Premier Jennifer Smith will lead a team of top Bermuda politicians and insurance gurus to promote the Island at an international conference in San Francisco next month.

The delegation, which includes Minister of Telecommunications and E-commerce Renee Webb and Minister of Finance Eugene Cox, will host a power breakfast to showcase Bermuda as centre for e-commerce and finance. The event will be held during the week-long prestigious Risk and Insurance Management Society Conference (RIMS), starting early next month in San Francisco.

At the annual event, Bermuda will have its own stand at the Moscone Convention Center from which information about the Island will be distributed.

The Premier will lead a round-table discussion hosted by the Island on `Bermuda's Status/Outlook As a Premier International Business Centre'.

The early morning meeting will be attended by guests of Ms Smith, the media as well as leading representatives from Bermuda's insurance, accounting, legal, banking, asset management and e-commerce industries.

A spokesman for RIMS said: "The event is to hear first hand about the business advantages of Bermuda's diverse e-commerce products and services, as well as its innovative regulatory environment and world class technical and support services...It is already recognised as a preeminent international business centre for companies engaged in insurance, accounting, banking, asset management and legal services.

Premier leads RIMS delegation "It has also emerged as a leader in the innovative application of e-commerce products and services.'' The spokesperson continued: "During this invitation-only breakfast round table Bermuda's most senior officials and industry experts will discuss how the Government and business have worked in partnership to create an environment that fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and inspires creative solutions in the financial services field.'' The event will be held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on May 3 at 7.45am.

Bank of N.T. Butterfield and Son is the only other Bermudian firm so far exhibiting -- ACE and XL are exhibiting under their US companies.

RIMS has for many years been used as a promotion for Bermuda as a centre for the insurance world.

This year the emphasis will be on the development of e-commerce.

RIMS traditionally attracts thousands of professionals from around the world.

Not only risk managers attend, but a multitude of related professionals and countries.

Competition for Bermuda will be tough this year. Organisations from the leading offshore centres of Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos and Dublin in Europe will all be promoting themselves at the event.

Premier Jennifer Smith