FOW’s Awards for Innovation, launched in 2009 and widely acknowledged a success, are derivatives industry awards with a difference. Rather than trying to choose the best firm in a particular category – a process fraught with difficulty, as all have their strengths and weaknesses – we seek out specific innovations that have the potential to change the market for the better.
The winning innovations in 2010 will be specific actions, projects or products that solved a problem creatively, opened up new possibilities, or changed the way participants approach the market. And not only new – they must be changes that can help the derivatives market develop.
The awards will be judged by an anonymous global panel of senior market experts.
We now invite any market participant to nominate any innovation for an FOW Award.
• To be eligible for an Award, the innovation must have been first introduced into real commercial activity (not just announced or tested) between April 1 2009 and March 31 2010. Innovations first introduced before or after those dates are not eligible.
• If you are nominating an innovation in which your own company was involved, we ask you to supply some information about it.
• You may also independently and anonymously nominate other companies’ innovations that have impressed you, simply by emailing FOW. We will then contact those firms and ask them for the information we require. If you are not sure whether the innovation you admire is eligible, please nominate it and we will ascertain whether it qualifies.
• We will consider innovations brought about by collaboration between more than one company on the same basis as those by a single firm. Only one company need apply for the Award, but all companies that helped author the innovation will be entitled to associate themselves with the Award.
• The deadline for nominations and applications is June 15 2010.
• Judging will take place during June, July and August. That will be followed by announcement of the Award winners, in association with FOW’s Derivatives World London conference, planned for November.
• FOW’s decision will be final, and we reserve the right not to give certain awards if, in our judgment, the quality of entries is not sufficient.
The award categories:
Best innovations by clearing houses
• Americas
• Europe, Middle East and Africa
• Asia Pacific
Best innovations by exchanges in the field of product design
• East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan)
• South and Southeast Asia and Australasia
• Latin America
• US and Canada
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Africa
• Middle East
Best innovations by exchanges in the field of customer service
• East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan)
• South and Southeast Asia and Australasia
• Latin America
• US and Canada
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Africa
• Middle East
Best innovations by IT or software firms
(no categories, but first, second and third prizes given if appropriate)
Best innovations by banks, brokers or futures commission merchants in the field of customer service
(no categories, but first, second and third prizes given if appropriate)
Most innovative or creative use of derivatives
(no categories, but first, second and third prizes given if appropriate. This award to be given to companies, governments or their advisers for using derivatives successfully to achieve a specific investment or hedging aim)
Most innovative work by a law firm in the field of exchange-traded or centrally cleared derivatives
Most creative action by a regulator
How to apply:
Third party nominations may simply consist of an email naming the innovation. Submissions on behalf of your own company should consist of:
• A statement of up to 500 words, explaining:
- the name of your innovation
- which Award(s) you are entering it for
- the names of all companies involved in its creation
- the date on which it was first commercially introduced
- why it deserves to win the Award
Applicants may if they wish submit up to two pages of supporting information, such as explanatory diagrams, sales information, testimony from clients, further explanation of how the product or project works or what it consists of.
Nominations and applications must be emailed to Jon Hay, managing editor of FOW, at jhay@fow.com, by June 15 2010.
Please copy the email to tosborn@fow.com to ensure swift acknowledgement in case Jon Hay is away.
We will be happy to answer any questions you may have or discuss with you what information to provide. We may also request further information if that is needed during the judging process.
Tel: +44 207 779 8372 or 8361