The Swiss city is one of the world’s leading financial centres and it keeps attracting many international corporations thanks to a deeply rooted professionalism in trading and finance.

At a time of great uncertainty for commodity markets, some of the brightest minds in the industry are gathered in Geneva for the TXF Geneva 2019 conference on Commodity Finance. Members from a variety of industries, including insurance, banking, and legal, will be attending the event, which will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues the 11th of October as part of the Commodity Week.

“This is a must attend event for all institutions which derive their business across the commodity supply chain”, the brochure of the conference claims. With a brand-new interactive format, “this year’s event will delve into the future of commodity finance, discussing new deals, regulations and opportunities.

The Swiss city is one of the world’s leading financial centres and it keeps attracting many international corporations thanks to a deeply rooted professionalism in trading and finance. As a matter of fact, some of the world’s leading trading companies have chosen Geneva for their headquarters or a key office. The TXF Geneva will be a great opportunity to keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations in the sector.

TXF Geneva: an Agenda Loaded with Workshops and Regulatory Reviews

During the Friday event, key industry experts will provide an insight on how to adjust to new regulatory frameworks, including Basel IV. They will also run workshops on how to create the perfect deal, lessons learnt from failed deals and future areas to focus on. Among the speakers who will share their thoughts and expectations on the short and long term future of the sector, there will be Philippe Chalmin, Professor at Paris Dauphine University.

Analysing the current state of the market, he will get to the bottom of it. Therefore helping the main players of the commodity industry plan ahead for the future and gauge the risk factors which could threaten their business.

During the latest Cyclope Circle event, the founding partner of the French study group Cyclope, specialised in the analysis of global raw materials and commodities markets, has already addressed the likely impact of Brexit, trade war, and chaos in the Middle East on commodity markets. It will be interesting for the audience attending the event to find out whether they have all the tools in place to mitigate those risks.

TXF Geneva: “a Must If You Want to Become More Visible”

The afore-mentioned geopolitical factors must be taken into account if one want to take a serious look at the development of the raw materials and the evolution of supply and demand in the commodity sector. Yet, they are not the only catalysts to keep an eye on.

Some of the main takeaways of the report shared during the past year event were the comeback of structure commodity finance (SCF), digitisation in commodity trading, and the assumption that insurance is key within commodity trade. This year a strong focus will be given to the electric vehicles (EV) market and the sustainability issue in the agri-sector.

From the producers who source the commodities, the traders who market them, the financiers who provide liquidity and the insurers, law firms and FinTechs who service them, around 120 companies (including Cargill, Novartis, Credit Suisse, ABN Amro, HSBC, UBS, BNP Paribas, Bank of China), as well as 250 commodity traders and finance professionals will take part in the conference, to share their views and hear from expert deal makers as they provide an insight into the deal making process.

“This event is a must if you want to understand trends and become more visible with peers and customers”, says Sabine Eberenz, Director at Commerzbank.

Who’s in the Room at One of the Most Important Events in Commodity Finance

Apart from the latest developments in geopolitics, innovation, sustainability and finance, along with keynote speeches by the distinguished speakers, TXF Geneva 2019 will also feature a cocktail reception and an award ceremony. It’s no secret that people attending these kind of events tend to take advantage of the wide range of talented professionals with various experiences and stories, to do some networking. After all, recruitment and networking go hand in hand, especially in the commodity sector.

Building a strong talent base from which to tap at the right time is one of Ampersand World’s main trademarks. Numerous companies cite referrals as one of the primary methods to job hiring and retention, while smart candidates are aware that just one key introduction can change a career. The Geneva-based career consulting firm offers global expertise and recruitment solutions that go in this direction. Job offers usually range from operational positions in Commodity Trading, Shipping, and International Trade Industries, to executive positions.

As for the TXF Geneva awards, the prizes are handed out to the best-in-class people in the commodity finance industry. Directly selected by trading houses, the Commodity Finance Industry Choice Award recognises the work of financial institutions and insurance providers that have led the way in providing accessible and creative financing solutions for the commodities sector in the last year.

The winners of last year edition – the TXF Geneva 2018 conference – were:

  • Best Commodity Finance Bank – Agriculture & Soft Commodities: ING Bank
  • Best Commodity Finance Bank – Energy: Natixis
  • Best Commodity Finance Bank – Metals & Mining: Credit Suisse
  • Best Commodity Finance Private Insurance Broker: BPL Global
  • Best Commodity Finance Bank: ING Bank