BetterInvesting (NAIC), PR Newswire and MUNCmedia Align to Launch Interactive, Multimedia 'Retail Investor Conferences' Program

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- BetterInvesting (NAIC),    PR Newswire and MUNCmedia today announced the launch of "Retail Investor Conferences" -- the first monthly virtual investor conference series created specifically to connect retail investors with publicly traded companies.

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Scheduled to commence on November 4, 2010, with new events occurring the first week of every month, Retail Investor Conferences will provide an interactive forum for presenting companies to meet directly with retail investors using a graphically-enhanced online platform.

Designed to replicate the look and feel of location-based investor conferences, Retail Investor Conferences unites PR Newswire's leading-edge online conferencing and investor communications capabilities with BetterInvesting's extensive retail investor audience network and MUNCmedia's sophisticated retail investor targeting.

"Targeting retail investors has recently become a high priority for many public companies as new SEC regulations have empowered individual investors with direct voting access," said Kamie Zaracki, CEO at BetterInvesting. "Retail Investor Conferences will facilitate direct dialogue between public companies and current and prospective retail investors. Of most significance, our members will benefit from two-way, real-time access to management teams from a wide array of companies month after month with each new event."

During each event, presenting companies will have the opportunity to showcase their corporate vision and investment thesis in one-hour live audio and slide webcasts that enable retail investors in attendance to listen to and observe each company's presentation and then engage the spokesperson in real time via live-chat Q&A sessions. Additionally, throughout the day, companies will be able to host follow-up Q&A sessions with interested investors in their dedicated "Virtual Trade Booth" that allows for direct, open discussions and the exchange of videos and investor materials.

Retail Investor Conferences offers presenting companies broad distribution, including:

• Press release distribution from PR Newswire announcing participation in the conference, the full conference agenda and post-event highlights distributed to more than 1,000 investment and financial portals
• An email invitation to BetterInvesting's 120,000 member and customer base and an event link on BetterInvesting.com and other key investor portals
• Custom Retail Investor Targeting campaign to MUNCmedia's network of 90+ million retail investors
• Reporting of total traffic and related metrics for opt-in investors attending each conference
• View full details at retailinvestorconferences.com http://www.retailinvestorconferences.com/VRIC_companies_receive.html

"In creating the Retail Investor Conferences program, BetterInvesting, PR Newswire and MUNCmedia recognized that there was a significant need to effectively connect public companies of varying specialties and market caps with motivated retail investors who are eager to find the latest 'undiscovered gem,'" said John Viglotti, vice president, IR Products & Analytics, PR Newswire. "By using Retail Investor Conferences, small-cap companies seeking liquidity and larger-cap companies seeking balance can expand their opportunities to meet and attract retail investors at a fraction of the cost and with greater efficiency than presenting in-person at traditional investor conferences.  These gains in both communications and increased visibility offer value-adds throughout the investor relations continuum."

Full year calendar available:

To facilitate investor relations departments' end-of-year 2010 and full-year 2011 scheduling and budgeting, a full calendar of Retail Investor Conference dates is now available on www.retailinvestorconferences.com.  Public companies that are interested in participating in a conference can access information about upcoming opportunities and engage conference organizers about specific openings.

Time slots will fill quickly:

It is recommended that public companies book their preferred time slot now. Click here to email Bradley H. Smith, at MUNCmedia, call him directly at +1 917 680 6011 or use this form. IR firms and PR firms are invited to contact Smith.

"At a macro level, retail investors are essential for economic recovery. At a micro level, their stock position can be the lifeblood for a company, especially those with smaller market caps and less institutional exposure," said Bradley H. Smith, CMO, MUNCmedia. "Retail Investor Conferences will place these public companies directly in front of individual investors who proactively desire to discover new opportunities."

Corporate sponsorships available:

Besides real-time investor presentations from public companies, corporations that offer services for retail investors and public companies will have virtual "trade booths" showcasing their solutions. These exhibiting corporations will staff their booths for live chat as well as offer videos and downloadable materials. Corporations interested in sponsorships may also contact Bradley H. Smith.

About BetterInvesting

Since 1951, BetterInvesting, the brand identity of the National Association of Investors Corporation, has helped over 5 million people become better, more informed retail investors. BetterInvesting, based in Madison Heights, Mich., helps its members build wealth through local, regional and national learning events as well as through Web-based tools, software, member publications and online resources.

As the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to investment education, it provides investing knowledge and practical investing experience through local investment clubs, local volunteer chapters, online courses and an active online community.

BetterInvesting and its subsidiary, ICLUBcentral, currently serve over 120,000 investors. For more information, go to www.betterinvesting.org.

About PR Newswire

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PR Newswire is a global leader in innovative communications and marketing services, enabling organizations to connect and engage with their target audiences worldwide.

Through its multi-channel distribution network, audience intelligence, targeting, measurement and compliance services, PR Newswire helps corporations and organizations conduct rich, timely and dynamic dialogues with the media, consumers, policymakers, investors and the general public, in support of building brands, generating awareness, impacting public policy, driving sales, and raising capital.

Pioneering the commercial news distribution industry 55 years ago, PR Newswire connects customers with audiences in more than 170 countries and in over 40 languages through an unparalleled network of offices in 16 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and via unique affiliations with the leading news agencies across the globe.  PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited (UBM.L), a leading global business media company that serves professional commercial communities around the world. For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com.

About MUNCmedia

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MUNCmedia is the first Information Media Network and world leader in web-based Retail Investor Targeting solutions. We provide online corporate communications, research and media solution to companies worldwide.

From targeting press releases one-to-one to individual investors to corporate video PR content, MUNCmedia helps companies deliver targeted and scalable messages to the precise audience in real-time. Hundreds of companies, IR and PR agencies, stock exchanges and integrated newswires rely on MUNCmedia services to deliver news messages to the retail financial community every day with measurable results.

MUNCmedia was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New York, NY with regional offices in Bellevue, WA and Boston. We currently service over 300 direct public company issuers and 40 IR agency partners.

Media Contacts:

Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, PR Newswire at +1.201.360.6776 or [email protected]

Bradley H. Smith, CMO, MUNCmedia at +1 917.680.6011 or [email protected]

Adam Ritt, Director of Communications, BetterInvesting, at +1 248.654.3045 or [email protected]

SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC