LAS VEGAS – The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) has concluded its 2018 Annual Conference amid glowing reviews from attendees, exhibitors, and other participants.
More than 1,100 people attended the June 10-13 conference at the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas. The #NIRI18 event featured 140 speakers and panelists, 45 educational sessions, and more than 50 exhibitors and sponsors. This year's conference offered an exciting lineup of new conference experiences that were well-received by attendees, such the "Headshot Lounge," a "Career Development Hub," and the "IR Situation Room." The new NIRI "Family Feud" -- a game-show-themed session where NIRI chapter teams demonstrated their IR knowledge and quick thinking -- attracted a standing-room-only crowd who enthusiastically cheered on their colleagues.
The 2018 Annual Conference made history by hosting separate general sessions with Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman and NYSE Group President Stacey Cunningham. It's the first time that both major U.S. exchanges have been headed by women, and it was the first NIRI conference to feature both exchange leaders.
Attendees also enjoyed entertaining and insightful general sessions with Brian Sullivan of CNBC, economist Brian Beaulieu, and former CIA agent Susan M. Carnicero. Other highlights included an activism panel session with a well-known activist, G. Mason Morfit of ValueAct Capital, defense expert Joele Frank, and two public company directors, as well as a panel of mainstream buy-side investors who discussed how they consider ESG factors in their investing decisions.
"It was a conference unlike any that NIRI has yet seen, leaving attendees with new ideas and knowledge, renewed and new friendships and contacts, and a deeper appreciation for the dynamic profession of investor relations," LaBranche said.
NIRI also gave back to the local community by hosting a silent auction to benefit Route 91 Strong, a group that supports survivors of the mass shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017. NIRI and its members donated more than $10,000 for Route 91 Strong.
NIRI also announced that next year's Annual Conference will be held on June 2-5, 2019, at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix. That conference will celebrate NIRI's 50th anniversary and feature sessions that will celebrate both the past and future of the IR profession.