Davos 2008-- Why You Should Care

Over the next 5 days, the tiny Swiss ski resort of Davos will host its annual invasion of the powerful, rich, and famous... filling the high altitude atmosphere with opinion, policy, and a little more hot air. The annual World Economic Forum.

The Forum typically champions a capitalistic and free-market world view where some 1,000 of the world's largest businesses pay $38,700 a piece for annual membership into this exclusive club. Not counting the extra $15,990 per person to attend the actual meetings in Davos that opened today.

Just what the hell are all these inflated egos discussing? The Meeting has opened with calls from the Co-Chairs to exercise "The Power of Collaborative Innovation" to meet the top challenges of economic instability, climate change and environmentalism, and equitable growth. Reporters and journalists from around the globe will record debates on subjects ranging from the state of Pakistan to cancer. But one topic, the state of the world's economy, will certainly garner the most talk.

So, how does this affect your business? As in all things in life, the "trickle-down theory" is why Davos should be important to you. CEO watching is a past-time of mine and I've realized that the discussions at Davos this year are the product launches in five.

I am currently working with a client who's entire business platform is based on leveraging technology for corporate information collaboration (i.e. no more paper). They are in front of the wave that addresses all 3 of the challenges listed above and I am very excited about their launch and subsequent growth (more info to come!!)