NASHVILLE, Feb. 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Money managers, analysts and other professional investors have a new forum to reach executives of many leading Tennessee public companies.
The inaugural INVEST Tennessee Equity Conference, to be held here on May 27, will bring together senior executives of a dozen or more Tennessee-based public companies for presentations and meetings with regional and Wall Street investment professionals.
The event will be held at the Nashville Convention Center in downtown Nashville.
"It's a great opportunity for professional investors to get to know the leaders of some of Tennessee's top public companies and go beyond the day-to-day headlines," said Terry McWilliams, an investor relations executive who chairs the conference. "At the same time, it's a fantastic, convenient forum for Tennessee public companies to inform professional investors about their results and strategies, and potentially expand their investor base," McWilliams said.
The professional services firms Crowe Horwath LLP, and Corporate Communications, Inc., are INVEST Tennessee's title sponsors. The one-day event is also supported by Tennessee chapters of leading professional organizations representing financial analysts and senior corporate financial executives.
The local CFA societies in Nashville and Memphis are organizing sponsors of the event. These societies are members of the CFA Institute, providing forums for the open exchange of investment information and supporting the highest level of professional standards and ethical conduct across the investment community. Members of these societies have provided input on the selection of firms featured at the event and have been included as invitees of the event.
The conference features Tennessee-based public companies of various industry sectors and various capitalizations. Their executives will be making formal 35-minute investment presentations, and scheduling individual investor and analyst meetings. A prominent keynote speaker will discuss current economic, investment and financial trends.
While attendance is by invitation, the public will be able to listen to live webcasts of conference presentations via www.invest-tn.com. Conference costs (admission, continental breakfast, lunch, and keynote speaker) are underwritten by the conference presenters and its sponsors.
"Crowe provides audit, tax, risk, advisory and performance services to public companies throughout Tennessee, so we certainly understand the importance of consistent communication between companies and investors," said Dwayne Dillard, partner in Crowe's Nashville office. "Not only does INVEST Tennessee focus additional attention on Tennessee's public companies, but the conference raises the state's profile as an excellent place for business and investment."
Patrick Watson, partner with Corporate Communications, Inc., a financial and investor relations consultancy headquartered in Nashville, said: "CCI is pleased to co-sponsor an event that will showcase some of Tennessee's finest public companies. We have had the pleasure of working with many of these companies and are excited to be able to offer these companies a regional forum to reach new professional investors, as well as others already familiar with their story. Moreover, we believe the conference will provide a positive public perception for the participating companies."
The analyst groups join other corporate and business professionals on an INVEST Tennessee steering committee overseeing the event's planning and execution. Other companies supporting the conference are Platinum sponsors PNC Bank and Hilliard Lyons, and Gold sponsors NASDAQ OMX, Frost Brown Todd LLC and the Wall Street Transcript. In-kind Gold sponsors include shareholder.com, Curran & Connors, Globe Newswire, Optimum Print Solutions, Corporate Board Member magazine, Makespace Media and O'Neil Arnold Photography. The event has been organized and planned with support from The CFA societies of Nashville and Memphis and Mozaic Investor Relations.
The corporate presentation lineup, keynote speakers and other activities will be announced as the event approaches. More information is available at www.invest-tn.com.
The INVEST Tennessee logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7061