World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva. It describes itself as an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. The forum is best known for its annual winter meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graub nden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland. The meeting brings together some 2,500 top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals, and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world, including health and the environment. Often this location alone is used to identify meetings, participation, and participants with such phrases as, “a Davos panel” and “a Davos Man”. The organization also convenes some six to eight regional meetings each year in locations such as Latin America and East Asia, as well as undertaking two further annual meetings in China and the United Arab Emirates. Beside meetings, the foundation produces a series of research reports and engages its members in sector specific initiatives. The 2011 annual meeting in Davos was held from 26 to 30 January. The 2012 meeting was held on 25’29 January 2012, with the theme “The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models”. The 2013 meeting was held from 23 to 27 January, with the theme of “Resilient Dynamism,” following founder Klaus Schwab’s declaration that “the need for global cooperation has never been greater”. The 2014 meeting was held from 22 to 25 January, with the theme “The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business”.