Quelle: Rose & Company

Our chart of the month for October shows a high-level breakdown of bank-sponsored conferences based on format. It clearly offers hope for companies desirous of in-person investor contact. Since August, there has been a steady increase in the percentage of conferences offering an in-person option. This trend appears to continue based on a review of the conferences that have been announced thus far through March of next year. Not surprisingly, large banks are leading the charge back to in-person events, much like they are eager to see their trading desks occupied. They also have the wherewithal to be able to seamlessly offer a hybrid option while incurring the costs associated with sponsoring a physical conference.

For many firms, however, the conference landscape has likely changed forever due to both cost savings and the efficiencies created for corporate presenters. Many of our clients are more willing to accept the possibility of subpar meeting schedules if they don’t need to travel and can more easily reallocate the time. Although we welcome the eventual return of physical conferences, the effectiveness and efficiency of virtual investor meetings is hard to dispute, and we don’t envision a full return to pre-pandemic norms anytime soon.