Hearts & Minds: Davos can be divisive – handle with care

Davos is upon us, with all the strains and stresses the annual Alpine talking and networking fest brings. Many CEOs are taken with the idea of attending the World Economic Forum, seeing it as a badge of arrival among the globe’s elite. Some, usually start-ups, see it as an opportunity to showcase the brand, to put it firmly on the international stage. Be careful. Just the very act of attending can be divisive. It’s a cost, a high one at that and there you are, having a jolly, at a time of year when most folk are suffering from post-seasonal blues and knuckling down to pushing the business hard.

There’s the delicate matter of the entry pass to negotiate. Only the select few can obtain the most coveted ticket, the one allowing access to the inner sanctum. Likewise, the hotels. You may crave carousing around the piano in the smart hotel bar late at night with some of the best-known faces on the planet but equally you could find yourself bumping up a mountain road in a minibus with total unknowns as you head off to your room in the next resort. The famous parties are fixtures but do the math: only a tiny proportion of the delegates will be invited.

Go with an itinerary and lots of business cards. Treat it as a way of connecting with a lot of people in one place. If you tried to see them at home it would take an age to arrange. Numerous journalists will be there. But if it’s positive PR you or your comms team are after, most reporters are on tight schedules. They really are working; they won’t have time for a sit-down chat about your corporate vision and strategy; they may visit your stand or pavilion if you’ve gone that far; but they are there to cover the summit. Meet them and agree to meet again, away from the jostle. That’s where Davos works best, making that contact and following it up.

Every year, Davos has its set themes and there are those that emerge over the few days. They’re what the media is pursuing. They may want a quote but about a world event or politics or the economy. Don’t be surprised if your words are dropped for a larger fish. Davos is like that; it’s all about position. Keep your expectations in check and it can be rewarding.

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.