The Bermuda International Business Association will host in Geneva its first Bermuda Financial Services Conference, Monday, November 10, 2008 at the Mandarin Oriental, and will also participate in the GAIM International Fund of Funds, November 11-13, 2008. The delegation from Bermuda will be led by Cheryl Packwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Bermuda International Business Association and includes many of Bermuda’s top business leaders. At the behest of the Association’s membership operating in the trust sector, the conference’s focus is on private wealth management and trusts. Nevertheless, there will be informational panels on Bermuda’s hedge fund and insurance sectors, together with an overview of Bermuda’s technological and telecommunications infrastructure provided by KeyTech Limited and North Rock Communications.

“Bermuda has a strong message to deliver to the financial community. We will demonstrate our expertise, particularly against the backdrop of the financial turmoil that has touched all corners of the globe. Hosting this event in Geneva will allow Bermuda’s international business experts to provide valuable insight and perspective on what makes Bermuda an attractive business partner, especially in the world of the private client,” said Cheryl Packwood, CEO, of the Bermuda International Business Association. “We are pleased to have broad participation from our legal, financial services, funds and telecommunications members in panel sessions that will offer real and practical information on the business opportunities in Bermuda. It allows us to highlight what distinguishes Bermuda from other jurisdictions, as well as expand and deepen our relationships with the lawyers, bankers, fund managers, accountants and advisors who drive the private client market as well as the global financial markets and in particular Europe.”

On the heels of the highly successful Bermuda Financial Services Conferences held in New York and Chicago, together bringing in over 300 participants, the Bermuda International Business Association will host a similar conference in Geneva. This exclusive invitation-only series of panel presentations and discussions will feature remarks from Cheryl Packwood, Chief Executive Office and Acting Chairman, Vicki Coelho, a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Bermuda International Business Association, as well as several top financial service representatives, including Randall Krebs, Warren Cabral and James Bodi of Appleby. who will be on hand to offer an overview of the benefits of Bermuda and to lead a series of focused break-out sessions.

This time in Geneva, the Conference will consist of a full four hour session on trusts and private wealth management, which will include a discussion of Bermuda trust law, private trust companies and family offices, advanced trust law and an introduction to key Bermuda service providers. In addition, there will be panels running concurrently on hedge funds and fund administration, capital markets including mergers and acquisitions and listings, infrastructure as well as an insurance and reinsurance market update and discussion of business formation and regulation. All panels will feature industry experts who will explain current developments in the jurisdiction and offer insight to what Bermuda has to offer the international community.

Ms. Packwood concluded: “Our very own financial services conference also allows us to confirm our strengths in the European marketplace, which has been hit hard by the financial crisis. Bermuda is widely respected for its business practices and has a long history in Switzerland, so this is an ideal opportunity for us to deliver the Bermuda message and reinforce our position as a credible, experienced and legally sound jurisdiction.”

Bermuda’s Participation at GAIM International Fund of Funds Conference in Geneva

Directly following the Financial Services Conference, the Bermuda International Business Association will participate in the 7th Annual GAIM International Fund of Funds Conference to be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva from November 11 to 13, 2008.

This three day intensive conference is the largest gathering of Europe’s most influential investors, fund of funds managers and hedge fund managers in the industry, with more than two hundred seventy-five delegates registered eighty speakers and exhibitors. Although this conference will conduct heavy panel discussions on the current financial market and the challenges for investors and fund managers, the conference will also highlight the different opportunities available in investment. This platform allows Bermuda to extend our business and financial services to the top executives in the European market, and establishing new partnerships.

Commenting on the conference Ms. Packwood said, “We have recently attended conferences in Miami and New York and know that Bermuda is well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities that exist in the hedge fund marketplace. There is flight to quality at a time like this and there is no higher quality jurisdiction than Bermuda. This conference is a great opportunity to drive Bermuda’s message of innovation, excellence, quality and credibility directly to our customer base and we think they will be extremely receptive.”