1 January 2005

Welcome to the first issue of CaymanChamber TradeWatch, an electronic information service exclusively for members and supporters of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce. If you are aware of an upcoming conference, trade show, training seminar or business event, please send details to info@caymanchamber.ky. We reserve the right to edit for brevity. If you wish to be added or removed from the e-mail distribution list please contact info@caymanchamber.ky For a complete list of upcoming trade and business events please visit www.caymanchamber.ky

Chamber Luncheon: 26th January 2005 at the Wharf Restaurant
The new insurance landscape: What businesses and consumers need to know

Hurricane Ivan has changed the insurance landscape in the Cayman Islands forever. Premiums to cover property, business and vehicular risk are expected to more than double this year as insurers pass along increases for re-insurance cover to their customers. And don't expect to see any significant change in this trend too soon. Experts predict more natural disasters in the years ahead as climatic change intensifies. Many businesses and property owners will be forced to make some difficult choices in the months ahead when selecting insurance cover. During this period of uncertainty, it is important for businesses and consumers to educate themselves about their options.

Representatives from the Cayman Islands Insurance Association have agreed to discuss the new insurance landscape at the first Chamber of Commerce luncheon in 2005 on Wednesday, 26th January from 12- 2 p.m. at the Wharf Restaurant. They will also answer questions to enable business owners and consumers to make sound decisions so that they are covered against future risk. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky

LOCAL CONFERENCES:

IVAN Law
Hurricane Ivan has left in its wake a number of legal questions that are now beginning to surface with increasing frequency, especially with regard to insurance claims, strata titles and leaseholds. Law firms, Charles Adams, Ritchie & Duckworth, in association with Falcon Chambers in the United Kingdom, are planning to address many of the legal questions raised since the passing of Hurricane Ivan at a local conference titled "IVAN Law" which will take place at the Westin Casuarina Hotel from 18-19th January 2005. Falcon Chambers is acknowledged to be the pre-eminent real property set of barristers in England. Members of Chambers have appeared in most of the leading property-related cases in England.

This conference should be of great interest not only to lawyers, but also to the banking, insurance and realty industries as well as strata corporations, condo-owners, landlords and tenants. Conference topics include: Strata titles, Insurance, Leaseholds and other property issues. Further details of the topics, speakers and panelists will be circulated in due course. Attendance will be by ticket, calculated to cover the cost for the venue and refreshments. If you are interested in attending this conference please contact Mrs. Lisa Kehoe at lkehoe@card.com.ky

Cayman Business Outlook 2005
The Cayman Business Outlook 2005 takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort on Wednesday, 19th January 2005 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. "Post Ivan: Building a Better Cayman" is the theme for the conference which is presented by Fidelity and co-sponsored by Admiral, Campbells, Consolidated Water, Digicel, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Five Continents, NeWil, RoyalStar Assurance and RBTT. Cayman Business Outlook will help the business community form a view on the business challenges and opportunities in 2005 and will bring together top internataional, regional and local speakers and government officials. All delegates are invited to attend a cocktail reception at the National Gallery following the conference. For further information and registration details visit www.caymanbusinessoutlook.com or call 345 949-7822 (ext. 311).

REGIONAL CONFERENCES:

China/Caribbean Trade Forum & Trade Fair
The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce & the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica invite the membership of Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce to participate in the landmark China-Caribbean Trade Forum & Trade Fair scheduled for Kingston from February 2-5, 2005. The forum and trade fair are being co-hosted by the Jamaican and Chinese governments and will incorporate an official visit by the Vice President of China and will involve the participation of senior officials from China and the Caribbean.

The event, which will be the first of its kind to be staged in the region, will present an excellent opportunity for Caribbean retailers, distributors, wholesalers and importers, as well as for firms that are seeking to establish agency relationships and other business services linkages with leading firms from the world's fastest growing economy. Over 60 Chinese firms will be represented in the Trade Fair (February 2-5 at the National Arena) exhibiting products in such categories as: household electronics; light industry; information & communication technology; bio-pharmaceuticals; textiles; handicrafts; agriculture and others.

The Trade Forum, which will be staged at the Jamaica Conference Centre on February 2nd and 3rd, will focus on both business partnership opportunities and government-to-government cooperation across a range of sectors. Details on the participating companies and the specific products that will be on display may be found on the event website http://cncforumenglish.mofcom.gov.cn Chamber members can register on-line. The site also allows for the scheduling of meetings with representatives of the companies that are of particular interest to your members. For further information, please contact Trevor Fearon at the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce at 876-922-0150~1, 876-922-4857 or via jamcham@cwjamaica.com; or Margaret Warner at the PSOJ at 876-927-6238 ext. 2225 or via margaretw@psoj.org.

The Nassau Conference, 2005
The Nassau Conference 2005 is scheduled for 7-8th February 2005 at the British Colonial Hilton, Nassau, Bahamas. The Nassau Conference is a leading edge, accessible Bahamian based conference for Bahamian professionals and students in the financial services industry which will enhance and promote the Bahamas as a preeminent international financial center. Topics to be addressed include: tax, the client cycles, models, regulation, risk management, investment strategies and structures. The conference is sponsored and organised by the Association of International Banks and Trust Companies in the Bahamas. Speakers include the Hon. Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Minister of Financial Services & Investments and Mr. Michael D. Foot, Inspector Bank and Trust Companies, the Central Bank of the Bahamas. Sponsors include: Central Bank of the Bahamas, Pictet Bank & Trust Ltd., Cable Bahamas Ltd., Butterfield Bank (Bahamas) Ltd., Higgs & Johnson, Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch Private Bank & Trust Ltd., Lynx Wealth Management Systems, the Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company (Bahamas) Ltd., The Private Trust Corporation Ltd. and the Bahamas FInancial Services Board. To register visit www.nassauconference.com.

Caribbean Regional Compliance Conference
The 2nd Annual Caribbean Regional Compliance Conference, which was postponed due to Hurricane Ivan, will be held on Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th and Friday 25th February 2005, at the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa, Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands Compliance Association is proud to host this event in conjunction with the fellow associations of Bahamas, Barbados, BVI and Trinidad and Tobago. Several international and regional expert speakers have agreed to tackle the most current and topical issues. The conference will be of interest to those involved in the onshore and offshore banking, investment funds, insurance, trust and corporate service industries, including compliance and risk management professionals, senior management, directors and officers, attorneys, financial consultants and regulators. The conference is sponsored by Maples and Calder, KPMG, World-Check, RBC Royal Bank of Canada, Blue Bison Software Consultants and Cayman National Bank. For registration information contact Mr. Robin Jarvis at robin.jarvis@butterfieldbank.ky.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE:

Business Diversity conference
The fifth annual Multicultural Business Conference takes place from 30th March until 1st April 2005 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. This conference offers education, training and networking for corporate CEOs, Chief Diversity Officers, women entrepreneurs, purchasing, marketing and human resource executives, minority entrepreneurs, government decision makers, financial services professionals and other experts on diversity business development. For registration information visit www.diversitybusiness.com.

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