The event, which was held on 17-18 October, was attended by more than 4,500 institutional and private investors, who gained overview of the broad range of structured products, the latest trends, and innovations in the marketplace.

In 2006, structured products recorded the highest growth rate of all securities categories in Switzerland, and that growth has also persisted so far this year. Parallel to the surging demand for structured products, the need for information and product roadmaps has also increased.

“We wanted to take those needs into account by organising a financial fair focused solely on structured products“, noted Marc Zahn, CEO of Scoach.

“The success of this first financial fair for structured products reinforces our conviction to pursue the SSPA’s path of providing comprehensive information and clarification in terms of what structured financial products are all about," stated Roger Studer, President of the SSPA.

For next year, Scoach Switzerland Ltd. and the Swiss Structured Products Association are already planning to organise another fair. The 2008 financial fair for structured products will take place on 22-23 October 2008, in Zurich.

The market for structured products is growing rapidly. According to figures from the Swiss National Bank, at year-end 2006, the value of structured products held in clients’ custody accounts in Switzerland reached CHF 284 billion (US$232 billion). Hoping to capitalise on this growth in demand, a new exchange for structured products was launched in January 2007. This joint venture between the Swiss Exchange and Deutsche Boerse, which operates in Switzerland under the name SWX Quotematch AG, and in Germany as Boerse Frankfurt Smart Trading AG, turned over a record CHF7 billion (EUR4.3 billion, US$5.7 billion) in its first month, corresponding to 58% growth versus the same year-earlier month.