Annual Meeting 2009
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 28 January - 1 February 2009
Shaping the Post-Crisis World

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2009 promises to be one of the most important events in the Forum’s history. The significance of the Meeting is such that 41 heads of state and government have already confirmed their participation in Davos-Klosters where they will join business leaders as well as NGOs, Trade Unions and experts from a wide range of fields. The Meeting will be focused on managing the current crisis and shaping the entire post-crisis agenda, from economic reform to climate change.

Participation is by invitation only and strictly limited to the criteria and quota of each stakeholder group.




Business

We expect 1,590 participants from the business sector:

• CEOs and board-level executives from our Strategic, Industry and Regional Partners
• CEOs from Forum Members, who are the world’s foremost global corporations
• 25 CEOs from selected future Members
• 60 Young Global Leaders from the Forum’s Community of Young Global Leaders, representing the voice of the future in business
• 12 CEOs from our leading Global Growth Companies (GGCs) that are supporting the Forum to shape the agenda of its GGC Community
• 40 CEOs of companies whose technologies are changing business models represented by the Forum’s Community of Technology Pioneers
• 15 Web 2.0 leaders, bringing the perspective of the next generation of interaction
• 25 Social Entrepreneurs, rigorously selected by the Forum’s national "Social Entrepreneur of the Year" process
• 10 leaders of the world’s most influential industry associations, particularly from G8 countries
• 10 top leaders in creativity and design

Governments & International Organizations

We expect 200 participants from governments and international organizations:

• Representatives of international organizations including the World Bank, IMF, WTO, the United Nations, top regional organizations and development banks
• Government representatives of the world’s top 25 economies, including heads of state and government, ministers of finance and economy, and ministers of foreign affairs
• Government representatives of the world’s fast-growing small countries, including heads of state, heads of government and ministers
• Cabinet ministers particularly relevant to special global issues (environment, energy, social affairs)
• Governors and mayors of the world’s top regions and cities

Civil Society

• 30 leaders from international NGOs particularly relevant to business
• 10 trade union leaders, representing the most sophisticated and largest trade unions
• 60 Young Global Leaders*, representing the voice of the future from all non-business stakeholder groups of global society
• 20 religious and faith community leaders
• 20 cultural and sports leaders

Thought Leaders

• 80 thought leaders related to the foremost challenges on the global agenda, heads of the Forum’s Global Agenda Councils
• 20 presidents of the world’s top universities
• 10 leaders of the world’s top think tanks
• 140 faculty and experts related to particular issues in the programme and the Forum’s Industry Partnership communities

Media

• 225 publishers, editors-in-chief, top columnists and economic editors 

Co-Chairs
Kofi Annan, President, Global Humanitarian Forum; Secretary-General, United Nations (1997-2006); Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum
Stephen Green, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings, United Kingdom
Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, India
Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, News Corporation, USA
Maria Ramos, Group Chief Executive, Transnet, South Africa
Jeroen van der Veer, Chief Executive, Royal Dutch Shell plc
Werner Wenning, Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer, Germany