American Financial Technology Awards 2016: Important Changes

Please note that entries close at 08.00 (BST) on the morning of October 17 (that is eight o'clock in the morning, UK time). Late entries will not be accepted after that deadline.  

In the past, the AFTAs were solely geared toward end-users: banks, asset managers, broker-dealers, hedge funds, etc. This year there are still 16 awards open exclusively to sell-side and buy-side firms. But in addition to those categories, we've added 11 vendor categories.

One clear trend that has developed since the financial crisis is that end-user firms are increasingly relying on third-party platforms to handle a plethora of functions, including regulatory reporting, risk management, communications and expanding asset-class coverage. This year-end awards program aims to show the best of those collaborations and innovative initiatives.

Below you can see all the categories (click here for more information on those categories). Below that is a list of best practices for submitting an entry (click here for a video explaining what makes for a good entry). If you have any questions, please reach out to either Victor Anderson (victor.anderson@incisivemedia.com) or Anthony Malakian (anthony.malakian@incisivemedia.com).

Please note that entries close at 08.00 (BST) on the morning of October 17 (that is eight o'clock in the morning, UK time). Late entries will not be accepted after that deadline.

END-USER CATEGORIES (Tech firms may not enter these categories) 

• Best Global Deployment
• Best Risk Management Initiative
• Best Analytics Initiative
• Best Reporting Initiative
• Best Cross-Asset Trading Initiative
• Best Data Management Initiative
• Best Cloud Initiative
• Best Infrastructure Initiative
• Most Cutting-Edge IT Initiative
• Best IT Integration Initiative
• Best Mobile Strategy Initiative
• Best Compliance Initiative
• Best Technology Executive, Buy Side
• Best Technology Executive, Sell Side
• Best IT Team - Buy Side - NEW FOR 2016
• Best IT Team - Sell Side - NEW FOR 2016

TECHNOLOGY VENDOR CATEGORIES (All are new for 2016)

• Best Third-Party Technology Vendor CIO or CEO
• Best Third-Party Technology Vendor IT Team
• Most Innovative Third-Party Technology Vendor
• Best Front-Office Initiative
• Best Middle-Office Initiative
• Best Back-Office Initiative
• Best Collaboration Initiative
• Best Partnership or Alliance
• Best Use of the Agile Methodology
• Best Trading Infrastructure Provider
• Best Communication Infrastructure Provider

GENERAL ENTRY INFORMATION

Entry to the American Financial Technology Awards (AFTAs) is free and is online only.

Each entry must be completed in a separate online entry form. If you are entering multiple categories, you will need to complete the requisite number of online entry forms.

The body copy word count for each entry is restricted to 500 words. Please do not attempt to attach PDFs or other files to your entry ─ the entry template will not allow you to do this.

All company/product details and any reference clients that might be included in the entry are strictly confidential.

Please note that the quality of your entry (reference clients, general information, lay-out etc.) has a bearing on the outcome of each category. Over the past nine years, it has become clear that some entrants have gone to great lengths to provide the judging panel with as much transparency as possible regarding their products/services and the company in general. These entries stand a greater chance of success than those consisting of a "cut-and-paste-job" from the company website.

WHAT YOUR ENTRY SHOULD LOOK LIKE:

Each 500-word entry must contain the following:

• An introduction clearly stating why you think your organization should win this award.

• The technical details of service/offering/platform/application/team/initiative/person you believe should win the award.

• The specific business advantages, innovations and benefits (and possibly the time and money saved or generated) of the service/offering/platform/application/team/initiative/person.

Please note that entries close at 08.00 (BST) on the morning of October 17 (that is eight o'clock in the morning, UK time). Late entries will not be accepted after that deadline.