Bringing the elite together

More than 2,500 people will attend the world's most expensive networking event at Davos this year

For most of the year, Davos is a resort town high in the Swiss Alps with a population of just 11,000. But for two weeks each January, the town’s population swells to 30,000 as the global elite meet for a series of meetings and discussions about “entrepreneurship in the global public interest,” in what could be described as world’s most expensive networking event.

Who will attend this year’s conference?

More than 2,500 people will attend this year’s conference from 90 different countries. Most of the participants are corporate executives, but more than two dozen heads of state and government are expected to attend. Theresa May, the prime minister of Britain, and Xi Jinping, president of China, are attending the conference for the first time this year. Singer Shakira and actor Forest Whitaker are to receive awards. 

How are these people kept safe?

During the conference, Davos transforms into a veritable fortress. Roadblocks restrict traffic on the city’s main streets and checkpoints spring up outside each venue. At the Congress Center, where the main panels take place, and at each hotel that hosts parties and talks, attendees pass metal detectors, armed guards and beneath the watchful eyes of sharpshooters.

Is it as elitist as it sounds?

The meeting runs on a tiered system of coloured badges denoting just how important one is, or is not. White badges are for attendees able to attend any official event and make full use of the forum’s facilities. Orange badges are reserved for the 500 journalists who cover the forum, but are not allowed at some parties. Other badges, like purple ones, denote technical or support staff and limit their holders to a few areas.

What about the parties?

The theme of this year’s conference is “Responsive and Responsible Leadership.” But attendees like to play as hard as they work. There are several official cocktail receptions, but the action really lies in a galaxy of events hosted by corporations. Some are small, intimate dinners that feature the likes of actor Leonardo DiCaprio and singer Bono.