ORLANDO -- Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan began making contacts and renewing old acquaintances within minutes of his arrival in Orlando yesterday.

He headed straight to the Orange County Convention Center, where the RIMS conference is being held and over the next few days he will visit all the 1,200-odd booths on show.

"This conference is extremely important to Bermuda,'' said Sir John, who visits RIMS every year. "It allows Bermuda not only to demonstrate and present its information from a company and government point of view but also allows the various companies and their employees to speak to a number of people about the issues that affect business being done in Bermuda and matters which affect other jurisdictions.

"Bermuda has one of the most dominant representations here in Florida. The Bermuda booth is probably the most popular in the whole conference.'' Sir John said contacts made at RIMS over the years had led to "a great deal of business coming to Bermuda''.

"Developing relationships with people is vital in any business,'' he said.

"A wide variety of contacts are made here annually, which brings money to the Island.'' The Bermuda promotion at RIMS is also geared towards boosting tourism as well as the Island's international business sector.

"Even people visiting Bermuda do not get the intensity of what the Island has to offer that they get at the booth,'' said Sir John.

The Hon. Sir John Swan.