1. Inclusion:

• The entry form link will be sent to all managers and contacts on the CTA Intelligence database. Other interested managers can access the online entry form via this website.

The deadline for inclusion is Friday, December 9, 2016.

2. Criteria:

When entering the 2017 Awards, please read through the following criteria for your chosen category(ies), which explains what the judging panel will be looking for when they judge the entries and select the winners.

Fund administration 

Futures Commissions Merchants

Advisory, accountancy & technology 

Legal

 

Fund administration categories:

 

Best administrator - overall

This award is designed to reward fund administration firms that have shown true growth and innovation over the course of the last twelve months. Success in this category depends on a mixture of customer and revenue growth, as well as new product or brand development that demonstrated new thinking and which can boast significant success.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figures
·         Demonstration of product innovation and description of how market responded to the idea
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best administrator - client service

This award is designed to reward fund administration firms, catering to CTAs, that have managed to consistently exceed the service expectation of their client base. Success in this category depends on providing key examples, backed up by customer testimonials, of how the administration firm has delivered a high level of customer service.

 

Criteria:

·         Details of approach to customer service
·         Examples of problem solving on complex issues
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best administrator - innovation

This award is designed to reward administration firms, with CTA clients, that have shown excellence and innovation in developing existing and new services for clients. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how new products and services have contributed to the growth of the firm and improved the customer experience. 

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figures
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best administrator – technology

This award is designed to reward administration firms that have shown excellence and innovation in technology. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how new products or the use of technology internally have contributed to the growth of the firm and improved the customer experience.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figures
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

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Futures commission Merchant categories:

 

Best FCM boutique

This award is designed to honour the best boutique FCM. Success in this category depends on demonstrating how technical expertise and excellent customer service have benefited clients and enabled the FCM to effectively compete against larger players in this field.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of how a new or existing service has added to user experience of clients
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best FCM overall

This award is designed to honour the FCM that has demonstrated consistency and skill across the whole of its organisation. Success in this category depends on demonstrating a wide skill-set that illustrates strength across all of the FCM’s core areas of service, as well as a commitment to innovation and customer service.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service and innovation
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best FCM - client service

This award is designed to honour the FCM that has shown genuine commitment to customer service. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how the firm has been particularly responsive and innovative in meeting customer need, as well as detailing examples of where providing an added value service has made a real difference to the business development of CTA management firms.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of key areas of recent advice and where this has made a difference
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best FCM – innovation

This award is designed to honour the FCM that has been able to show real excellence in improving its offering over the last twelve months. Success in this category depends on demonstrating how significant improvements to a core service, or the launch of a new product, have improved the firm’s ability to accept orders to buy or sell futures contracts, options on futures, retail off-exchange forex contracts or swaps. Firms who have also offered new, or developed existing, non-core services (e.g a cap intro offering) for clients will also be considered in this category.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of how a new or existing service has added to user experience of clients
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

Best FCM - technology

This award is designed to honour the FCM that has been able to show excellence in providing technology services and advice for clients. Success in this category depends on a mixture of demonstrating how proprietary tech services have furthered the needs of clients; as well as how consultancy services have helped clients developed their own solutions.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of key areas of recent advice and where this has made a difference
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

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Advisory, accountancy & technology categories:

 

Best capital introduction service

This award is designed to honour the FCM, third party marketing organisation or platform that has shown the greatest commitment and aptitude in the forum of cap intro and cap raising. Success in this category depends on demonstrating how, via investor contacts and cap intro events, the provider has been able to aid client attempts to meet relevant and active investors.

