The record Bermuda contingent of more than 130 executives converging on the 36th Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) annual conference and exhibition at the San Diego Convention Center this morning have prepared for a busy week.

There has been a whirlwind of change in risk and insurance management since a similar gathering last April in Atlanta. There have been so many mergers, acquisitions and new alliances, that for some it will be a test to remember who is now allied with who.

And Bermuda's international insurance industry will have to muddle through at the Government's annual Wednesday evening reception without the presence of a popular Premier Pamela Gordon.

The event is being held in the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Del Coronado on Orange Avenue. The Premier has been called away to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, representing Bermuda at the first annual Council of Women World Leaders.

The Bermuda Government's RIMS reception boasts the most sought-after ticket during the week of RIMS, although it is hardly likely that anyone has ever been turned away from what usually is perceived as an elegant occasion.

The Premier's absence comes at just her second RIMS and some industry executives conceded disappointment that she will not be able to attend. The charm of a very personable and popular Premier can go a long way at such functions.

The Government is to be represented by Finance Minister Grant Gibbons and Tourism Minister David Dodwell.

This morning, the Premier will have a breakfast meeting with an insurance reporter from the San Diego Tribune, followed by an interview with the Associated Press.

The interviews focused on the growth of Bermuda's insurance industry and Government's role in creating the appropriate regulatory environment. Her remarks included a review of Bermuda's leading role in the provision of catastrophe reinsurance and the Island's significant presence at the RIMS Conference.

The Premier will tour the exhibit hall of the conference tomorrow. On Wednesday, she will deliver remarks at the Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) breakfast briefing at The Hyatt Regency San Diego.

The breakfast is to provide those in the banking, legal, accounting and financial services professions in the southwestern US region with updates on recent developments and opportunities in Bermuda's international business community.

Registrar of Companies, Kymn Astwood arrived in San Diego yesterday and will stay until Friday. He will be accompanied by inspector of companies, Jeremy Cox and technical officer Ann Daniels.

Mr. Astwood underscored the importance of his presence at the conference, saying, "Normally I'm very, very busy with potential prospects and meeting existing clients at the booth. A lot of times there are some very firm leads that we follow up on and actually look at business plans.'' Even in casual conversations though, Bermuda's regulators carry the story of a domicile that has seen increased interest in health care captive formation and other vehicles in a market characterised by over-supply and soft pricing.

Bermuda's register of insurers is nearing 1,500 and 93 new insurance companies formed last year, more than a third of which were Class 3 companies.

Bermuda will this year alter a successful formula of past RIMS, by changing the colour and design on 3,600 highly-popular promotional canvas bags which feature the crest of Bermuda, and which are normally given away to those visiting the Bermuda booth in the exhibit hall.

Chairman of Bermuda's RIMS committee, Robin Spencer-Arscott, also indicated that those volunteers working at the Bermuda booth will also be more uniformly dressed.

ROBIN SPENCER-ARSCOTT -- Chairman of Bermuda's RIMS committee.

BUSINESS BUC