Bermuda this month hosted one of reportedly the most prestigious events in the world. But what, if anything, did the Island get out of it? That question may never be fully answered. And even if it is, the answer may be as varying as the people asked.

While those involved with the World Conference of Mayors, who spoke to The Royal Gazette , all agreed that the intent of holding the event was to forge stronger links between Bermuda and the African-American market, they differed on how this could have been achieved.

The convention went ahead in Bermuda despite a warning that only two people had registered two weeks before its start.

The Royal Gazette has learned that less than 20 mayors and no more than 70 delegates attended the event which cost the Tourism Department more than $100,000.

According to documents obtained, only 16 mayors, including WCM founder Mayor Johnny Ford, were confirmed to attend the conference by October 14. The other delegates were media people, labour union representatives, city councilmen, and friends of Johnny Ford and their spouses.

And the event -- held from November 15 through 20 at Elbow Beach Hotel -- was in such a disarray that conference organiser Bonnie Marshall strongly urged Mr. Ford, who is the WCM director counsel, to postpone the event until next year.

Ms Marshall became the focal point of the prestigious event due to an ongoing feud with the Department of Tourism over funding of the event.

But she has maintained that her only aim in bringing the convention to Bermuda was to bridge the gap between Bermuda and the generous-spending African-American tourism market.

The Tourism Department severed ties with Ms Marshall after she accused them of reneging on funds promised to the AAGTTC for the conference.

After receiving $15,000 for her finder's fee and $25,000 to begin work on the conference, the department insisted that Ms Marshall produce a marketing plan.

After disputing whether or not that was her responsibility, Ms Marshall -- at the urging of the BIU -- produced a detailed marketing profile in August.

Tourism director Gary Phillips in a August 7 letter to BIU president Derrick Burgess called the "marketing plan'' a major step forward.

But the next month, Mr. Phillips said he was still waiting for Ms Marshall to produce a "specific outline of her promotional marketing programme'' for the conference, including how all the money will be spent, the name of the radio and television stations and magazines where the advertisements will appear, and what markets she will be targetting.

Ms Marshall's marketing profile, which she claims was later used by the Tourism Department's US-based advertising firm DDB Needham, provides the latter.

But Mr. Phillips has claimed that it was not good enough therefore his department, at the request of the WCM, produced a detailed marketing plan with the help of other marketing companies. He refused to provide a copy of the plan to The Royal Gazette .

And while admitting that this cost the department more than $75,000, Mr.

Phillips said it was well worth it.

"This was an opportunity for the Government to demonstrate that Bermuda welcomes African Americans to the Island,'' he said. "This involved putting together a plan that would promote Bermuda to the African American community using the WCM as a springboard.

"This is about an investment. That is why we were prepared to spend more than the $75,000 when necessary.'' When asked how Bermuda benefitted from the conference, Mr. Phillips said: "It is difficult to tell. But if you ask the BIU a number of contacts were made in terms of labour. I've received a number of calls from business people. People from Africa in the fashion market have contacted some stores, and a number of other people are talking to me about other groups coming to Bermuda.

"Despite all that happened I think the money was well spent. But I don't know what happened to the $25,000 given to Ms Marshall and the finder's fee or the $40,000 from the union. But that is their business.'' However, Ms Marshall has disputed the success of the Tourism Department's marketing campaign.

And she said had the event been properly funded as promised, she would have been able to use her connections in the US to attract more influential blacks to Bermuda.

In an October 28 letter to Mr. Ford -- which was copied to the WCM board members, and sponsors American Airlines, Bermuda Forum, the BIU, the Department of Tourism and Bell Atlantic -- Ms Marshall claimed that the Tourism Department's marketing scheme had "failed severely''.

"We strongly urged during a Board meeting last week that this convention be postponed to the first quarter of 1999 and to use the November 15 to 20 dates as a planning session between the mayors, the corporate sponsors, and WCM supporters because it was apparent then and it is apparent now that the Bermuda Department of Tourism (BDOT) marketing scheme has failed severely,'' she wrote. "We received one phone call from this so-called $75,000 `media blitz'. As you know, I advised yourself, the BDOT and DDB Needham on more than one occasion that their Media Plan would not work.

"We are less than two and a half weeks away from the convention. Last week, during a conference call with members of the WCM Board you indicated that we could expect at least 100 people from your efforts. To date, we have registered a total of two people. Many of the people who have called are indicating that you told them that the WCM would be paying their fees and they were simply told to call and make reservations because the WCM is picking up the tab. These people include city council members and people who are not even mayors.

