A trained journalist, Ludivine Garnaud is the events editor at L’Agefi, France’s leading financial media outlet. As head of editorial coordination for conferences and the L’Agefi Circles, she ensures the programmes maintain journalistic integrity and remain firmly rooted in current developments within the finance sector. Here, she discusses the ambitions of the Circles, their role in the financial ecosystem and the reasons behind launching an edition in Monaco.
It is now France’s leading financial media outlet. We have around 100 staff members, including more than 50 journalists, which makes for a substantial editorial team. It is a media outlet with over a century of history that has constantly reinvented itself.
The rise of events is part of a broader evolution in the media, which now act as community facilitators rather than merely producers and distributors of print content. L’Agefi naturally offers a news website organised into channels corresponding to the various sectors of finance: wealth management, asset management, corporate finance, institutional investors, banking, private equity, as well as tech and crypto.
We produce daily content in various formats: online articles, print, videos, podcasts, and now audio versions of articles. The aim is to shed light on the transformations linked to geopolitical, economic and financial developments, market trends, as well as structural shifts related to technology and the integration of ESG issues in particular.
Events are an integral part of the editorial team. We often say that our events are media outlets. They contribute to the production of information, simply in a different form.
My role is to coordinate, alongside my team, the entire editorial production of the events: working with journalists from various specialist fields, highlighting key topics in line with current affairs, identifying the right speakers, and putting together coherent programmes. We naturally maintain a journalistic approach. Participants share their experience and expertise to shed light on the environment in which they operate.
Both at the same time. Thanks to the insights of various professionals active in each sector, we decipher their challenges and how they are evolving. Consequently, we help to better chart the course for their development, whilst also enabling everyone to gain a clearer understanding of their own position.
Events play a part in this analytical work. They also allow the journalists and hosts to bring new topics to the fore, which will then feed into editorial content.
There are several reasons for this choice. Firstly, Monaco is a powerful financial centre that is constantly reinventing itself. It faces stiff competition from other centres, but we have observed a high level of loyalty among professionals and their clients to this ecosystem.
We have also gathered testimonials from local figures expressing a desire for innovation and to strengthen this momentum. We wanted to understand these mechanisms and the players involved.
Furthermore, several readers and partners had been telling us for some time that many events were held in Paris, whilst things were also happening in Monaco. This project had been under consideration for over two years: we took the time needed to put together the highest-quality programme possible.
We know that professionals have busy schedules. If we ask them to travel, it is to provide them with genuine insight.
The strength of Les Cercles lies first and foremost in analysis. The themes are defined in collaboration with the editorial team, focusing on topics that directly concern the participants. In a single morning, they can gain a better understanding of their environment during a particularly complex period.
They also value the insights from their peers: seeing how other professionals deal with the same situations, and learning about their convictions and choices.
Finally, the Circles facilitate targeted and high-quality networking, in a deliberately intimate setting with around a hundred participants.
All three dimensions exist.
There may be an element of influence, particularly because the speakers have a strategic vision and can inspire other professionals. The element of conviction is very strong: discussions allow for the comparison of analyses and positions.
As for the decision-making aspect, it may stem from conviction. After hearing peers discuss opportunities or risks, some participants may adjust their investment strategy or direction.
We distinguish between industry topics and investment topics.
For industry topics, such as those related to the transformation of wealth management, we invite private banking executives or individuals with a strategic vision.
For investment topics, we tend to invite CIOs or asset allocation managers who are directly responsible for investment decisions.
The editorial team has an extensive network of contacts and carries out ongoing market monitoring. We cater to our readers, both current and potential: we therefore seek to identify them clearly and understand them well.
Our sessions are short: round-table discussions last 30 minutes. This allows us to quickly address specific points with a high level of analysis. Over the course of a morning, we thus cover most current topics.
Participants come seeking a quick yet in-depth insight into their environment, insights from peers, and the opportunity to expand their network within a professional setting.
They are also drawn to the strength of the L’Agefi brand and the event’s journalistic impartiality. Our aim is to foster in-depth discussions.
Admission is free for professional investors, which encourages open and frank discussion. This also allows us to address sensitive topics, such as certain regulations or necessary market developments, in an educational and open-minded spirit.
