Investment Performance Awards 2014: how to pitch

Please be aware, this information is only intended as a guide. For details on the categories, date, pitch deadlines and all other relevant information on this year's investment performance awards process, please see our awards document: time to pitch.

ASSET CLASS AWARDS
For our asset class awards we study statistical data provided by independent third parties. Based on that analysis, we shortlist candidates, whom we then invite to pitch. If you don’t hear from us, you have not been chosen for one of these awards. We do not accept pitches.

MARKET AWARDS
Fund House of the Year (by country)
We invite submissions from businesses with local licences and locally domiciled investment products (regardless of whether the applicant company is headquartered locally or overseas) to compete to be named their market’s Fund House of the Year.

We welcome submissions from managers of long-only, public, hedge and private funds. The submission takes the form of a Word document. No other formats please. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following information, where applicable:

• Your company’s name and contact details
• Your AUM and how it has changed year-on-year
  Your returns for 2013, relative to peers
• The experience and stability of your team
• The balance of your business in terms of institutional/wholesale/retail
• Examples of where and how you have been innovative in the past year
• New products and services you have introduced in the past year
• Information on your participation in investor education
• Explain how your operation has grown local-for-local, local-for-global and/or global-for-local business lines in the past year
• Any other relevant argument you can make for your company to be named Fund House of the Year in your market?

In addition to the 700-word submission, we will accept testimonials from third-party clients, as well as client contacts. These documents/conversations will be off the record, but the client must be identified. We will not accept additional information: no glossy pamphlets, charts, bios, photos, etc. It annoys us.

MARQUEE AWARDS
Distributors
Insurance Company of the Year
This award is based on the provision of investment-linked products in one or more markets in Asia Pacific. Please provide us with a Word document. The following are suggestions. In no more than 700 words (you may include bullet points), relevant details may include:
 
·     Year-on-year change to profitability, revenue and AUM growth figures for calendar 2013
·     AUM in third-party assets (unit-linked) and how it has changed over 2013
·     Size and geographic diversity of your distribution team (and how they have changed in 2013)
·     Your approach to product, third-party versus in-house
·     How you have made a push to develop your unit-linked business
·     Your involvement in improving investor education and staff training
·     The stability and experience of your unit-linked product team
·     What innovations you have introduced in products or services
·     What made 2013 a definitive year of success for you versus peers?

Consumer Bank of the Year
This award is based on the provision of in-house and third-party fund products in one or more markets in Asia Pacific. Please provide us with a Word document. In no more than 700 words (you may include bullet points), relevant details may include:
 
·     Year-on-year change to profitability and revenue figures for calendar 2013
·     Overall AUM and how it has changed over 2013
·     Details on your client retention and market share
·     Your split of in-house to third-party product distribution
·     Size and geographic diversity of your distribution team (and how they have changed in 2013)
·     Any improvements you have made in client advisory
·     Evidence of your approach to open architecture and details of your funds platform (third-party versus in-house)
·     New strategies or products you have introduced in the past year
·     Your involvement in improving investor education and staff training
·     What made 2013 a definitive year of success for you versus peers?

Private Bank of the Year
This award is based on the portfolio management and discretionary advisory services in one or more markets in Asia Pacific. Please provide us with a Word document. In no more than 700 words (you may include bullet points), relevant details may include:
 
·     Year-on-year change to profitability and revenue figures for calendar 2013
·     Overall AUM and how it has changed over 2013
·     Your net new assets for the past year and where they have come from
·     Details on your client retention and market share
·     Any improvements you have made in client advisory
·     Evidence of your approach to open architecture and details of your funds platform (third-party versus in-house)
·     How you have enhanced your product selection process
·     The split of discretionary, institutional and wealthy individual business
·     Geographic diversity, size, make-up, stability and experience of investment and client servicing teams
·     Any strategic or structural initiatives or innovations you have introduced in 2013
·     Details on your wholesale distribution relationships, including strategic partners
·     What made 2013 a definitive year of success for you versus peers?

