Companies such as Hawaii Biotech, STI Medical Systems, and groups such as the Cancer Research Center are among about 1,375 exhibitors at BIO 2004 — an annual gathering of the global biotech industry.

The 56 Hawai'i representatives are the biggest local contingent to attend the show, said Steve Bretschneider, deputy director and chief marketing officer for the state's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. In the past only a handful of representatives from Hawai'i attended the event, he said.

In an effort to increase Hawai'i's presence DBEDT spent about $40,000 on a pavilion and registration fees for Hawai'i's delegation and Enterprise Honolulu. Other economic development groups also kicked in money.

"The best way to show we're gearing up for biotech is to show the businesses," said Bretschneider. "That's what (people) want to see. A lot of these companies wouldn't be able to necessarily afford to do this on their own."

The 14 local biotech firms participating in the conference paid their way to San Francisco, but they did not have to foot the bill for trade booth space, Bretschneider said. Their booth, which is located near pavilions for Florida and New Jersey, is offering local goods such as Kona coffee, papayas, macadamia nuts and local jellies in hopes of enticing attendees to listen to their message.

An estimated 20,000 people will attend the event, which started Sunday and ends tomorrow. Nearly every state has representatives at the event. Some 28 countries are sending official delegations to the convention.

Cancer Research Center director Dr. Carl-Wilhelm Vogel said local conference participants can use the event to make business contacts, get information on research grants, and scout for potential employees.

More broadly, the conference is a good way to let the world know what's going on Hawai'i, including construction of a $150 million bioscience park in Kaka'ako and the presence of facilities such as the cancer research center, Vogel said.

"Obviously some people are surprised that in Hawai'i we do have a biotech industry and they are surprised that we have a national cancer center," he said.

The conference also drew about 150 protesters, who taunted conference attendees as they arrived at an opening night reception a few miles from the convention center amid a heavy police presence. No arrests were reported as demonstrators held signs and dumped rotten fruit and vegetables in the street before the police confiscated cases of remaining food without incident.

Each year most convention demonstrators protest against genetically engineered crops, which they feel haven't been adequately proven safe for human consumption and the environment.

BIO officials have said they support the right of protesters to peacefully demonstrate, but note that the work done by the biotech industry is used fight cancer and other diseases.