Safe and sound

The elegant façade of a grand Dutch canalside house hides a historical treasure – the oldest vault in Amsterdam. Nestled in the lower levels of a former Deutsche Bank building, and hidden behind a false door, the vault was an appropriate setting for the bankers attending a course on commodity derivatives, commodity finance and tripartite agreements.

Once again, EJJ International teamed up with Bethan Davies, an independent legal consultant, to deliver a tailored program to meet the client’s requirements, which was well received.

If you would like to attend a similar course, our three day commodity derivative training course gives an in-depth overview of all the main commodity sectors: metals, oil and gas, and agricultural products, plus techniques for stabilising cash flows, collateralising finance and monetising market views.  To join us in London on 14-16 November click here.

Dessert in the desert

Last week, the London Metal Exchange held their introductory courses in Dubai.  The compact group included representatives right across the supply chain from four countries in the Gulf region.  The classroom discussions went beyond the standard agenda, and during the breaks, several companies were comparing notes on their approach to managing price risk using LME instruments.  All took full advantage of the tempting buffets, especially the desserts, as the Dubai venue is one of the best chosen by Euromoney, the LME’s training partner, for these courses.

 “The course delivery was absolutely amazing.  Truly impressed and appreciate the efforts.  Will surely recommend”
Al-Qarayan Group

The final London course of the year will be during LME Week (9-11 October) and there are only a few places left.  The next Dubai course will be in September 2019.  Check out Upcoming Courses for a full schedule of remaining 2018 dates and links to secure your place.

Three out of Three

For the third time this year, the London Metal Exchange courses in London sold out.  The group included miners, fabricators, physical metal traders, battery recyclers, chemical companies, warehouses, IT providers and several categories of LME members.  Participants noted how helpful it was to meet companies throughout the value chain and to share experiences of using LME instruments.  As a bonus, during the breaks, two members of the LME floor team demonstrated the hand signals used in the ring trading sessions.

“A course which is right for participants with different jobs and knowledge levels”
Borçelik Çelik Sanayii

“Very thorough and in-depth explanation of the basics”
EDF Man Capital

“The third day was the most interesting due to a full picture of how to manage risk”
Ecobat Technologies

“Very well organized, good clear speaker, training techniques are very good”
TELF AG

The next session will take place in Dubai (18-20 September). The final London course of the year will be during LME Week (9-11 October) and that is filling fast already.  Check out Upcoming Courses for a full schedule of remaining 2018 dates and links to secure your place.

New Venue for New York Courses

This week’s London Metal Exchange courses in New York were held in Euromoney’s office, conveniently located on Sixth Avenue and 44th Street, on the site of the old New York Hippodrome. 

Euromoney has worked with the LME for over three years delivering their popular introductory level courses around the world, and it was a new departure to accommodate the courses in-house.  The professional setting, welcoming staff and high standard of facilities were well received by participants.  The group was relatively small, but had the advantage that attendees enjoyed plenty of personal attention. Just three stayed until the end of the options course.

“Very helpful to understand LME’s role and terminology”  Orion Resource Partners

“Great courses – provide in-depth knowledge on hedging and options in metal markets.  The trainer was very good, easy to understand and explained subject matter well.” Magliner Inc

The next sessions will take place in London (17-19 July) and Dubai (18-20 September).  The next New York course is scheduled for 11-13 December.  Check out Upcoming Courses for a full schedule of 2018 dates and links to secure your place.

Another sell-out

Last week’s London Metal Exchange  courses, run in partnership with Euromoney Learning Solutions, were at capacity again.  We had representatives of recyclers, smelters, specialized manufacturers, physical traders, banks, regulators and service companies, with interests in all the base metals and steel.  The courses provide an excellent networking opportunity as well as a practical introduction to the workings of the exchange and using the listed instruments to manage metal price risk.

“Met all of my initial expectations prior to coming in.  Left with more than anticipated.  Firmly believe that the course was useful & believe I will be applying most, if not all, concepts to my daily work.”
Garantibank International

“Very good.  Happy that the trainer spent the time during break to go through certain things “
Arrow Metals

“Straight to practical application.  Great approach on concepts and theory.”
Banco Modal

The next sessions will take place in New York (12-14 June 2018), London (17-19 July) and Dubai (18-20 September).  Check out Upcoming Courses for a full schedule of 2018 dates and links to secure your place.  Don’t miss out on your preferred location and dates by delaying.

