According to Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown, most if not all, Government Ministers will be coming to Washington D.C. at some point over the next two weeks as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

While The Royal Gazette was unable to nail down the cost of the Government delegation attending, Minister without Portfolio, Randoph Horton, said that no price could be attached to the exposure.

"I think you'll never be able to pay for the kind of opportunities that we are going to get in these next two weeks," he said. " What this does is make people understand and appreciate Bermuda a lot more than they do."

A host of Government dignitaries and officials were on hand at the opening ceremony on Tuesday morning, including: Premier Jennifer Smith; Development and Opportunities Minister Terry Lister; Deputy Speaker Walter Lister; Health Minister Nelson Bascome; Minister without Portfolio Randolph Horton; Senator Lt. Col. David Burch; head of the Civil Service Stanley Oliver; Permanent Secretary for Development and Opportunity Brian Rowlinson; Director of Community and Cultural Affairs Grace Rawlins; Cultural Affairs Officer Heather Whalen and the Bermuda co-ordinator for the Festival Jackie Aubrey.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown, while not at the opening ceremony, was in attendance at the evening reception Government hosted in the Smithsonian Castle. Hundreds, including many corporate donor representatives, were in attendance at the invitation-only occasion.

Speaking at the reception Mr. Horton explained that the Government is fully committed to the project.

"What we've decided is that this is a very significant event and it is important to be well represented. Here tonight we have more than three hundred people and we need to be here because there's opportunity to make contacts with people to do business, so it's important for us to be there to host these people."

Here as a participant for the duration of the Festival leading the exhibit on cricket, Mr. Horton said: "I know I've come, I'm on Government business."

But he said he did not know how many of the Ministers in attendance were footing the bill themselves and how many Government were paying for.

"I don't know exactly who is, I know there are others but I don't know exactly who is on Government business or not," he said.

Government backbencher Derrick Burgess made it clear that he paid his way to be in attendance because he wanted to be here.

But Dr. Brown said that most Ministers would attend on the Government budget.

"I think that most of the Ministers will come at some time or another for at least one or two days," he said. "We consider this to be a major showcase for Bermuda. A major opportunity to expose people to Bermuda and what Bermuda is about. A lot of times people get superficial versions of what Bermuda is all about.

"I think this is an opportunity for them to meet Bermudians and taste Bermudian food so that it brings them closer to the Bermudian experience that we'll provide for them when they get there."

Asked why Government felt it necessary for all the Ministers to come Dr. Brown said: "Well because ministers are, I think, especially attuned to that kind of thing and I think people come to the event sometimes to meet ministers.

"I've seen people here in the transport industry who have talked to me about flights from National Airport instead of Baltimore or in addition to Baltimore. I've had people talk to me about other transport initiatives and we represent the country and our function is more than just what we do in Bermuda."