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.

A striking feature of the London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning introductory courses is that the geographical spread of attendees has increased since the courses moved to virtual delivery.  Last week’s courses were nominally in Dubai, but attendees were actually in locations as far apart as Mongolia and Canada.  One person was even in the back seat of a car while on a business trip.

Last week the London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) ran the popular “Introduction to loco London” course and the new follow-on course, “How to use Loco London”.  No prior market knowledge is assumed for attendees of the “Introduction to” course.  The second course is suitable for those with some prior experience of the precious metals markets who are looking for a deeper treatment of the derivatives discussed during the first course.

The “How to use” course includes several worked examples and has time set aside to allow the examples to be extended to the specific circumstances of the attendees. Last week, following questions raised, we looked at how same day pricing of physical links up with existing forward contracts, and how to determine if a forward swap position is making or losing money as the forward curve changes shape.

The smiling faces at the end of the courses made us think we had done a good job, and the formal feedback has confirmed it.

Future course dates are being firmed up and will be confirmed shortly. Keep an eye on Upcoming Courses for dates and links to register.

Last week, a willing group of London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) staff participated in the first run through of the How to use Loco London training course.  This second course offers a practical insight into the most frequently traded instruments and develops the concepts presented in the Introduction to loco London course.

Both courses have been designed as stand-alone modules which can be taken independently of one another and are suitable for both newcomers to the market and established professionals seeking to deepen knowledge.  Guided workshops give opportunities to try out trading strategies, and plenty of time is set aside for individual questions and group discussions.

Participant feedback has taken us to more general topics for the next few webinars.  The next session on 11th May will describe the warehousing network and delivery mechanics that underpin the physically settled base metals contracts.

Register to listen live or to a recording at a more convenient time.  The entire webinar collection can be accessed here and suggestions for topics for futures webinars can be sent to education@lme.com.

When you attend a London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning introductory course, not only do you enhance your knowledge base, but you may also grow your bottom line. 

“The course was very well presented, and the examples were spot on.”  InHedge

“The course helps me to understand what the Front Office is going to do with our counterparties.” Mitsui Bussan

“I liked the examples, quizzes, team interactions, and hourly breaks.” Fastmarkets

“A great teacher, patient, understanding and created a good learning environment. “ Transamine

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.

How can you travel between New York and London faster than the speed of sound without a Concorde? Virtually, of course.  This weeks’ London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning introductory courses were scheduled for the New York time zone, but were relocated to the London time zone in the blink of an eye to fit better with attendees’ diaries. That simply would not have been possible with an in-person in-classroom course. It is yet another compelling reason why virtual training will continue even when we can resume classroom training.

The London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) training course “Introduction to loco London” is delivered in a fully interactive virtual mode.  From the first moments right through to the end, participants are contributing, voting, working on exercises in smaller groups, and networking in the virtual coffee room.  This is not a session to have on in the background while multi-tasking.

Last weeks’ course was sold out, and attendees represented all sectors of the market.  Producers, refiners, central banks, investment banks, brokers, insurers, liquidity providers, investors and researchers all shared their unique perspectives and experiences.  Particular thanks go to those who gave up part of their lunch break to give behind-the-scenes colour and insights into the LBMA price auctions during an extended Q&A session.

Last week’s “Introduction to Loco London” course offered by  London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) was the first one offered in the US timezone, a well-timed choice given that the eyes of the world were on the US.  A slightly smaller group meant there was time for extra discussions and additional depth on topics that were of particular interest.

Online delivery definitely has it’s moments.  On the plus side, there were giggles when Stella, the New York cat, wandered across the screen.  And there was the heart-stopping moment when local internet congestion caused the presenter to drop out.  Zoom proved to be remarkably robust, reconnecting almost seamlessly.

#preciousmetals

Feedback from today’s LME–Euromoney webinar was terrific – it was five stars from all the participants.  Today’s session looked at the impact of choosing options with different strike levels.  The questions posed during the webinar combined with the audience votes gave a genuine reflection of the different (and equally valid) risk management choices of the online participants.  It is evident that a core are regularly participating live, in addition to the many more who listen back to the recordings later.