Trends in AGM Practice

Built for Investor Relations professionals and company secretaries, this conference delivers practical, current and forward-looking insight across AGM preparation, proxy voting dynamics, stewardship expectations and shareholder engagement. It is designed to help issuers navigate a landscape where meeting formats are evolving, voting signals can shift quickly, and scrutiny on governance, remuneration and disclosure is intensifying.

Across the day, sessions will translate AGM season trends into clear actions for 2026, unpack how proxy advice and investor decision-making are changing, and explore how boards and chairs can lead effectively when questions are hard and outcomes are tight. You will also hear perspectives on regulatory and market integrity expectations, activism and escalation pathways, and the realities of retail voting through platforms and nominee structures, including what issuers can and cannot influence.

The program concludes with a practical “AGM fireproofing” framework, focused on building relationship capital year-round, recognising early warning signals, and strengthening readiness disciplines well before meeting season begins. 

EVENT DETAILS

Tuesday 31 March 2026 | 8:45 am–5:30 pm (AEST)

Paradox Sydney, Marble Room | 27 O’Connell Street, Sydney NSW 2000

WHY ATTEND

• Understand what changed last AGM season—and what it signals for 2026 planning.
• Make better AGM format decisions (in-person, hybrid, virtual) by weighing cost vs value, participation outcomes and governance considerations.
• Anticipate proxy and voting dynamics, including institutional and retail voting behaviour and evolving proxy expectations.
• Consider the implications of global developments on proxy process/voting expectations and issuer preparedness.
• Strengthen shareholder engagement with practical, field-tested approaches that reduce surprises.
• Align governance frameworks with investor expectations while maintaining company-led decision-making in AGM structure and execution.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Investor Relations Professionals
• Company Secretaries and governance leads
• In-house legal/compliance teams supporting AGM processes
• Registry, investor servicing and corporate actions teams
• Stakeholder engagement and communications leads supporting investor engagement

DRAFT PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS (INDICATIVE — SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

• 2025 AGM season review: key trends and what they signal for 2026
• Global AGM disruption, voting dynamics and what’s coming next
• Directors in the AGM hot seat: credibility, judgement and handling hard questions
• AGM readiness and market integrity expectations for 2026
• Proxy adviser recommendations: what’s shifting and what issuers can do differently
• Activism and escalation: how campaigns build momentum and how issuers respond
• Retail voting, platforms and beneficial ownership: what issuers can (and can’t) influence
• AGM “fireproofing”: building relationship capital before pressure hits