The Women in Public Life conference - which kicks off today at the Hamilton Princess - will be the subject of a one-hour special on BET, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Conference chair Tourism and Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb said BET crews will be filming the conference over the next three days in order to prepare the special.

"I am very pleased with both the local and foreign participation we are getting for the conference," Ms Webb said.

"The topics are varied enough to be interesting to a cross-section of people which should be very positive."

Up to 250 participants will be taking advantage of workshops and lectures featuring high profile speakers such as US Congresswoman Diane Watson, attorney Cherie Booth, novelist Sara Peretsky and journalist Carol Jenkins over the weekend.

The speakers will be addressing a range of eight topics from women's health to women in politics.

Organiser Nigel Hickson told The Royal Gazette many of the sessions are near capacity, although there is space available at some of the luncheons and dinners featuring keynote speakers including the conference closing lunch with Cherie Booth-Blair.

"We are limited to 200 in the main business sessions but there are still ticket reservations available for the evening dinners," Mr. Hickson said.

"We are very pleased with the response from the public and the business community.

"Some businesses have been sponsoring tables and we are very happy about that."

Mr. Hickson said many of the speakers began arriving in Bermuda yesterday including First Lady Bernadette Christie of Bahamas.

"We're really looking forward to a positive and productive conference," he added.

Participants will be registering throughout this afternoon at the hotel and Premier Jennifer Smith will host a networking session and cocktail hour immediately in advance of the opening address at Southampton Princess tonight.

Congresswoman Diane Watson will deliver the opening speech in the Southampton hotel's Princess Poinciana ballroom at 7.30 p.m.

A life-time Los Angeles resident, Dr. Watson was the first African American woman ever elected to the city's Board of Education in 1975.

In 1987, she earned a PhD in Education Administration from Claremont Graduate School.

In the US legislature she has been known for championing issues such as health care, consumer protection as well as women and children.

In 1997, she was instrumental in ensuring legislation was passed to facilitate more research into the causes of breast cancer.

"I am very pleased with the quality of speakers we have for the conference," Ms Webb said yesterday.

"We have very good topics and very good speakers.

"The people attending will, undoubtedly, be happy with the composition of the conference.

"And, at the close of the conference, we will be adopting resolutions to send to the United Nations.

"I'm pretty excited about that."

Ms Webb - who recently added Minister of Tourism duties to her busy schedule as Minister of Telecommunications - said she is especially looking forward to sessions on balancing family and career as well as building partnerships between men and women.

"I'll be attending most sessions," Ms Webb said.

"I am also very interested to hear the speakers on Women in the Peace Process which is very topical in light of the situation with Iraq at the moment.

"I really want to hear what the speakers say about that."

Organisers will be taking registrations, wherever space allows, throughout the conference for those who still hope to attend.

For a more detailed line-up of speakers and workshops please see the conference website (www.womeninpubliclife.bm).