Record Attendance Expected At Davos Amid Global Financial Crisis

You might think that the world's chief executives and heads of state would be too busy coping with crises at home to attend this year's World Economic Forum. Not so. The global economic slump seems to be having the opposite effect. World leaders are trekking to the Swiss mountain village of Davos from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 in record numbers, seeking the wisdom they'll need to navigate what may be the most treacherous economic conditions since the annual gathering began 38 years ago.

Probably the last time the Forum convened before such a grave backdrop was 2002 in New York, when attendees paid homage to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. Then the overriding concern was global terrorism. Now terrorism is still a huge worry, but so is financial meltdown, global warming, energy, the world food supply, and a host of other issues. "Davos has been always a very serious meeting, but there are times when there is a lot of optimism and times where there are challenges," says Maurice Levy, chairman of French advertising group Publicis and a member of the board of the World Economic Forum Foundation.

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Comments

[HamletsMill]

Shouldn't these idiots have seen this coming two years ago? Many people did. Duh.

[slarabee]

Sounds like a perfect excuse to go to the best place on the planet to hide money.

[fcsakes]

I'm so glad we taxpayers will be footing the bill for yet another very expensive, yet useless, jaunt by the know-nothing corrupt financial experts we've all come to admire so much. While there, they will stay in the best hotels, eat the most elegant foods, drink wine beyond compare, diddle their playmates in the hot tub, and write it all off on the expense account, which will then be turned over to whoever is donating our cash to them that week.

[1man1voicenovote]

It's good to be King.

Pull!

[wadenelson1]

The haves and have-mores all wringing their hands in unison.

[ibsteve2u]

lollll...more like in joy, having put the world's labor force exactly where they want them: If fear of starvation.

Makes 'em work cheaper.