In 2007, China's futures market underwent profound changes. Encouraged by the implementation of the Regulation on the Administration of Futures Trading, futures products were presented at an expedited pace, and trading volume of commodity futures hit a record high. In particular, gold futures, which was kicked off in the beginning of 2008, and the financial futures, which is to be introduced soon, provide unprecedented opportunities for the futures market, drawing extensive attention from the society.
China's futures industry is facing major challenges as well as opportunities. Regulatory bodies, futures exchanges, futures companies, institutional investors and IT vendors face a host of questions that urgently need to be discussed and answered: How should regulatory bodies improve the regulatory system in light of the futures market's characteristics? How should institution inventors utilize the futures market to avert risks? How should futures companies assess market trend and develop their own profit models? How should exchanges and futures companies build a secure, reliable, convenient and economic IT platform to accommodate the development and trading of a hybrid of business? What new business forms will emerge against the background of innovation in the financial market? And how should domestic futures companies participate in competition in the international market in an open environment?
Against the backdrop, after successfully holding 2006 China (Beijing) Symposium & Exhibition for Futures IT System Upgrade and 2007 China (Beijing) Securities Futures IT Conference, Beijing Futures Association teamed up with authoritative industry institutions for the first time to hold 2008 China (Beijing) Futures & Derivatives Forum. With the tenet of “communicating authoritative viewpoints, sharing the makings of success, and seeking innovation and development”, industry leaders, experts and entrepreneurs will be invited to explore the road of healthy development for financial derivatives (commodity futures and stock index futures), and probe effective risk control for financial derivatives, stock index futures, and gold futures investment strategy, and commodity futures.