Representatives from America’s insurers and their Bermuda reinsurers are on the US West Coast this week, watching the advance up the East Coast of the killer storm, Sandy.They are in Dana Point, California for the Annual Meeting of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.While financial, economic and regulatory matters were on the agenda, prayers were offered up for eastern seaboard families in the path of a storm that had claimed an estimated 50 lives in the Caribbean.Nearly 40 people from 17 Bermuda companies were among the 1,000 registered for the event, although another 30 non-registered islanders are expected to be in Dana Point for client meetings.The storm probably impacted more than 200 registrations, as flights from east coast cities were grounded and many insurance executives were unable to fly.The Bermuda Insurance Development Council (IDC) is a long time key sponsor of the PCI annual meeting, this year bringing economist Michael J Boskin, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the TM Friedman Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.In addition, he serves on several federal advisory panels and as an adviser to presidents and prime ministers, finance ministries, and central banks around the world, from the United States to China. Mr Boskin served as chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1989 to 1993.He was thanked by the IDC representative, James D’Onofrio, executive vice-president and head of reinsurance for Endurance Reinsurance Corporation of America.Mr D’Onofrio noted that with the integration of world markets, Bermuda played a significant role in the international insurance world..He added: “While I don’t have a crystal ball, I am confident that the insurance markets will lead the way out of the recession and Bermuda will play an important part.”Two other names widely recognised in Bermuda - Mark Watson III and David Mocklow were among panellists discussing how global regulatory convergence would affect an insurance companies bottom line.Mr Watson is president and CEO of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd, a $5 billion international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products, which has offices in Bermuda and around the world.Mr Mocklow is a Bermudian who is principal and COO of New York and London-based Elanus Capital Management, and is considered one of the industry’s leading names when it comes to the intersection of insurance and the capital markets.