More than 125 financial and business professionals from Toronto and Calgary attended the Bahamas Financial Services Board’s (BFSB) “The Bahamas Landfall: Rediscovering The Bahamas” events held in Canada at the end of last month.

“The twenty two individuals representing various Bahamian financial and business firms who participated in the Bahamas Landfall workshops had a unique opportunity for personal interaction with Canadian business colleagues,” says Wendy Warren, chief executive officer and executive director at BFSB. “These types of interactions are critical from a business development perspective.”

BFSB’s Bahamas Landfall workshops were organized to coincide with a Trade and Investment Mission to Canada led by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

“The success of our Bahamas Landfall events would not have been possible without the government-led mission … and the great collaboration among the participating organizations,” says Warren.

Focal points of the trade and investment mission were luncheon presentations by the Prime Minister in conjunction with representatives from the Bahamas Investment Authority, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, the Bahamas Maritime Authority and BFSB.

The Landfall seminars provided updates on developments in the international financial service industry in The Bahamas; Grand Bahama and the maritime sector; and residency and second home ownership. An update on the Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) between The Bahamas and Canada was also provided.

The seminars were made possible through strong corporate sponsorship support from Ansbacher Bahamas, ATC Trustees (Bahamas) Ltd, Butterfield Bank (Bahamas) Ltd, IP Solutions International, KPMG, Premier Fund Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RBC Private Wealth Management and Scotiabank.

BFSB will affirm its commitment to the Canadian market by participating in the STEP Canada National Conference, which takes place in Toronto June 2-3.