Press releases 2001

15 November 2001

 

NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR BEST WEBSITES FOR INVESTOR RELATIONS

 

Nominations begin today in the annual search to find the best uses of the internet by UK companies communicating with their shareholders.

 

The second Investor Relations Best Practice Website Awards aims to reward the best use of the internet by companies to present essential company information to shareholders and potential investors. The best websites will also be featured on the website www.irbestpractice.org, the online resource for investor relations on the web.

 

Initiated by London Stock Exchange and the Investor Relations Society and supported by the Department of Trade and Industry's Future and Innovation Unit, the awards are encouraging greater use of internet technology to provide all investors with the information they need in easily accessible form.

 

Launching the voting, Don Cruickshank, Chairman of the London Stock Exchange and President of the Investor Relations Society said:

 

"The internet is now maturing as a means of presenting essential information clearly and conveniently. By providing a set of benchmark criteria for companies providing investor information on the web, and by honouring the best of them through these awards, we believe we can make an important contribution to the internet's development as the premier resource for investors of all kinds."
The awards are part of a three-tiered initiative to encourage greater and better use of the internet for investor communications:

 

• the best practice website www.irbestpractice.org, which contains guidance on the information companies should present to investors via their websites;
• the annual awards, which reward companies who meet these criteria imaginatively; and
• the annual awards dinner, to be held in London on 18 April 2002.

Everyone is invited to nominate their favourite investor relations web pages via an online voting form at www.irbestpractice.org. After nominations close on 21 February 2002, a panel drawn from City financial organisations will develop a shortlist of sites and choose the eventual winners in the six award categories.

 

The awards are:

 

IR Best Practice Website Award FTSE^TM100
Sponsored by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

 

IR Best Practice Website Award FTSE^TM250

 

IR Best Practice Website Award, Smaller Quoted CompanySponsored by The Quoted Companies Alliance

 

IR Best Practice Website Award for the Institutional Investor
Sponsored by The National Association of Pension Funds

 

IR Best Practice Website Award for the Private Investor

 

IR Best Practice Award for the Most Improved Website
Sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry