ways you can feel ready to get the most out of an investor conference:

Be Proactive – with Your Schedule and Your Pre-Marketing

The biggest mistake we see clients make is showing up to an investor conference with no preparation beforehand. Worst case scenario, this results in an empty one-on-one meetings schedule and no one knowing your company would be there. Oftentimes, it means your schedule is full of vendors trying to sell you something or existing stakeholders that just want to check in.

Take control of your event schedule by proactively seeking out new investors that will be in attendance. While it’s certainly good to have check-ins with current shareholders, conferences exist so you can grow your business. The most successful companies are promoting their attendance well in advance of an event, whether it be via social media, press releases, email newsletters, or other marketing channels. Your IR team is well-versed and capable of helping you get the exposure you need so you can fill up your schedule with high-quality investor meetings.

Fund Intelligence

Your investor relations team is there to ensure you’re not walking in blind to any event. Before a day full of meetings, your IR team will provide you with fund intel sheets on each and every meeting in your calendar.

These documents contain all the pieces of information needed to feel prepared in an investor meeting. What is their investment style? What other companies are in their portfolio? Do you have a history of meeting with this person, if so, what questions did they ask before? A little preparation goes a long way in helping your executive team get the most out of each timeslot.

Refine and Perfect Materials

From your equity story to the investor deck, it goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that all investor-facing materials need to be up to date, polished, and efficiently designed to convey key messages.

Your team of investor relations professionals is trained to come in with a magnifying glass and assess which materials need improving, how to package data up properly, and which metrics to emphasize. They have the experience to anticipate what questions investors will be asking and which key pieces of information they’ll need to see highlighted in materials.

Set Time to Network On-Site

Make the most out of your time at an event by intentionally leaving room to participate in extra networking activities or social hours. You never know what connections you’ll make that can benefit your business in the long run. Beyond your one-on-one sessions, informal conversations at a reception or happy hour can still lead to valuable insights, partnerships, or future collaborations. Take advantage of the opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with current and potential stakeholders.

Follow Up Strategy

Lastly, make the most impact by having – and implementing – a follow up strategy. Your IR team can assist you with the appropriate follow up etiquette after an investor event. Sending follow ups to investors, analysts, media contacts, and any other connections is a low-effort way to reinforce your messaging, nurture relationships, and seal the deal.

Attending investor conferences isn’t just about showing up – it’s about showing up prepared. By proactively scheduling high-quality meetings, leveraging fund intelligence, refining investor materials, strategically networking, and executing a strong follow-up plan, you can ensure that every event is a valuable step toward building your business.

Find the right team of investor relations professionals to optimize your conference experience. Contact us to learn how Gateway can help.