A Bermuda delegation attended the biggest hedge fund conference in the US last week to promote understanding of the Island's business environment.

More than 900 delegates attended GAIM USA 2008 in Boca Raton, Florida, including Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) chief executive officer Cheryl Packwood and a group of executives from the Island.

After the GAIM event, BIBA hosted a Roundtable dinner at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami last Thursday where 90 leading business executives, lawyers and financial advisors, based in Miami, were provided with presentations and discussion on regulation, business developments and opportunities for financial services businesses in Bermuda.

Ms Packwood was accompanied by several distinguished Bermudian business leaders, including: Randall Krebs, an attorney with Appleby Global; Sarah Moule, also an attorney with Appleby Global; Paul Bailey from GAM Limited; Greg Wojciechowski, president and CEO of the Bermuda Stock Exchange; and Joanne MacPhee from KPMG in Bermuda.

BIBA recently attended the GAIM Invest 2007 Conference held in Geneva in December.

"Bermuda has gained much praise and recognition regarding regulation and business policies among offshore jurisdictions by regulators in the US, Europe and Latin America," Ms Packwood said. "Presenting why Bermuda is at the forefront of these growing business developments, more partnerships and investments among various jurisdictions is essential for fund managers and decision makers in understanding how these Bermuda-based financial institutions, funds and organisations can produce growing opportunities for their businesses.

"At this conference as well as our host dinner, we addressed the core issues facing the international business community today. We demonstrated why we believe that Bermuda can point to specific for businesses, individuals and family offices while providing opportunities to interact with Bermuda's esteemed business community."

Ms Packwood added that there was growing growing interest in Bermuda from law firms and financial organisations throughout the South Florida region. "It is of note that we met and spoke to businesses from as far as Brazil."