For Immediate Release
July 23, 2014
Contact Information

Media:
Victor Webb
Marston Webb International
T: (212) 684-6601
C: (917) 887-0418
e-mail: marwebint@cs.com

(BPRW) BERMUDA'S CITY OF HAMILTON TO HOST THE 40TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF BLACK MAYORS

- Event will convene the largest gathering of Black Mayors and elected officials from around the world -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – Hamilton, Bermuda – Bermuda’s Corporation of Hamilton has announced it will host the 40th annual Conference of Black Mayors Convention later this year. The event, which will take place on November 12 - 16, 2014, at The Fairmont Southampton, will convene the largest gathering of Mayors and local officials from around the world. Mayors from cities, towns and villages from all over the U.S. will be joined by high level officials from China, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In making the announcement, the Chairman of the local Organizing Committee, the City of Hamilton’s Deputy Mayor Donal Smith, said the Conference of Black Mayors had grown from modest beginnings into an event of considerable political and economic importance that now includes more than 2,000 African/American Mayors and municipal staff and has attracted the participation of politicians, business and financial leaders not only from the U.S. but increasingly from around the world.

"Today the CBM also includes 39,000 political leaders and elected officials of color from around the world. Currently we estimate that the City of Hamilton, Bermuda, will be greeting 400 - 500 plus delegates from as far away as Brazil, Colombia, China, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands and we should note that the aim of this great gathering has always been to improve the quality of life in the cities, townships and villages these Mayors and these officials represent."

The Mayor of Hamilton, The Rt. Worshipful Graeme Outerbridge, JP, said, the CBM represents one of the most influential political and financial groups in the U.S. and in many other countries around the world. "They represent a powerful voting block in the U.S. and beyond and preside over millions of dollars of municipal funds and new development. As such, they represent enormous opportunities for our international business sector to pursue. We are delighted that the CBM has chosen to come to Bermuda."

Mr. Smith noted that many U.S. politicians and their advisors who are already looking ahead to the 2016 elections will doubtless be planning to attend the Convention. "We shall, as well, be inviting business leaders from the U.S., Europe and beyond to join us as featured speakers," he said.

"This year’s convention theme will be ‘40 FORWARD’ and we shall be looking ahead to determine what the future holds for the U.S. and world economies. A very full program will include panel discussions on important global issues including immigration, education, healthcare and the ways in which the spread of information technology will affect global trade and urban growth in the coming years," he said.

What: The Convention of Black Mayors 40th Annual Convention

Who: CBM, the international association representing 39,000 black elected and appointed mayors and local officials from throughout the African diaspora.

When: November 12-16, 2014

Where: The Fairmont Southampton
             101 South Shore Rd
             Southampton, Bermuda SN02

For information about the conference, registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact:

Vanessa Williams
National Conference of Black Mayors
T: (404) 931-2059 C: (404) 964-9201
e-mail: vwilliams@ncbm.org

Danilee Trott
Corporation of Hamilton
T: (441) 292: 1234 Ext. 219 C: (441) 300-1335
e-mail: dtrott@cityhall.bm