 

Criteria:

·          Commercial success and business growth
·          Description of high-level of client service and innovation in the field of cap intro
·          Examples of portfolio of capital introduction events
·          Demonstrate breadth and quality of investor contacts
·          Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best compliance firm

This award is designed to reward compliance professionals that have demonstrated expertise and innovation in providing CTAs/managed futures clients with key regulatory advice. Success in this category depends on a mixture of demonstrating customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing how new initiatives and compliance products have aided the business over the past 12 months.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in hedge fund clients
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Detail specific examples of where advice has helped clients
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best cloud computing provider

This award is designed to honour a firm that has provided an excellent service as a vendor of remote storage and cloud technology solutions for the CTAs/managed futures sector. Success in this category depends on demonstrating both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of how service provision has been able to improve the data storage, back testing, disaster recovery and business continuity needs of the sector.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in hedge fund clients
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best consultancy firm 

This award is designed to reward specialist consultants, that have shown growth and innovation over the course of the last twelve months in serving the needs of CTA managers. Success in this category depends on a mixture of customer and revenue growth, as well as describing product/brand development that demonstrates new thinking and which has resulted in success.

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figure
·         Demonstration of product innovation and description of how market responded to the idea
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best CTA managed account platform

This award is designed to honour a managed account or other distribution platform that has proved itself over the past twelve months via client growth and growing assets. Success in this category depends on demonstrating both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of innovation, diversification and solid performance.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in product and investment
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

Best risk management technology provider

This award is designed to reward CTA risk management providers that have shown growth and innovation in providing traders, portfolio and risk managers with superior risk, scenarios and portfolio analytics across complex and multi-asset investment portfolios. Success in this category depends on a mixture of customer and revenue growth, as well as product or brand development that demonstrates new thinking and which can boast significant success and positive customer feedback.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in CTA clients
·         Demonstration of product innovation (e.g. support for new asset classes)
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best shadow accounting firm

This award is designed to honour a ucits platform that has proved itself over the past 12 months via client growth and growing assets. Success in this category depends on demonstrating both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of innovation, diversification and solid performance.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in product and investment
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best cyber-security solution

This award is designed to honour a firm that has provided an excellent service as a provider of outsourced cyber-security solutions for the CTA sector. Success in this category depends on demonstrating both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of how the service has been able to heighten the cyber-security of a client or clients.

 

Criteria:

 

·          Commercial success and business growth
·          Demonstration of increase in CTA fund clients
·          Demonstration of product innovation
·          Description of high-level of client service
·          Examples of how the security solution has made a difference to clients
·          Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best data and Information provider

This accolade is designed to honour the firm that provides the most genuinely comprehensive, innovative and useful data to the CTA space. Success in this category depends on demonstrating how useful the information is to clients, how easy it is to leverage and render into bespoke reports and the efficiency of the delivery mechanism.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of how a new or existing service has added to user experience of clients
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

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Best exchange – innovation

This award is designed to honour the futures exchange that has been able to show real excellence in improving its offering over the last twelve months. Success in this category depends on demonstrating how significant improvements to a core service, or a new offering, have significantly benefited customers.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of how a new or existing service has added to user experience of clients
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best exchange – overall

This award is designed to award futures exchanges that offer the widest range of products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate. As well as the exchange’s range of instruments, the judges will also consider the quality of each exchange’s technology platform, as well as its ability to innovate and meet customer need.   

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in CTA clients
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

Criteria:

·       Demonstration of client numbers and wide investor coverage     
·       Specific examples of success in raising assets    
·       Examples of high quality marketing material produced for clients

 

Best marketing and communications consultancy

This award is designed to honour a firm that has demonstrated a genuine ability to manage the media and reputational profile of CTAs / managed futures clients. Success in this category depends on demonstrating customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing how advice has represented the best interests of clients.

