A delegation of Bermuda international business executives representing the financial services industry made the short trip Stateside for a media and marketing tour in New York last week.

Organised by the Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA), the delegation included Stephen Lowe of the Registrar of Companies, Pamela Burrows, assistant financial secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Cheryl Packwood, CEO of BIBA, Greg Wojciechowski, CEO of the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX), and Elizabeth Denman, senior associate of Conyers Dill & Pearman.

The two-day intensive tour of New York was divided into a day of meetings with the media and key sources of business for Bermuda.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the delegation conducted meetings with Ernst & Young, Lovells LLP, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, BlackRock, Saratoga Capital and Latham & Watkins.

On Wednesday, January 13, 2010, Mr. Wojciechowski and Ms On Wednesday, January 13, 2010, Mr. Wojciechowski and Ms Packwood met with international financial services, capital markets and stock exchange reporters at the Associated Press, Dow Jones, Forbes, Institutional Investor, Financial Times and Business Insurance.

"Bermuda continues to have an excellent opportunity to grow its international business and these meetings enable us to deliver our message in a clear, concise and effective way to the people who make decisions and advise clients on offshore business issues," said Ms Packwood.

"We were encouraged to hear that the financial services marketplace is continuing to turn around and that Bermuda has the right reputation, regulatory environment and approach to best serve the international business community. We are marketing the jurisdiction at the right time and while others have abandoned their efforts, which certainly positions Bermuda well to gain market share and grow."

Mr. Wojciechowski said: "This delegation worked well together and was really effective in conveying that Bermuda has governmental, regulator and business community support for the growth and development of international business. For my part, it was great to be able to discuss the BSX's efforts to capitalise on the great regulatory and technology platform we have developed for the listing of cat bonds, which was part of the story we told and that message was well-received in New York."

Following on from the success of the event, BIBA is planning to make an additional trip to New York in May for another round of meetings. The Association is planning its Annual London Financial Services conference for March 25, 2010 and will be attending conferences in India in February and Asia in April.