Annual Meeting Services

Among the various expenditures made by public companies for the engagement of shareholders, the Annual Meeting claims the majority of resources. Nearly every service provider mentioned in this publication plays a role – whether it be your printer, mailer, transfer agent, plan agent, data-handler, tabulator, proxy solicitor, strategic advisor, or inspector of election. It is crucial to recognize that this domain not only constitutes the largest spending area but also presents the most significant opportunity to economize by reevaluating and restructuring conventional procedures to “optimize” spending.

From our extensive experience, we can attest that your annual meeting has the potential to be a paramount opportunity to create value for your company and elevate your professional standing. Conversely, it could lead to substantial financial losses or, worse yet, a substantial mishap with the potential for a career-ending impact.

We believe there is a notable turning point in the realm of shareholder meetings. Over the past decade, many companies regarded the shareholder meeting as a necessary evil at best – something to be expedited with minimal expenses. Today, driven in large part by the surge in activist investor activities, companies are beginning to plan earlier, proactively engage with investors, seek guidance from strategic advisors, enhance the clarity and appeal of printed and web-based proxy materials, scrutinize tabulation, reporting, and vote-certification processes, and, importantly, pay greater attention to the often pivotal retail investor vote.

Another anticipated shift, now gaining momentum, is the increased and improved utilization of the Internet by both public companies and activists. This involves more compelling web-based material presentations, a significant number of voters using mobile devices for reviewing and casting votes, greater reliance on “virtual shareholder meetings” and company-sponsored “virtual shareholder forums.” Notably, dissident groups are also adopting virtual shareholder forums as potent tools.

If we were to offer one piece of advice, it would be to approach your next shareholder meeting with a zero-based budget mindset—reevaluating each budget item thoroughly.

Discard the old playbook routinely marked up year after year and assess every aspect of your shareholder meeting from a fresh, modern, and “shareholder-friendly” perspective, guided by a clear understanding of your meeting’s objectives.

As a second recommendation, consider exploring our articles covering everything one needs to know about planning and conducting an annual or special shareholder meeting:

Rules of Conduct

Site-Selection

Dealing with Gadflies

Tabulating –

Inspecting and Reporting on Results

Virtual Shareholder Meetings

and, though we hope you will never need it…

Our Primer on Proxy Fights

Listings: Annual Meeting Services

Corporate Advisory Firm

Corporate Advisory Firm

Alliance Advisors is an independent advisory firm focused on Shareholder Meeting Advisory, Shareholder Engagement, Compensation, Governance & Sustainability Advisory, M&A - Activism, Institutional Investor Intelligence, Proxy Logistics and Retail Outreach strategies.

We work around the world for publicly traded companies, operating at board and C-suite levels. We go beyond the norm to develop and execute bold, client-first strategies, resulting in winning outcomes. We have a longstanding client base of over 1200 active public companies from a range of industries and market capitalization size.

Our clients engage with us on multiple assignments on a year-round basis. We are headquartered in the US, working together as one team, around the world, in multiple locations.

Proxy Logistics
The Proxy Logistics Group at Alliance Advisors provides clients with a single source solution to handle all aspects of your obligations and tasks required to conduct a shareholder meeting.

  • Our single source solution eliminates the need for our clients to coordinate scheduling and production with their transfer agent, DTC, financial printers, transporters, web hosting firms, mailing and distribution centers and the various proxy intermediaries for their shareholder meetings.
  • With hundreds of corporate clients serviced annually, our Proxy Logistics experts will take over managing this end-to-end process from printing and mailing to vote tabulation and Inspector of Elections for annual, special and contested meetings.
  • Our clients, both large and small, utilize our turnkey model to ensure all procedures are properly executed, all timetables are met, and the entire proxy process is professionally managed with a view towards financial efficiencies.

For more information on Shareholder Meeting Advisory click here.
Contact Krystle Di Laura at kdilaura@allianceadvisors.com

Virtual Shareholder Meetings
Alliance Advisors offers a convenient and effective solution for companies that want to con- duct a virtual or hybrid shareholder meeting.

Our service includes:

  • Shareholder Verification Protocol.
  • Meeting Presentation Materials and Branding.
  • Administrative Privileges to Board Members.
  • Beneficial and Registered Holder Day of Meeting Secure Voting Capabilities.
  • Shareholder Q&A Features.
  • Meeting Playback File for your Company Website

For more information on Shareholder Meeting Advisory click here.
Contact Krystle Di Laura at kdilaura@allianceadvisorsllc.com

No more struggles to coordinate multiple vendors. No missed deadlines or budget surprises. Save time and cut costs by consolidating all steps of the annual meeting process—from planning and distribution to vote tabulation and reporting— across all shareholders. Virtual, in-person, and hybrid meeting options engage shareholders and offer a full range of voting methods.

  • A secure campaign management portal provides guidelines, timeline requirements, pricing tools, job status, and more.
  • Print and electronic delivery options speed turnaround and reduce printing and postage costs. Shareholders can view materials online and vote from the mobile device of their choosing. Targeted reminders increase participation and stimulate voting.
  • Shareholder Data Services provides a complete, actionable view of shareholder ownership, voting behavior and results at critical milestones throughout the proxy campaign. It offers the ability to segment and identify critical unvoted accounts for timely reminders.
  • Broadridge Virtual Shareholder Meeting service is the only solution of its kind that allows validated shareholders to participate fully in online annual meetings—hearing or watching the proceedings, voting and asking questions.
Ron Schneider

Ron Schneider

Director, Corporate Governance Services

DFIN can help streamline your annual meeting and proxy events, thanks to our broker-search capabilities, real-time online vote results, final tabulation and inspector-of-election services through 8-K filing of tabulation results. We support in-person, virtual, digital as well as hybrid meetings. We can also manage and centralize communications for all parties, fulfill and distribute proxy materials.

Rely on DFIN to help you understand the fast-changing regulatory environment, get shareholders relevant information on time, manage the logistics of printing and proxy distribution to both registered and beneficial shareholders and proactively monitor voting results in the days leading up to your meeting.

Dedicated, expert project manager
An experienced project manager serves as a single point of contact to streamline and build accountability into your annual-report process, freeing your resources for other priorities.

Regulatory expertise
Our experts are well versed in the ever-changing SEC, NYSE and FINRA rules. At every step in the process, you can feel confident that your regulatory requirements will be met.

State-of-the-art systems
Stay informed and in control with real-time tabulation reporting.

Comprehensive service
Our skilled, accountable and responsive team is available 24/7/365.

Get the Optimizer!

Subscribe to the Optimizer quarterly newsletter and bonus annual magazine - packed with investment insight, interviews with industry leaders, and much more!

The OPTIMIZER comes with the promise of "some free consulting on any shareholder relations or shareholder servicing matter to ever cross your desk.

SubscribeAdvertise

Pin It on Pinterest