Architecting a Breakthrough AGM

Annual General Meetings (AGM) are an essential element of a Capital Firm’s communications and engagement strategy as these events are a primary vehicle for sharing information with their community of investors. With the average Limited Partner (LP) attending 15 – 20 AGMs per year,* it can be hard for a firm to connect with their most important audience.

Put yourself in an investor’s shoes, attending fifteen or more of these meetings with 1.5 – 2 days of presentation after presentation, broken up by a standard dinner in a hotel or restaurant. Yawn. It can be hard for a firm to win attention and inspire confidence when their AGMs follow the same old, tired formula.

Smart firms recognize that an AGM can be a valuable opportunity to go beyond simply sharing numbers to nurturing LP relationships while enhancing a firm’s brand. Many of Key’s Private Equity (PE) clients are focusing on how to design an AGM that breaks through the noise and engages LPs in creative and compelling ways.

Broader AGM Trends

With a proven track record of executing hundreds of successful PE meetings, our team is seeing several important trends that are transforming AGMs from a “show up and throw up” session to an interactive experience where attendees see a significant ROI on their time.

• Personalized communication. Tailoring all forms of communication including outreach and follow up ensures that investors feel valued.
• Compelling content. Of course, every AGM must cover the basics of investment strategy and results. But investors are hungry for more, including unique insights, context about global markets and industry trends, as well as guest speakers with expertise who can help make sense of changing markets and the investment landscape.
• Multi-audience engagement meetings. Seeing AGMs as a strategic opportunity to engage other important audiences, many of Key’s clients are integrating CXO forums, friend of the firm events, and other strategic leadership sessions into or adjacent to their AGM program.

Benefits of Immersive Meetings and Events

Forward-thinking PE firms who put resources into architecting an immersive AGM are finding that the additional time and effort can:

• Instill confidence. By crafting an agenda that blends insights, expertise, and ample opportunities for open discussion, LPs have a strong sense they’ve chosen the right partner, particularly in uncertain economic times.
• Enhance the firm’s brand. A powerful experience that is executed seamlessly reflects a firm’s commitment to excellence – from an inspiring vision to managing the details.
• Build relationships. Curated moments in a beautiful setting where meaningful conversations are encouraged result in idea sharing and deepened relationships that last well after the meeting ends.

Optimize Engagement at Your AGM

So how can a capital firm truly engage investors and enjoy the benefits of a powerful AGM experience? Our top PE clients have partnered with us to architect an experience that takes attendees out of the daily grind, eliminating distraction so investors can be fully present. By building an immersive experience, KME clients are driving better LP engagement and strengthening the sense of partnership with their PE hosts.

By handing off the logistics and aesthetic design of an AGM, our clients find they can focus on putting together more powerful and compelling content, and an array of speakers who will inspire investor confidence. Our successful PE clients truly know their investors, while we understand the intricacies of events. Playing to each of our unique strengths yields an AGM that stands out from the rest.

So, what does it take to design an AGM that optimizes engagement?

Finding the perfect venue is critical. By quickly zeroing in on your objectives, logistics needs, and brand elements, we work our sourcing magic to identify a qualified property to be the backdrop for your meeting.

Our clients lean one of two directions:

• Unique Venues: From warehouses, to museums, to 5000-acre ranches with no infrastructure, we’ve helped architect truly bespoke meetings from the ground up. Maintaining a brand-right ethos, we transform unique venues into unexpected spaces fully tailored to the specific needs of an AGM and the attendees.
• Conventional Meeting Spaces with a Flare: Make the conventional, well…unconventional. To turn up the volume on the experience in even the most ordinary venues, we determine all the elements it will take to transform it into a brand-right extraordinary program. Based on longstanding relationships with top-tier hotel brands, we know the best properties and how to maximize meeting space plus ensure high levels of service and flexibility to meet attendee needs, while adding the “zhuzh” that attendees will remember.

Organic interaction opportunities will further enhance the overall experience and shine a spotlight on your AGM. You know your attendees, and the KME team knows how to create unique, tailored experiences that allure and captivate guests.

• Unexpected moments create opportunities for relationship building by bypassing the awkward small talk that investors find at standard AGMs.
• Curated culinary experiences that reflect the best of the locale as well as the host’s brand, enabling authentic interactions between investors and hosts.
• Noteworthy entertainment during evening dinners that will inspire, humor, or provoke compelling conversations will make your AGM memorable in a sea of boring dinners.

Continuity is Key for architecting an AGM that capitalizes on the power of a PE firm’s brand, builds trust, and solidifies value for attendees. Our clients realize that together with Key, they’ve developed the formula for an annual event that their investors can’t afford to miss.