[ L I T D X | L E A D E R S I N T R A D I N G 2 0 2 0 ]
LiTDX 2020 :
Behind the scenes
Multimedia reporter , Kiays Khalil , takes readers behind the scenes as the editorial team presents The TRADE ’ s flagship Leaders in Trading 2020 awards online for the first time through a five-day , on-demand digital experience .
Loyal readers of The TRADE will be well aware of our flagship Leaders in Trading awards ceremony . For many , it is a highlight event in their calendars as we recognise the outstanding achievements of the industry , from asset managers and hedge funds , to brokers , exchange groups and technology vendors . It ’ s a time of reflection for traders as we gather to deliberate on market developments , trends and accomplishments .
When I joined the TRADE at the start of 2020 the Leaders in Trading wheel was already in motion . The venue was booked and plans in place . We had even chosen the dinner and cocktail menus at the prestigious Savoy Hotel in London .
I scoured The TRADE ’ s video archives to get a glimpse of the event which had occupied so much of my team ’ s time and attention .
I was immediately captivated , prepping my plans to shoot the awards ceremony and digitally document the proceedings . But by the end of that first quarter in 2020 , a spanner was thrown into the works – well , more like the whole toolbox – taking everyone by surprise . We were in a situation we had never been in before . How could we move forward with Leaders in Trading given the current COVID-19 restrictions ? We simply couldn ’ t .
Meeting after meeting , The TRADE team discussed alternatives . It soon became clear that we would somehow have to deliver the event digitally . The aim was to somehow provide viewers with the full Leaders in Trading experience that could be consumed at their own leisure when it suited them .
So , it was decided . The TRADE would host Leaders in Trading : The Digital Experience , otherwise known as LiTDX .
What seems like hundreds of meetings later and whole load of back and forth , we forged a plan to produce a five-day digital festivaltype event , with a headline special feature to premiere each day . We
16 // TheTRADE // Spring 2021