As any TV star knows, it takes work to look good for the camera. That is one reason why NYSE Euronext has committed to an 18-month, $5m (€3.4m) face-lift for the 100-year-old trading floor that serves as a central backdrop for business-television programs.

The redesign, already under way along the west wall of the Big Board's main trading room, is part of a broader strategic shift at the exchange. The exchange wants to lure more electronic traders directly to the floor, creating a hybrid world where they can take in the person-to-person "buzz" of live traders while still executing trades by computer.