It may seem like a mismatch, but tennis star John McEnroe is heading to Bermuda next month - to be the celebrity speaker at the Mar/Hedge conference.

This unlikely pairing will take place at the conference which is due to start on September 7 and will bring in hundreds of hedge fund specialists to Bermuda.

Mr. McEnroe is listed as the featured speaker on Tuesday September 9 after lunch at 1.30. He will be slotted in between talks on “Portfolio construction: retrospective and outlook” and “The challenges of identifying hedge fund winners”.

Organisers said that as of August 8, attendance at this year's Bermuda conference had already passed 700.

MAR - Managed Account Reports Inc - organises a wide range of conferences serving the global alternative investment marketplace and also publishes a wide range of newsletters and directories covering the global alternative investment marketplace.

The event kicks off on Sunday, September 7, with a whole host of sporting activities - a golf tournament, followed by a tennis tournament (it is not known if McEnroe will be taking on any of the hedge executives) and then a sailing excursion.

On Monday the keynote address is due to be given by the senior and renowned economist Dr. Richard Clarida.

Dr. Clarida was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President George W. Bush and is now chief economic strategist for the Clinton Group, an investment firm managing $10.3 billion.

As Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for economic policy, Dr. Clarida was chief economist for the Treasury Department, reporting directly to the Treasury Secretary, and advising on a wide range of economic policy issues. Other hot topics will be the new regulatory environment with the Patriot Act which brings about a whole new gamut of problems for the hedge fund managers.

“The rules for hedge funds to comply with the money laundering provisions of the USA Patriot Act have now been established, legislators and regulators may not be finished in attempting to impose new compliance burdens on the sector,” said the organisers.

“How are those who are managing hedge fund operations and assets coping with the demands created by the new regulatory requirements? How has it changed their procedures or business practices? How confident are they that they fully understand the regulatory structure put in place and that they have the resources necessary to properly administer them?”

And the conference hopes to offer practical, hands-on experience with the day-to-day issues now confronting fund management companies that must comply with both new rules and more aggressive regulators.

Tax is another big issue that will be top of the agenda as changes in the rules governing the treatment of tax deferral plans that are widely used by hedge funds, and to the insurance products popular with many hedge fund investors, have been imposed or are being considered.

Another headlining speaker is Christopher Buckley, best-selling social and political satirist and editor of Forbes FYI is on the agenda. Buckley has been called “one of the wittiest - and most fearless - men of our day.” Buckley's latest book is No Way to Treat a First Lady.

Once he has warmed up the crowd, McEnroe takes centre court. For two decades, McEnroe set an unparalleled standard of excellence on the court. His pursuit of perfection and intensity to win combined with his famous bad temper have made him a popular champion and a tennis legend for the ages. McEnroe first endeared himself to the American public by reaching Wimbledon's semifinals as an 18-year-old amateur preparing for college. In 1979, he won the first of four US Open Championship singles titles. In 1981, he took the first of three Wimbledon singles titles, becoming the youngest number-one-ranked man in the game's history. McEnroe maintained his top rank for the next four years and captured seven Grand Slam singles championships. With his 10 Grand Slam doubles championships, McEnroe is considered to be one of the greatest doubles player of all time.