In today’s post, Will Canty, Director of Boardroom.Media discusses the use of webcasting at AGMs. Which companies need AGM webcasting? What would trigger the decision to webcast? And what is best practice? Also included below is a new offer that IRM clients can access – special discounts when corporate video is combined with AGM webcasting.
Listed companies with year end approaching are starting to think about their end of year toolkit. The annual report is in sight, the AGM will be just around the corner – there’s a lot to achieve between now and then! Most companies will, at some stage, consider the value of using webcasting – what is it? Why is it important? How much will it cost me? And is a live webcast really necessary for my audience? Let’s run through some of these questions, starting with the fundamentals:
1. What is a webcast?
When referring to the AGM, a webcast is usually either:
A) A live broadcast version of your presentation – which is made available to your stakeholders and streamed in real time, or
B) A video-recorded version of your presentation, which is made available to people after the AGM has concluded – we call this an On Demand webcast.
Both kinds of webcast can be timed with slides or overlaid with special graphics. Both are made available to investors via a link (lodged as an ASX announcement) which they click on to watch the webcast.
2. What goes into planning for the webcast?
Of course you want your webcast to run as smoothly as possible. Prior to the event date, BRR would work with you and / or your IR person or agency to ensure we understand your brief. We will ask you about:
- Date, time, venue, speaker/s and what kind of webcast (live, on demand, video or audio only) you need, also who we can speak with at the venue to ensure we bring the correct setup along with us
- Whether you’d like a registration page so that you know who is watching the webcast (BRR would always recommend this)
- How you want the webcasting player window to look – we can customise it to look like your corporate site, annual report or other assets
- Whether there are any special images or overlays that we need to integrate into the presentation while it’s in progress
- If you want your presentation timed to slides, we’ll discuss cues with you to ensure we get them right, and will request a copy of your presentation to load up on the day
We recognise that AGM planning is a busy time, so we do all of the above as quickly as possible to get the detail we need, but preserve your time.
3. Company communications – how do we make best use of our webcast?
In the lead up to the AGM, we’d recommend companies promote the webcast. Here are some ideas on how to do that:
For live webcasts
In the documentation that goes out with your Notice of Meeting:
Let your investors know that they will be able to watch the AGM via a live webcast, and provide the registration link.
Two to four weeks ahead of the AGM:
A) Lodge an ASX announcement which notes the time, date and registration page for the webcast
B) Use your corporate website to reinforce the message – load a button onto your home page, investor centre landing page or AGM page, promoting the date and time of the AGM and pointing people to the registration page and
C) Send an email alert (using something like IRM’s Newsroom product) with the details of the event
On the day of the AGM
D) Send a reminder to all those who have registered to remind them that your webcast will commence at the specified time later that day
After the AGM is wrapped up, Boardroom.Media will provide clients with a link to an On Demand version of the webcast that investors can use to watch the presentation if they missed it live. We recommend:
E) Lodging this link along with your AGM wrap-up materials
F) Changing the buttons on your website to reflect the update that investors can now download the On Demand version
For on demand webcasts
In the documentation that goes out with your Notice of Meeting:
Let your investors know that they will be able to watch the AGM via an On Demand webcast, and provide the registration link.
Two to four weeks ahead of the AGM:
Use your corporate website to remind people that an On Demand version of the webcast will be available after the AGM. Load a button onto your home page, investor centre landing page or AGM page pointing people to the registration page
After the event
Boardroom.Media will work with the client to ensure the webcast is edited appropriately, then provide clients with a link to an On Demand version of the webcast that investors can use to watch the presentation if they missed it live. We recommend:
A) Lodging this link along with your AGM wrap-up materials
B) Including buttons on your website to promote that investors can now download the On Demand version
C) Pushing out the link via your social media channels
“Webcasting your investor presentations, results and general meetings expands your global investor reach and provides investors with the opportunity to see your presentation in their own time.”
4. How do I know whether I need a live webcast or if an On Demand version will suffice?
While live webcasting is the best practice approach, due to the infrastructure and resourcing required to deliver the live webcast, it is more expensive, and also brings an additional element of pressure to the speaker. It won’t be relevant in all cases for all companies.
We find that as a general rule of thumb, most of the ASX100 companies want to webcast live. They have (for the most part) large share registers and often actively engaged investors, who want a seat at the meeting, so a live webcast is a good idea.
For any company that is considering announcing something material at a meeting, a live webcast or conference call, to which the link has been provided prior, is crucial.
The On Demand webcast will suit those companies which want to enable shareholders to watch the AGM proceedings, but don’t need the timeliness of a live version.
5. Can my shareholders ask questions during a webcast?
You make the decision as to whether to allow shareholders to ask questions during the webcast. There are a couple of ways to do this:
A) You can allow people to submit questions in advance of the event – either during the registration portal, or via an email address that you promote via your market communications, which you can collate and then respond to on the day, or
B) The Boardroom.Media webcasting platform can accept questions, live, during the presentation. You would then have someone in the room who can deliver the questions to the presenter for response
6. How much does a webcast cost these days?
While the early webcasting products were very expensive, with improvements to technology and infrastructure, webcasting is now very cost effective.
Webcasting your investor presentations, results and general meetings expands your global investor reach and provides investors with the opportunity to see your presentation in their own time.
Up until one month after your year end, Boardroom.Media is offering any IRM client who requests a combination of a corporate video and an On Demand AGM webcast a 20% discount off the total quote.
For more information, please mention the IRM offer when you contact Will Canty at Boardroom.Media: via email: wcanty@brrmedia.com or phone: +612 9339 6526 or visit www.brrmedia.com.
Online Investor Engagement Specialists