Best Business Development
To the firm raising assets from Asian clients based on superior organisation, product, performance and/or execution. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following:

• Details of how and how much your business grew and otherwise changed for the better in 2013 – either on the institutional or retail side or both (this should include figures such as AUM, revenues, profits, new clients, new mandates where possible etc)
• Description of what drove this growth and/or improvement otherwise
• Details of new offerings/products/ services/ hires/ reorganisations/ technology that have enhanced your business in 2013 (and how they have performed so far)

Best Retail Product
To the firm introducing a product for retail investors in Asia that is innovative, tailored for Asian clients, and successful. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following:

• Details on performance, including funds raised and composition of the product, as well as returns and fees/management charges.
• Outline the key decisions the team made and how they contributed to performance, including relative to peers
• Details on speed to market, timing of launch and fulfilment of investor needs.

Best ETF Manager
To the firm with not only a successful Asia business but one that is helping to grow the pie for ETFs and their investors. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following:

• Detail asset growth and size of business in Asia, including breadth of offering, listings and make-up of platform such as synthetic/physical.
• Outline any product innovation and fulfillment of investor needs, as well as advancement of the market in Asia

Best Investor Education Programme
To the firm doing the most to improve the quality of investor and distributor knowledge and ability to choose. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following:

• Detail what you have introduced and how you have promoted it in the past year. Evidence of its impact would be helpful.
• Any new training initiatives or strategies you have introduced in the past year

Best Institutional Product/Strategy
To the firm introducing a product for institutional investors in Asia that is innovative, tailored for local clients, and successful. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following:

• An outline of an institutional product or strategy launched in or shortly before 2013 that truly satisfied the client or clients’ needs – probably in the sense that it was fully tailored to their requests, and the service and performance provided was to or above expectations.
• Details of the product/strategy including figures such as AUM, performance etc, the motivation and purpose for the product/strategy, why it was innovative in terms of features, structure, types of assets, types of client involved.
• Client testimonials and/or (even better) client contacts for completely confidential and off-record feedback on the product/strategy.

Institutional Solutions Provider
To the firm that provides the best products, services, strategies and/or tools to enable Asian institutions to meet their investment challenges. In no more than 700 words, please provide the following:

• Details of why and how your firm has on a regular basis (and particularly in 2013) provided the best products, services, strategies and/or tools across various asset classes that have fulfilled client needs according to the points under institutional product/strategy above (including figures, and specific examples of deals/products/strategies etc).
• Client testimonials and/or (even better) client contacts for completely confidential and off-record feedback on the product/strategy. Please also provide the relevant contact person’s details.

Asia Fund House of the Year
To the best overall fund house headquartered in Asia Pacific, recognised for a combination of business strategy, execution, investment performance, asset gathering, innovation and success. In no more than 700 words, please outline why your firm deserves this award; the pitch can include any or all of the following:

• Details of business growth in terms of AUM, revenues, profits, performance, new clients, new mandates, new products, new services, new hires and/or other measures – including figures and specific examples. Across either or both the institutional and retail business.
• Details of changes in business strategy – be they through personnel changes or reorganisation or use of technology or innovation – that have demonstrably improved your business and client offering (again with facts and figures to back this up).
• Client testimonials and/or (even better) client contacts for completely confidential and off-record feedback on the product/strategy. Please also provide the relevant contact person’s details.

Asset Manager of the Year
To the best overall asset management firm, global or local, that demonstrates the best combination of business strategy, execution, investment performance, asset gathering, innovation and success. In no more than 700 words, please outline why your firm deserves this award; the pitch can include any or all of the following:

• Details of business growth in terms of AUM, revenues, profits, performance, new clients, new mandates, new products, new services, new hires and/or other measures – including figures and specific examples. Across either or both the institutional and retail business.
• Details of changes in business strategy – be they through personnel changes or reorganisation or use of technology or innovation otherwise – that have demonstrably improved your business and client offering (again with facts and figures to back this up).
• Client testimonials and/or (even better) client contacts for completely confidential and off-record feedback on the product/strategy. Please also provide the relevant contact person’s details.

For booking a table or individual seats at the awards dinner, please contact [email protected]

For sponsorship options, please contact [email protected]