Our first batch of online on-demand videos about commodity derivatives are now live on the Finance Unlocked platform. Check out the excellent graphics which certainly engage and hold attention.

Last week’s London Metal Exchange (“LME”) / Euromoney Learning courses were well attended with great representation across the value chain.  The “S” theme came from the attendees being based in Sweden and South Africa, from smelters, scrap recyclers and specialist steels, and Stephanie being the willing volunteer in many of the examples.

“I’m very glad I did this training. It was well worth the money and for a virtual course, it was very well explained and very interactive.”

“There were enough examples and recaps to really understand what was going on … and lots of room to ask questions.”

“I recommend it to all those who want to start trading and hedging.”

This month’s London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) “An Introduction to loco London”  training course trialled a new format.  Instead of delivering the course in a single day, there were two sessions on consecutive London afternoons.  The idea was to make the course more accessible to those “across the pond”, but interestingly this sold-out course had more attendees from Asia than the US and Canada.  Which format suits you better – all on one day or split over two? 

Attendees on this week’s London Metal Exchange  / Euromoney Learning introductory courses definitely got more than they bargained for.

An integral part of these courses are the side discussions that develop from questions raised by attendees.  This week there was a tremendous willingness to share real-life experiences.  When a consumer, new to hedging, was querying how to manage their US Midwest aluminium premium exposure, a physical trader shared their practical approach to premium risk in Europe.  On the options day, discussions included applying options to manage escalation clauses in concentrate agreements.  These bonus topics always make the few days more enriching and enjoyable.

This week’s London Metal Exchange (“LME”) / Euromoney Learning  webinar refreshed the very first webinar in this series.  The original webinar enjoyed strong registrations, and has easily been the most popular over the last two years.  There is clearly appetite for more as there was a record number of registrations, download figures are ticking up already and questions poured into the final Q&A.

This month’s London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) loco London training courses attracted participants from all over the world, from Tokyo to Texas, including Liverpool and Lugano.

The two modules, “An Introduction to loco London”  and “How to use Loco London”,  are designed as stand-alone courses and can be attended separately.  Several attendees opted for a deep dive and took the two courses on consecutive days.  Others preferred to split the courses over a few months, either due to busy schedules or a natural preference for consolidating new knowledge before moving onto the next level.  Those who have a basic knowledge of the market can jump straight into the “How to use” session.

The combination of a core group that attended both days plus the influx of new faces on the second day, made for lively Q&A sessions and interesting shared insights during the group workshops.

The next Introduction to Loco London course will be split over two London afternoons (15-16 September) to accommodate both European and US based attendees. Further course dates are being firmed up and will be confirmed shortly. Keep an eye on Upcoming Courses for dates and links to register.

WFH or TFH, Training From Home, was taken to a whole new level during last week’s London Metal Exchange  / Euromoney Learning introductory courses.  The courses were run in the New York time zone to cater to the Americas and one attendee was on holiday in Belize.  We were envious when we realised that the palm trees outside were not a virtual background.  Be it a holiday home, or makeshift home office, physical location is much less of an impediment to developing professional skills and networking across the industry than we might have feared at the start of the pandemic.

The next session on 6th July will refresh the most popular session in the series to date: The Fundamentals of Hedging on the LME.  Why not put a date in your diary to have your questions answered during the Q&A?

Think back to April 2020.  Day-to-day life had been turned upside down across the world. The talk was of “a new normal”, Zoom, R-numbers and acronyms such as WFH.  Open outcry trading was suspended at the London Metal Exchange  and LME / Euromoney Learning introductory courses went virtual.

Fast forward a year.  How well we can adapt when we must.  The training courses now incorporate best practice in virtual delivery and networking alongside the personal touch of an experienced live trainer.  The verdict is in.  Course numbers are back up to pre-pandemic in-classroom levels.  Virtual definitely delivers.

Courses are scheduled to coincide with the business day in Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East.  Check out Upcoming Courses to find a date and time zone that works for you.