 

Criteria:

·         Demonstration of client numbers and client wins over the last 12 months
·         Specific examples of where advise has aided a client
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best middle and back office

This award is designed to reward administration firms who have made advances in providing middle and back office services to CTAs and managed futures clients. Success in this category depends on providing examples on how a middle/back-office service has grown in customers and revenue, innovated via product and ideas and helped to reduce operational risk.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figures
·         Demonstrate how the service has made advance in one or several of the following areas:
·         Trade capture and confirmation
·         Reconciliation
·         Risk reporting and analysis
·         System of record maintenance
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best specialist advisory

This award is open all categories of advisory firm and is designed to honour a firm that has demonstrated the highest level of innovation and customer service. Success in this category depends on demonstrating customer and revenue growth, as well detailing how a new product/initiative, or a particularly excellent example of client consultancy, has aided the business needs of the hedge fund sector."

 

Criteria:

·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Examples of going above and beyond in providing the best advice to clients
·         Detail specific examples of how advice has helped clients
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonial

 

Best technology firm – overall

This award is designed to honour a firm that has provided an excellent service as a provider of outsourced IT solutions for the CTA sector. Success in this category depends on demonstrating both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of how service provision has been able to improve the communication, infrastructure, IT and business development of a client or clients.

 

Criteria:

·          Commercial success and business growth
·          Demonstration of increase in CTA fund clients
·          Demonstration of product innovation
·          Detail specific examples of how advice has helped clients
·          Commercial success and business growth
·          Description of high-level of client service
·          Examples of key areas of recent advice and where this has made a difference
·          Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best trading and execution technology

This award is designed to reward technology providers and trading platforms that have shown growth and innovation in providing traders, portfolio and risk managers with the ability to execute trades, manage their portfolio and make real time decisions. Success in this category depends on a mixture of customer and revenue growth, as well as product or brand development that demonstrates new thinking and which can boast significant success and positive customer feedback.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of increase in CTA clients
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best tax and audit service

This award is designed to reward CTA audit specialists that have shown growth and excellent customer service over the past twelve months. Success in this category depends on a mixture of customer and revenue growth, as well as product or brand development that demonstrated new thinking and which can boast significant success and positive customer feedback.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figures
·         Demonstration of product innovation and description of how market responded to the idea
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best valuation service

This award is designed to reward administration firms, and others providing third-party valuation services, that have shown growth and innovation over the course of the last twelve months in serving the needs of CTA managers. Success in this category depends on a mixture of customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing product/brand development that demonstrates new thinking and which displays significant success.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Sales/market share figures
·         Demonstration of product innovation and description of how market responded to the idea
·         Description of future development possibilities
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

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Legal categories:

 

Best law firm - overall

This award is designed to honour the firm that has demonstrated a consistently high standard in providing legal services to the CTA sector. Success in this category depends on demonstrating both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of innovation and where the service has made a real difference to clients.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Demonstration of product innovation
·         Examples of key areas of recent advice and where this has made a difference
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

Best law firm - client service

This award is designed to honour the law firm that firm that has shown genuine commitment to customer service. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how the firm has been particularly responsive and innovative in meeting customer need, as well as detailing examples of where client advice has made a real differrence to the business development of a CTA management firm.

 

Criteria:

·         Commercial success and business growth
·         Description of high-level of client service
·         Examples of key areas of recent advice and where this has made a difference
·         Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials

 

3. Judging Decisions:

The judging panel will comprise representatives from CTA Intelligence, leading institutional, private investors and industry experts.

Each member of the judging panel will have an equal vote in choosing the winners in each category. Decisions should be unanimous, but a majority will suffice.

Judging decisions will be based on performance, qualitative information and structural criteria.

A shortlist of finalists for each category will be announced in November with the winners revealed on Thursday, February 16 at 583 Park Avenue, New York.

4. Contact Us:

General inquiries about the CTA Intelligence US Services Awards 2017 and the judging for the awards can be directed to the individuals listed below.

Sponsorship/table enquiries

For information about CTA Intelligence US Services Awards sponsorship and table opportunities please contact Antonio Rua at a.rua@pageantmedia.com or telephone: +44 20 7832 6581.

General queries

For general event inquiries, please contact Nicole Maragh at n.maragh@pageantmedia.com or telephone: +44 20 7832 6578.