Over the past few months I have had opportunities to attend events and connect with colleagues who head up investor relations associations in various countries as well as other capital market-related associations in Canada. There were two extremely valuable takeaways from these meetings.

The first was how open everyone was to sharing their experiences – good and bad. It was somewhat comforting and encouraging to realize that others were encountering similar situations and that I’m not alone and my challenges are not unique. I had the opportunity to learn from how my peers handled various situations, including challenges that I had not encountered. 

The second was the feeling I had when the meetings were over – I was inspired. I had the opportunity to disconnect from my day-to-day responsibilities, even for just a few hours, to open up my mind so that I could look at things differently and come up with creative ideas.

This brings me to you – our members. Whether you have been challenged by low commodity prices, have been the target of activist shareholders or have experienced some other professional challenge, there is always someone else who has gone through a similar experience. For every IRO who has had a challenge, there is an IRO who has had a success, someone who has pushed investor relations strategy and practice to new heights.

While budget is always a consideration, particularly in these difficult economic times, this is the year you must attend the Annual Conference. This is your time to come together with your peers from across Canada, to learn from their experiences, to be lifted up…to be inspired.

If that isn’t reason enough, I encourage you to take a look at the program  to see the phenomenal lineup of speakers and the topics covered. As always, our program has been developed by IROs who are at varying stages of their careers for IROs at all stages. So be inspired – register for this year’s Annual Conference in Quebec City June 12-14!