Bermuda’s significant contribution to the global economy makes it different from many of the other offshore jurisdictions it is often lumped in with.

That was the message that Grant Gibbons, Minister of Economic Development, delivered to prominent figures in Chicago over the past few days.

Dr Gibbons, who was accompanied by Ross Webber, chief executive officer of the Bermuda Business Development Agency, went to the “Windy City” for events surrounding the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event on Lake Michigan over the weekend.

With Bermuda hosting next year’s America’s Cup finals, it gave the island an opportunity to take advantage of some mid-west limelight to reinforce its message.

Events included an interview on an early-morning business radio show, and meetings with Steve Koch, deputy mayor of Chicago, and economist Philip Levy of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an influential think-tank.

“We were certainly made very welcome,” Dr Gibbons said from Chicago. “We were able to dispel a few myths, but I think there’s a recognition that Bermuda is special among offshore financial centres.”

Dr Gibbons added that Mike Winfield, chief executive officer of America’s Cup Bermuda Ltd, and his team were also working in Chicago over the weekend.

Last Thursday night, the BDA also partnered with the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Gosling’s to host a Bermuda networking dinner for Chicago-area corporate and tourism representatives, including several former Bermuda residents.

In the meeting with Mr Koch, a former Wall Street financier, Dr Gibbons said parallels were drawn between the major pillars of the Chicago and Bermuda economies — trade and tourism.

Mr Koch, himself a keen sailor, “gave us a hard time”, quipped Dr Gibbons, given that Chicago was one of the rival venues that lost out to Bermuda in the selection for the home of the 2017 America’s Cup.

Mr Webber said the deputy mayor also recognised that “Bermuda is thought of differently when compared to other offshore domiciles” and “has a reputation for quality”. Mr Webber added: “That is something that he volunteered, so it was very encouraging.”

In the meeting with Dr Levy, Dr Gibbons said he stressed the value of Bermuda in terms of reinsurance claims paid for catastrophes like the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, and earthquakes in Japan, Chile and New Zealand.

Many in Chicago are familiar with Bermuda’s role in the global insurance industry, given that the headquarters of global broker Aon are in the city.

Dr Levy is a senior fellow on the global economy at the Council, a nonpartisan think-tank that seeks to connect Chicago to the world and the world to Chicago, according to its LinkedIn page. He also served as a senior economist for trade for President George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers.

Dr Gibbons also mentioned Bermuda’s worldwide treaty partnerships, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development affiliations and historic beneficial ownership register in their conversation.