The World Economic Forum | World Economic Forum-The World Economic Forum. What has Davos done for us? | Analysis & Opinion | For more than four decades, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has pitched its annual shindig in Davos as a chance for powerful leaders in business, politics, media and academia to convene in one spot to trade ideas on how to solve the pressing global problems of the day. And for about as long, critics have dismissed the invitation-only event as nothing more than a glorified networking get-together for elites, or, as U2 singer Bono once called it, a meeting of “fat cats in the snow”. But are critics right to so quickly trash the Davos meeting? Haven’t there been at least a few tangible achievements along the way? The WEF itself thinks so. It claims some notable successes over the years, particularly on the diplomatic front. Davos may have even helped stop a war.
Philanthropists have also used the meeting to announce good deeds and drum up support for initiatives. If it weren’t for Davos, there’s a good chance such a group of individuals may never have gotten together. INSIDE DAVOS: What It's Like Inside One of the World's Most Exclusive Conferences [PICS] We're reporting this week from the World Economic Forum, in which top businesspeople, politicians, influencers and media gather to discuss the world's biggest problems and how to solve them. One part of that solution will be technology, and we're here to learn how tech is reshaping industries, communities and countries. What's it like here in Davos?
We've already shown you the small Swiss town that just got invaded by the likes of Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, George Soros and Arianna Huffington, but how about seeing inside the Congress Centre, where the conference itself takes place? Once you get beyond the tight security — including metal detectors and an electronic scan of your attendee badge — you'll find the place swarming with world leaders and business people. There's a small social media and tech presence here, too — YouTube is gathering videos on world issues on behalf of the WEF, while Facebook is live streaming interviews to the web.
Images courtesy Lisa Bettany (@mostlylisa). WEF: Herr der Netzwerke | Unternehmen | BILANZ ONLINE - Das Schweizer Wirtschaftsmagazin im Internet. Galerie de World Economic Forum. Global Agenda Councils: Water Security. THE TRUTH ABOUT DAVOS: What Happens When You Don't Get Invited To Any Parties.