Anguilla will host a group of some 150 members of the National Bar Association of America on February 1^st, 2002. The one-day event is being planned as a part of their annual Winter meetings scheduled to be held during the last week of January, 2002 at Maho Beach Resort in St Maarten. Anguilla has been selected as the venue for the First Annual A. Leon Higgenbotham Luncheon which will feature as the key-note speaker Hon. Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore, Superior Court of Fulton County in Atlanta Georgia.

The group will arrive on island by charter ferry at approximately 10:00 am, and will be transported to West End for a Welcome Reception at the Devonish - Cheddie�s Art Complex hosted by the Artists of Anguilla. This will be followed by the inaugural Luncheon at LA Caf�, where the Honourable Chief Minister, the Honourable Minister of Finance and a representative of the Lawyers of Anguilla, along with 12 students and teachers of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School will be invited to join the proceedings. Delegates will then have the afternoon at leisure to engage in an island tour, enjoy Spa treatments at some of Anguilla�s fine establishments, or simply enjoy the beach and facilities at one of Anguilla�s premier villa properties.

The evening will feature a gala reception at one of Anguilla�s luxurious private residences, showcasing Anguilla�s top performing artists and eclectic indigenous cuisine prepared by one of Anguilla�s top local chefs. The group returns to St Maarten via charter ferry services at 8:00.The event, which is being coordinated by the Anguilla Tourist Board, is sponsored by the Government of Anguilla, the Anguilla Tourist Board, the Artists of Anguilla, the Anguilla Bar Association and the National Bar Association. It will provide the opportunity to showcase the island to a key segment of the African American Market. Similar functions hosted in the past, like the Women At the Top Conference and the National Association of Black Broadcasters have already generated substantial repeat business into the island.

The program, which was the brainchild of Betty Sperber of St Croix, seeks to inform students of the importance of Tourism to their island, through direct exposure to the elements of Tourism. In addition to the theoretical classroom teaching, students are given the opportunity to visit their sponsor hotel, work on special projects, and enjoy one night as a tourist on Anguilla.

The Official programme commences with a Church Service at St. Andrews Anglican Church at Island Harbour on Sunday February 17^th and a String Band Fiesta at Shoal Bay East in the afternoon.

Monday February 18^th, will see the opening of an Exhibition at the Anguilla Public Library, and the commencement of Anguilla�s first ever Model Boat workshop. Mr. Louvan Webster of Island Harbour and Mr. John Rogers, (an Anguillian, living in New York) will conduct the workshop, which will include all seven primary schools and the ALCHS. Boat racing enthusiasts from across the island have also been invited to adopt a school - preferably from their own village - and to assist in the production of these Model Boats. The workshop will climax with a grand Model Boat race in Island Harbour on Sunday February 24.

Other school related events will feature an ALHCS String Band and Cultural Cuisine event, several media programmes focussing on this year�s theme and the Annual Primary Schools� Choral Speaking Evening.

A new feature in this year�s program is the inclusion of the Festival del Mar as part of the week�s proceedings. This 3-day mini-festival was created by the Anguilla Tourist Board, and is seen as an effective vehicle for celebrating this vital aspect of our cultural heritage, while at the same time enriching the entertainment experience for our visitors and locals alike. Highlights of the Festival del Mar include a special cultural event organized by the West End Community in tribute to the late John �Cousin Waddy� Hodge; a Quincina Celebration at Sandy Ground; and a Model Boat Race and other activities at Island Harbour on the last day of the Festival.

This year�s Festival is being jointly organized by the Anguilla Tourist Board�s Festivals Office, the Anguilla National trust Office, Anguilla Library services and the General Post office, with various committees organizing a number of special events at the community level. In addition to Festival staples such as the jollification and cultural education programs in schools, this year the communities of West End, Island Harbour, Shoal Bay and Sandy Ground are also being invited to host activities highlighting traditional string band music and the island�s relationship with the sea.

The Anguilla Cultural and Educational Festival looks forward to the participation of all residents and visitors of Anguilla in making this celebration of String and Sea an exciting, entertaining, yet educational experience.

As part of the activities to commemorate the 10^th annual Cultural and Educational Festival from February 17^th to 24^th, 2002, the Anguilla Tourist Board will be launching a special new festival to celebrate a significant part of the island�s cultural heritage.

The 3-day event, called �Festival del Mar�, commences on Friday 22^nd February with a Sea Food and Craft Expo in West End. This event, which is being organized by the West End Community, and is geared towards showcasing the Anguillian Culture for residents and visitors alike, will feature members of that community, along with restaurants and other establishments, preparing and displaying various recipes with a Seafood flavour.

