Conference will examine trends in annual reporting including the untapped potential of social media and the impact of recent changes to governmental regulations.

On the whole, the investment community is a bit behind the times when it comes to social media. A recent survey of 500 European and American investors found that 22% had yet to sign up to a social media site and that only 4% made investment decisions based on new media (blogs, message boards, social, etc.).

While this is perhaps unsurprising, the research also shows that 58% of respondents expect social to become more important in helping to make decisions. On the corporate side, investor relations teams are pre-empting this trend with greater focus on mobile and social comms. On October 2, the ‘Evolution of the annual report’ conference will examine these changes.

New regulations from Whitehall and international governments have changed the ways in which companies are to communicate with their stakeholders. Strategic reporting has thus grown from a trend to a necessity. Meeting the demands of the new requirements is both a challenge and an opportunity for stakeholder relations to enhance its communications with the relevant audiences.

The conference will examine the issues and challenges faced by investor relations teams, including the move to mobile platforms and the changing governmental regulations placed on corporate reporting. Sessions led by speakers from Rio Tinto, National Grid, and the ICSA, among others, will address these topics and many more.

The event will conclude with the awarding of the Strategic Reporting Accolades. The honour, bestowed by Future Value, evaluates strategic reporting and rewards excellence in six key areas: Strategic leadership, business model, KPIs, strategic risk, strategic capability and shared strategic value.

Ian McDonald Wood, research and consulting director, FutureValue said: “There is a growing awareness among investors, reporting companies and even regulators of the true value and future potential encapsulated in a really effective annual report. This event is a timely opportunity to take the pulse and get to the heart of reporting success criteria.”