INTRODUCTION Exploring the business benefit of reporting Sallie Pilot, Director of Research and Strategy at Black Sun sets the scene This year’s conference consisted of an informative keynote address to set the scene, and three lively panel discussions on: the reduction of clutter in corporate disclosure and the changing role of online reporting; the quality of governance reporting; and the rise in integrated reporting. As the topic of corporate reporting becomes increasingly prominent in political, economic and financial discussions, we were delighted to welcome over 100 delegates on the afternoon of 15th June 2011. Our audience brought a wealth of experience and knowledge, providing various stakeholder perspectives to the discussion, which was truly insightful and worthwhile for all attendees. We also launched our sixth annual analysis of FTSE 100 corporate reporting trends at the conference, illustrating how companies are meeting the continuing demands of stakeholders and regulators, to tell their story in an effective and meaningful way. Whilst challenging areas still exist, the improvement in the quality of content and the way in which it is delivered relative to even five years ago is noticeable. At Black Sun, we believe it is an exciting time to be involved in corporate reporting, and want to actively drive the debate. We believe it is time for corporates to consider the business benefits of reporting, and to begin to look outside the box to search for new approaches for the corporate reporting model. We know innovative and transparent reporting is not easy, but good reporting is often a sign of a well managed company. In the following pages, we have summarised the discussions from the sessions at the conference which focus on the issues high on the current agenda and look forward to any thoughts you may also like to contribute. 2 © Black Sun Plc 2011 www.blacksunplc.com