Who said “Three’s a crowd”?

Three seemed to be the perfect number last week when EJJ International combined forces with Bethan Davies, an independent legal consultant, and Catherine Lang-Anderson of Allen & Overy, to deliver training on “Understanding Trade Finance”.

Initial discussions with the client and IFF, the global financial training provider, highlighted that EJJ International alone could not fulfil the client’s requirements.  We leveraged our extensive network of professionals, finding the right legal minds to provide the details we were lacking.

The format was well received by the client.

“Great teaching.  Clear and concise materials.”

“It was lively and presenters were interactive”.

The complementary skill sets of the three trainers meant several aspects of issues could be explored during the question and answer sessions.

Commodity Derivatives Training in April

  • Do commodity price movements affect your company’s performance?
  • Are you an investor seeking to gain exposure to an asset class with the double benefits of portfolio diversification and return enhancement?
  • Are you a lawyer, banker or accountant with commodity sector clients?
  • Are you in London 24-26 April 2018?

Our three day commodity derivative training course gives an in-depth overview of all the main commodity sectors: metals, oil and gas, and agricultural products, plus techniques for stabilising cash flows, collateralising finance and monetising market views.

“I needed to understand the world of commodities and the course it has been fantastic for that” Caixa Bank

“Comprehensive topics suitable for a wide audience. Facilitator has great depth of knowledge and expertise in the subject.” BHP Billiton

Click here to book your place.

Off to a flying start

2018 started with a capacity crowd for the first London Metal Exchange  courses, run in partnership with Euromoney Learning Solutions.  High numbers meant a second parallel session for the ever popular “Introduction to the LME” day was needed.  A key benefit of these courses is the availability of trainers to answer questions throughout the day, and numbers have to be capped to ensure this valued aspect of the training is preserved.  Delegates are encouraged to book early to ensure a place on their preferred dates.

“Very clear, good examples, right rhythm”, Thomson Reuters

“Great speaker, excellent capacity to explain technical topics with simple language”, Bank of China International

“I finally understand options from practical point-of-view.  I had many questions which were all answered during the course” Heneken

The next London course (10-12 April 2018) is filling fast.   Dubai (1-3 May 2018) and New York (12-14 June 2018) are also open for bookings.  Check out Upcoming Courses for a full schedule of 2018 dates and links to secure your place.

Harnessing technology for cost-effective training

Does video conferencing work for delivering training courses?  The last two days proved it does.

We worked with a small business unit with employees in London and Chicago.  For two London afternoons and Chicago mornings, a small group gathered in London and connected to Chicago via a video link.  The sophisticated system mirrored the presentation materials, and each group could see the other.  Of course there were momentary glitches, and some hilarious moments when a piece of paper held to the camera substituted for a white-board.

The limited timezone overlap forced the training to be split into a series of half-day sessions.  All the participants remarked on how useful this was as:
(1) it was less disruptive to their day-to-day jobs, and
(2) they were refreshed and able to absorb more of the second session.

While nothing beats face-to-face training, the video format proved to be a cost-effective method to train small numbers in disparate locations.

 

Diversity in the desert

Last week the final London Metal Exchange took place in Dubai.  At a first glance the attendee list promised an interesting mix of nationalities.  Once everyone arrived, we realised hardly anyone lived in their country of birth.  The Jordanian resident was from Iraq, while the Jordanian currently works in Kuwait.  The international mix brought an extra dimension to questions and discussions.

The group almost broke the record for the fastest completion of the futures day, but mastering the languages of carries, borrowing and lending, slowed the pace and made for a punctual completion at 5pm.

Options were a new subject for all attendees, and the engineer made light work of the complex concepts.  By the end of the day, there were smiles all around and a real sense of achievement.

“Great course to understand the LME”, Novelis

“It was a lovely course.  Instructor was amazing and has an ability to deliver the information so easily”, Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries

Check out Upcoming Courses for a full schedule of 2018 dates and links to book your place.  The first course in London (30-Jan to 1-Feb 2018) is filling fast.  The next Dubai course is scheduled for 1-3 May 2018.