conference in Cancun, Mexico, have welcomed direct invitations to address an annual symposium in Rio de Janeiro later this month.

The meeting is described as the Brazilian equivalent of the RIMS conference and the invitation came directly from the chairman of the conference, Mr.

Moacque Inocente.

Mr. Inocente said: "We see a real need for technical and specific information about Bermuda insurance and reinsurance products and facilities. We don't want marketing, we want real professional advice, and it would be highly desirable if a Bermuda team could make itself known to us.'' The invitation is the latest acknowledgement of interest in Bermuda being exhibited by Latin American companies.

Officials of Mexican Government organisations are keen on knowing more about Bermuda's insurance regulations and its handling of modern financial markets, particularly insurance and reinsurance.

A delegation from the National Research Council of Mexico spent more than an hour talking with delegates from Bermuda, and are arranging discussions with the Island's regulators for the new year.

The National Statistical Office of Mexico has also requested as much information about Bermuda as possible, for the purpose of advising the Mexican Government and Mexican business of comparative indices.

Appleby, Spurling & Kempe partner Mr. Warren Cabral said promotional material taken to the conference for his law firm, the Bermuda Commercial Bank and Skandia International Risk Management has all been distributed because of the huge interest in Bermuda.

ON Wednesday, in an impromptu seminar put on by the Bermuda delegates, Mr.

Cabral provided an outline of Bermuda as a jurisdiction, pointing out its global standing as a captive and reinsurance domicile. He also explained the benefits of being "offshore'' and more specifically, "why Bermuda''.

Ms Dominique Smith, general manager, treasury at Bermuda Commercial Bank, spoke in detail about the high standard of Bermuda's financial services.

She commented: "The brief presentation was warmly welcomed and has inspired numerous enquiries about Bermuda.'' Actuary project manager for Skandia, Mr. Christian Bjorck, discussed more in depth the concept of captives, and how they can be set up.

Mr. Cabral said: "The delegates were absolutely craving knowledge of offshore mechanisms and captives. They've heard of them, but they don't know how they operate.

"We have had indications from a number of people who will make deliberate attempts to check out Bermuda, including one company that was just set to form a company in the Bahamas, but will now suspend that because they were impressed with what they learned about Bermuda.''