Thousands of high-powered delegates will be flying into Bermuda this week to attend a series of conferences based on the Island.

The week will read like a who's who of insurance and reinsurance as Chief Executive Officer, presidents, information technology experts, and several hundred analysts attend three conferences and a reinsurance open weekend for top Wall Street analysts.

Hotels across the Island have been booked solid by the delegates who will also be wining and dining across Bermuda. The week kicks off with Commercial Awareness, an intensive two-day programme on key commercial issues which "are essential for business success''.

Seminars include slots on risk management, business contract law and negotiation techniques.

Tomorrow, CyberInsurance starts at the Southampton Princess and speakers include Sally Sproat of Regional Vice President of Zurich US.

Conferences keep Bermuda buzzing Cathi Raffaeli of Consumer Financial Network and James Burchetta, chairman and co-chief executive officer of CyberSettle.com -- a company recently acquired by XL Capital will also attend.

There will be state-of-the-industry discussions as well as how-to sessions on entering the e-insurance world.

The event is organised by the Strategic Research Institute, and will also have case studies, workshops and legal advice on security and privacy.

"This year's conference features a dynamic, cutting-edge agenda along with an exceptional group of presenters who are the most successful practitioners and innovators in Internet-based insurance strategies, product design and distribution today,'' said Cheryl Bailer, senior vice president, insurance division at the Strategic Research Institute and event organiser.

"We have put together a programme that achieves giving access to not just those who talk about the importance of innovations, but who are actually the most successful practitioners in their areas of specialisation today.'' The largest and most prestigious event is the 14th International Reinsurance Congress, also at the Southampton Princess.

Here hundreds of delegates will arrive on Wednesday for three days and the event will be kicked off by a speech by Premier Jennifer Smith.

The chairman is Ray Medeiros and speakers include Brian O'Hara, Chairman of XL and Kathryn McIntyre, publisher of Business Insurance, Alan Fulkerson, CEO of Century Capital Management, US and Charlie Collis, partner of Conyers Dill & Pearman.

The weekend will see several hundred analysts flown in for `Bermuda Angle' a closed-door weekend of hospitality, golf and dinners for a no holds barred opportunity for analysts to probe the top echelon of the insurance industry.

This will start with cocktails hosted by ACE's Brian Duperreault and dinner by XL's Brian O'Hara. As soon as that is over, Cyber Funds 2000 starts on Tuesday October 17. This is a four-day conference on mutual funds.

It is also organised by the Strategic Research Institute and will address how to do business on the Internet.

Discussions will include mutual funds exclusively for on-line customer, synthetic mutual funds, wireless investing and exchange traded funds.

Keynote speakers include Sarah Libbey, senior vice president at Fidelity Investments, Byron Vielehr, global head of e-business at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and Mutual Fund Market News reporter Andrew Greene.

Stuart Williams, president and CEO of the Strategic Research Institute explained the interest: "The mutual fund industry has combined assets of just under $6 trillion. Currently more than 80 million people, or one out of every two households in America, invest in mutual funds.

"According to Forrester Research, the Internet research and consulting firm, investors have $128 billion in mutual fund assets invested via online accounts. That number will jump to $1.2 trillion by 2003, the firm says, or about 40 percent of online assets. The on-line industry is changing rapidly.''