WEF/Annual Meeting

WEF/Annual Meeting (meeting)
File:WEF Annual Meeting.jpg
Start	1971
Annual Meetings are generally in Davos, Switzerland, attended by about 2200 people

The WEF is in the habit of holding Annual Meetings, which take place in Davos, Switzerland. On the occasion of the 50^th such meeting, the group wrote that "'The spirit of Davos' is an attitude of openness and cooperation that sets the tone for the annual meeting to this day". This "attitude of openness and cooperation" does not go as far as to publicly publishing the lists of those invited.

Guests

Full article: WEF/Annual Meeting/Guests

Regrettably the WEF's "spirit of Davos" does not extend as far as publishing the guest lists of their AGMs, and so the lists of meetings and guests here are far from complete. Although attendance lists of recent meetings have found their way into the public domain and bits of historical evidence have been collected about earlier meetings, currently just WEF AGMs listed here, with a total of guests.

Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders

Starting in 1982, inside the Annual Meetings, the Forum held it first Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL). This closed-door, off-the-record meeting allows for informal dialogue, permitting participants to get to know each another, exchange ideas and work on ongoing issues and problems without having to produce a communiqué, treaty, press statement or any other document at its conclusion. According to the WEF "IGWEL remains enormously attractive to participants as the only global framework for an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and opinions of government leaders and heads of international organizations."

Gro Harlem Brundtland wrote how:

One of the least known, but most influential meetings at the Annual Meeting is the IGWEL, or the Informal Group of World Economic Leaders. It is a private assembly of heads of state and government, cabinet ministers, heads of international organizations and other invited persons. IGWEL holds three informal sessions during the course of the meeting and sets its own agenda. As every year, the Rapporteur summarizes the discussions for the press....Within the Informal Group, some warned against the concept of global governance because it could easily be misinterpreted.

Escort services

Prostitutes have a surge in business during the time of the meeting; an online service for paid sex was completely booked in 2023. The co-founder of the site, Titt4Tat, said that alcohol and parties contribute to the high demand for his service. Some participants also book escorts for themselves and their employees to party in the hotel suite. £90k is paid for a four-day sex party with five women, according to a 2026 report by the Dailymail.

Security

Military protection

Up to 5,000 soldiers from the Swiss army are ordered to protect the event. Security of the airspace is coordinated with Italy and Austria and the Airforce provides airlifting of "persons protected under international law". The Swiss state paid up to 2.55 million Swiss Francs for each event from 2022 to 2024.