The Bermuda Department of Tourism will be tapping into another market through golf -- namely the black business market in the United States -- when together with Atlanta based company, Events International, they will host the inaugural Black Masters Invitational Golf Classic between October 26-30.

Colonial Insurance and Power 95 radio are the other primary sponsors of the event which will take place on three courses, the Government-owned St.

George's and Port Royal courses and finishing at Castle Harbour.

The amateur event will bring to the Island more than 100 black businessmen with somewhere in the region of 100 actually participating along with Bermudians.

"For golfing we'd like to get about 120 to 130 people,'' said Tony Moore, Director of Marketing for Events International yesterday.

Moore is on the Island helping to put the finishing touches to the series of events which will also include seminars on international trade, forums and a professional matching service which will provide networking opportunities for professionals.

"CEO's, corporate executives from Fortune 500 corporations, entrepreneurs as well as athletes, professional and retired, entertainers, just a gamut of people that would like to spend a week on the Island of Bermuda,'' said Moore.

Moorer said that Black Entertainment Television (BET), which filmed the Black Enterprise/Pepsi Challenge Golf and Tennis Classic in Florida at the weekend, will be filming the whole event. The Classic will be held along similar lines and while declining to divulge names at this point Moore did say that some of those who competed in the Florida event could be coming to Bermuda.

"They had about 900 people for a golf and tennis outing which tells us there is a good market out there,'' Moore explained. "What we're doing is right in line with something that needs to happen.

"We are going to work with the Black Enterprise and Pepsi Challenge staff so that that we can get some reciprocal agreements, send some of our people to their tournament and they'll send some people to our tournament. The market is untapped.'' Top entertainment will also perform at the "Champions Night'' awards presentation on the Saturday night, including the renowned O'jays, up and coming jazz musician Miles Jaye, local group Legacy and comedian Bootsie.

"The Department of Tourism has been very receptive, this is one of the untapped markets as far as Bermuda tourism is concerned,'' said Moore. "This is an opportunity to get Bermuda exposed to a lot of the market.'' Moore said the age of the golfers will be 35 and up. "If you look at the profile of the golfer that's typically what it is, college graduate, middle-upper management or business owners.'' He said even those not participating in the golf will have activities laid out for them which should boost business on the Island during a time when tourist arrivals may have fallen off slightly.

"They'll see more of the Island, patronise the merchants here on the Island and it will give a lot of the families and spouses, people who are not golfing something else to do. As you can see in the brochure we'll have activities planned for every evening.'' Another event is the `Taste of Bermuda' which MP Nelson Bascome, president of the 100 Black Men of Bermuda, will be hosting.

The tournament has been in the works for about a year, since Ted Sapp, president of Events International, first approached the Department of Tourism.

Tony Moore