Just because you weren’t invited to present at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference doesn’t mean you can’t present during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.
The JP Morgan Healthcare Conference has trended more and more towards showcasing large caps in recent years. The spots open to small caps and private companies are highly coveted and hard won. If your company isn’t one of the lucky few, you can still spend a very productive day or two in San Francisco meeting with actionable investors regardless of your market capitalization. Small cap fund managers and sell side analysts come to San Francisco during the first three days of the conference in droves. They are very happy to go anywhere near the St. Westin Francis Hotel — where the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference is held — for one-on-one meetings with companies that have attractive stories. EVC Group has conducted highly successful targeting efforts during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference for many years. To make the most of your “satellite” presence at JP Morgan Heathcare, we recommend the following tactics:
First Impressions Always Last — This year, JP Morgan Healthcare runs from Monday, January 11 through Thursday, January 14. Investors tell us that their Tuesday and Wednesday schedules are booked solid, but Monday is surprisingly light. Aim for Monday meetings and be one of the first stories a portfolio manager hears that week.
Party like an Investment Banker — Many brokerage firms with a healthcare focus host cocktail parties at popular San Francisco hotels and restaurants, typically on Tuesday night. They are well attended by the buy-side and are great opportunities for networking. Hire a car service and party-hop. The hired car is especially valuable when it’s raining. San Francisco cabs don’t cruise the streets much.
Start Now! — Most of our clients coming to JP Morgan Healthcare already have full meeting schedules. Identify the firms you want to meet and aim to complete your itinerary before Christmas. If you wait until after the New Year, you are more likely to hear that the right firms don’t have time to meet you.
JP Morgan Healthcare has become a Mecca for healthcare investors and industry executives. Companies with compelling growth stories — but not formal invitations — can still make the annual pilgrimage worthwhile with some creatvity and planning.