There will also be String Band music and craft displays to add to the ambience of the evening.

The second day of the Sea Festival moves to the village of Sandy Ground and includes tours of the Salt Pond, the Pumphouse and other historical sites in that area.

The highlight of the day�s events will be a deep-sea Fishing Tournament. Fishing enthusiasts from Anguilla and neighbouring St. Martin will leave the Sandy Ground Harbour early on Saturday morning to return by 4:00 p.m.

The Anguilla Tourist Board�s Fishing Trophy will be presented for the first time, to the winner of this event.

Also planned for that afternoon is a big Salt Pond Jam, sponsored by the Business Community of Sandy Ground, and coordinated by the Anguilla Tourist Board�s Festival Office.

Festival del Mar climaxes on Sunday 24^th February in the Village of Island Harbour, with a Fish Fry and Model Boat Race, C-Class Boat Race and other activities organized by that community.

A number of fundraising activities are being planned for the Model Boat race project, with a grand Fish-Fry set to start the ball rolling on Friday February 1st, 2002, at the parking lot outside Ellie�s Record shop in the Valley. A similar event will be held on February 8, 2002 at the same location.

KV Marketing has been working closely with a film crew from WCVB-TV�s The Chronicle, an ABC affiliate out of Boston, Massachusetts. The Chronicle Show, which airs nightly on WCVB-TV, with a viewership of approximately 700,000 persons, covers the New England region as well as international travel. Main hosts of the newsmagazine, Peter Mehegan and Mary Richardson were on island during the week of January 27^th, 2002 to carry out the film shoot for the program on Anguilla, which will feature the various attractions and characters that the island has to offer. The show is scheduled to air in ratings during the month of February, beginning the week of February 18^th, 2002.

Meanwhile, Keating & Associates, Anguilla�s PR representatives, are in the process of finalizing arrangements for the visit of Mr Larry Fox, a free lance writer who writes for many publications including the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Washingtonian, Palm Beach Post and Washington Times. Mr Fox, who will be on island February 15 � 22, will be writing a general destination piece on Anguilla, as well as an article on Anguilla�s History. Accommodation for Mr Fox�s stay will be provided by Cove Castles Resort and Cinammon Reef Hotel, while American Airlines/American Eagle will assist with air travel.

United Kingdom

The Anguilla Tourist Office is coordinating a visit to Anguilla by a film crew from Granada Television out of the UK. A team of four persons is scheduled to arrive in Anguilla February 20 � 24, 2002, where they will be covering the island, its different attractions and activities. The slot will be five minutes in duration and will go to air pre-Easter 2002, during a feature called �Paradise Week�. Viewers will also be given the opportunity to win a prize for of a one week vacation for two with Caribtours and Malliouhana Hotel & Spa. Accommodation was provided by Malliouhana Hotel, while assistance with air travel was provided by American Airlines/American Eagle.

ATB Italy is currently engaged in preparations for the 22^nd edition of BIT, scheduled to take place in Milan, Italy, from February 20 to 24, 2002.

Attending from Anguilla will be Deputy Director of Tourism, Mrs. Candis Niles, who will be joining Anguilla�s Italian representative office, De Paoli and Associates for the four day event. Also attending from the private sector will be representatives from Cuisinart Resort & Spa, Cap Juluca Hotel and Carimar Beach Club.

The Germany Office of the Anguilla Tourist Board recently participated in FESPO, a Tradeshow held in Zurich from January 24 to 27, 2002.

A key feature for Anguilla was a seminar for travel agents, organized in conjunction with � Take It Travel�, a Tour Operator out of Switzerland. Anguilla also hosted a breakfast seminar for 40 agents in association with Kuoni Switzerland. ATB Germany also participated for the first time in RUEFA-Reisemesse in Vienna in January 2002. Also attending from Anguilla was Arawak Beach Inn�s European representative.

February 9 - St Gerard�s Garden Party at the Church Grounds

February 17 � 24 - Anguilla Cultural & Educational Festival A week of activities

February 20-24 - BIT in Milan, Italy

February 22 �24 - Festival del Mar Anguilla�s first Sea Festival organized by the ATB�s Festival Office

March 16 - Wallblake House Fundraising auction

March 16 �20 - ITB in Berlin, Germany

March 21-24 - Moonsplash Music Festival A celebration of music at the Dune at Rendezvous Bay under the March full moon.