The Bermuda Angle Conference kicks off over the weekend giving insurance analysts access to the senior executives of six of the Island's heavyweight insurance companies.

Participating in this year's conference - an annual event now in its eleventh year - are ACE Ltd., IPC Re, Max Re, Partner Re, Renaissance Re and XL Capital.

The CEOs of each company - Brian Duperreault (ACE), James Bryce (IPC), Robert Cooney (Max Re), Patrick Thiele (Partner Re), James Standard (Ren Re) and Brian O'Hara (XL) - will make individual presentations along with other senior management. It is expected that, as last year, the CFOs of each company will be present for the sessions.

The conference was once very much a closed-door affair but as publicly traded companies that must be in in compliance with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Regulation of Fair Disclosure (FD) regulations, participants now make their presentations available via live Web cast.

The conference itself however, which is being held at the Southampton Princess from October 12 to 15, is closed to all but financial/insurance analysts, company shareholders and invited guests.

The bulk of those in attendance will be insurance analysts seeking to question executive management on their company and get up-to-date information on the company's financial positions.

Notably absent from the list of participants this year are two participants from last year's Angle conference - Mutual Risk Management (MRM)and Trenwick.

Robert Mulderig, CEO of MRM was contacted yesterday but was off the Island and had not returned the call by last night. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year after its shares fell to trading well below a dollar, and which may account for the company's absence from the conference this year.

Trenwick was also contacted by The Royal Gazette and confirmed they would not be participating this year but declined to say why.

The company has, however, in the last year shrunk in size with the in-force business of LaSalle Re and 20 staff being taken on by new Bermuda insurance venture Endurance Specialty Ltd. Details of the web casts for each Bermuda Angle presentation will be printed in Monday's Business Calendar.