Switzerland has been long revered as the international home of watertight banking institutions whose clientele are often as well heeled as the executives which operate the banks themselves.
Many of these institutions are based in Geneva, with their prestigious names nestling among the equally prestigious fashion houses including Gucci, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hervé Léger, Sergio Rossi, Vermorel Fourrures, and Wolford, in immaculately preserved period buildings surrounding the banks of Lake Geneva.
In November, the importance of bringing the very upper levels of the FX industry together with an audience of potential investors which differs from that of the standard conference scene was underlined even further by Dukascopy Bank’s Geneva Forex Event which attracted 540 attendees.
The unique blend of finance and fashion has been a highly effective catalyst in attracting the very upper echelons of the investment world to meet, socialize and evaluate business synergy in the highly luxurious surroundings of the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues.
With guests arriving in the evening, the event commenced with a fashion show by Gucci as the event’s major sponsor, in which the latest haute couture in fashion accoutrements for both ladies and gentlemen were showcased,  whilst executives from across the FX industry and banking sector discussed business with hedge fund managers and institutional traders whilst being served Duval Leroy champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
Dr. Andre Duka, Founder of Dukascopy Bank SA demonstrated his enthusiasm for the monthly Geneva Forex Event:Â “Blending sectors, especially finance and fashion, brings great changes and opportunities. I see it as a growing complimentary act and a stimulus for value creation.”
Differentiating this event from a plethora of also-rans is that its format brings an entirely different, exquisitely wealthy, financially knowledgeable audience to an industry that has a strong desire to tap into such a network. There are no exhibitor booths, no lectures, no keynote speakers, no panel discussions. Instead, the delegates are invited, at no cost at all, to gain favor with the most lucrative audience available to any electronic trading firm which wants to attract high ticket business and long-term, reliable order flow, or to FX technology firms wishing to gain their next venture capital investment.
Andrew Saks-McLeod, Managing Editor of LeapRate and a regular attendee at the Geneva Forex Event detailed the intrinsic value of this: “Forex companies, particularly the larger ones whose interest is in attracting long term business from institutional investors, can save their marketing budget and attend this event regularly for free, even on a monthly basis. By doing so, they will be able to conduct targeted business with large scale investors and partners rather than sponsor ineffective campaigns where the opportunities are declining and competition is fierce and the audience is less willing or able to invest. Geneva has to be the world’s meeting place for the largest FX firms.”
” I have noticed that many hedge fund managers attend this event every month, as do local Swiss investment bankers and private equity houses. This has engendered a club-like experience in which these professionals are looking for the right company in which to invest, or to become a long term customer of. One such investment fund manager explained to me that over 200 people come here every month to hang out and check for opportunities” concluded Mr. Saks-McLeod.
By combining fashion and FX, another relatively untapped audience is attracted to the Geneva Forex Event; the wealthy, international female investor. Unlike many events within the industry, almost half of the attendees at the Geneva Forex Event are female, and are investors of almost unparalleled caliber.
An afterparty is hosted each month, with November having been no exception, at the equally palatial Hotel Beau Rivage, also on Lake Geneva, to which the entirety of attendees are invited. This encourages further opportunities to entertain future partners and investors, free of charge, in luxurious surroundings.
Main photograph: From left to right -Alexander Fedyaev, Alan Michals, Jamile Moreira, Christelle Burrus, Frédéric Charles, Mr. Alemu. Center left photograph: Sixtine Glannaz with David Taji