"Yet today, when we asked you to reimburse the AAGTTC for long distance calls that are necessary in our efforts to register guests, delegates, and to organise the convention, you indicated that the BDOT only agreed to reimburse your office for phone calls and not mine; yet we are doing and are expected to do all the work.

"For example, we have asked you for the past two weeks to contact people on your list and have them call in and make payment. Instead, your office did not comply even though you committed over and over that you would. So today when we asked you for money to pay the past due bill so that we may keep the phones on and make the calls ourselves, you refused saying that the BDOT would not reimburse the AAGTTC for any calls.

"Mayor Ford, let me point out that the WCM owes the AAGTTC $42,000 and any monies that are made payable to the WCM relating to this convention from any entity in accordance with our contract, have to be turned over within seven days of receipt to the AAGTTC until the budget of $567,000 is met.

"Please be advised that if the WCM has or is accepting monies on behalf of the convention from any contributor, corporation, sponsor, donor or any entity whatsoever without reporting it to the AAGTTC, it would be fraudulent and unethical.

"... We will continue to work as we have done to get through this nightmare of unprofessionalism and deception. However, again, we strongly urge the World Conference of Mayors to postpone this event in order to deliver to the people of Bermuda, the hotels, the BIU and our sponsors everything that we promised to deliver; unless your objective is simply to provide a few people with free trips to Bermuda paid for by the BDOT and at the expense of our sponsors, myself, my staff, the WCM organisation, and the credibility of those WCM board members who still value ethics and their reputations.

"Again, I point out and I caution the WCM Board to consider the legal liability you might face as a result of breaching your contracts with American Airlines, the BIU, Bell Atlantic, the Southampton and Elbow Beach hotels and the AAGTTC. You committed to delivering a specific type of event. It is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not able to deliver this event. "We have repeatedly asked for the funds to pay for the celebrities that have been on hold for months. We will be cancelling those celebrities by Friday, October 30, 1998 if we have not received the money for them. We are outraged that what could have been a very successful and positive event has been reduced to the BDOT paying for mayors and non-mayors to come into Bermuda for this conference in an attempt to save face.

"It is no surprise that yourself and the BDOT are not willing to admit that you have failed miserably both in your efforts to circumvent your agreement with the AAGTTC, and in your efforts to organise and promote this convention.

As you know, the AAGTTC has not had any decision-making ability surrounding this convention since you took it over on May 19. We have been used as unpaid workhorses to get the work done and we were simply set up in the press as fall guys to justify your mutual objectives and dirty work.

"So, it is also no surprise that you, Johnny Ford, and the BDOT continue to hide behind your mouthpiece The Royal Gazette by pointing the finger at the AAGTTC rather than admitting your bad judgment and failed efforts.

"However, it is ironic that yourself and the BDOT have gotten what you both worked so hard for since May 19, and I suspect that unless the convention is reorganised so that all parties involved get what they were promised, in the end you will ultimately get what you both deserve.

"It is obviously your call, but please be clear that the AAGTTC will take no responsibility whatsoever for the bad judgment and questionable dealings by yourself, the WCM president, David Humes, or any WCM Board member who goes along with this fiasco. The AAGTTC's job was to organise the convention, secure the celebrities, raise funds, and promote the convention. You committed to the AAGTTC that there would be at least 400 mayors and dignitaries that would be organised by your office, where are they?'' When contacted, Mr. Ford said he never received the letter although he had heard about it.

But he said: "It was the position of the board that we go ahead with the conference. We had a time schedule so we had no intention of continuing our relationship with Ms Marshall.

"We entered into an agreement with her. In that agreement she agreed to raise X number of dollars and arrange registration, reservations and transportation for board members. None of that was done. She had projected a budget of over $1 million -- of that we would raise $400,000 for us. None of that was realised.

"It is just a sigh of relief to be out of this agreement and the conference behind us. But whatever we do in Bermuda again will be with the people of Bermuda or the Government.'' "The reputation of the WCM is very, very important to us,'' Mr. Ford continued. "Everyone knows this was a difficult situation. We had no idea we would be engaged in such an experience. Obviously we have learned from this experience. This has been a very costly, learning experience for the mayors.

"We want to ensure the Government of Bermuda we are eternally grateful for their help. And we're apologetic for any inappropriate behaviour which may have been carried out by the WCM or Ms Marshall.'' Mr. Ford added during the conference the WCM board elected Hamilton Mayor William Frith as the ninth vice president and St. George's Mayor Lois Perinchief as a board member.

"We propose that now Bermuda is a member of the conference, we would like to have an opportunity to deal with the Department of Tourism and Government in some developing meetings,'' he said.

The WCM is in the process of preliminary plans for next year's conference which could be held in Ethiopia, Tanzania or Ghana.