I [Jason Pontin] am in Davos, Switzerland, attending the World Economic Forum, the annual, invitation-only meeting of executives, bankers, venture capitalists, politicians, and a handful of media leaders, high in the snowy Alps.
Invitations to the event are sought-after, but participants who are not academics, editors, or otherwise penurious pay up to $30,000 for the privilege of attending the gathering. The wealth and the seniority of the cast of characters who travel to Davos, plus the titles of the event's sessions (some samples from this year: "Rethinking Systemic Financial Risk"; "Rebuilding Fragile States"; "Securing CyberSpace") have created a myth around the event and its supposed, typical attendee, often called "Davos Man." At Davos, the myth goes, our secret governors meet in a shadowy cabal to strenuously discuss the fate of the world.
In truth, it is an invitation-only event like others--distinguished mostly by the social seriousness of the programming, overseen by the Forum's founder, Dr. Klaus Schwab, by the intelligence and authority of the participants and the high intellectual theater of the panels, and by the assumption, common to all the attendees, that entrepreneurial capitalism, appropriately regulated, is the greatest imaginable force for expanding human possibilities.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Technology Review: Blogs: Jason Pontin's blog: Davos Day 1: Rethink, Redesign, and Rebuild
Author: Jason Pontin
