WEF 2022: Snowy mountain views were replaced by colourful pavilions

High above the main promenade at Davos is Hotel Schatzalp. It imperiously looks over the Swiss town of Davos, the main street and its Congress Centre, where global political and industry leaders have been converging for over half a century to discuss world affairs. 

Hotel Schatzalp was built in 1900 by Zurich architects Otto Pfleghard and Max Haefeli as a deluxe sanatorium for Dutch entrepreneur Willem Jan Holsboer. The lawns of the luxury hotel with accompanying chalets are now the venue for the farewell lunch hosted by World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Annual Meeting on the last day of the conference.

In January, the lawns of the hotel offer a view of a range of snow-covered mountains and ski slopes. With the WEF’s Annual Meeting being hosted in May for the first time, the snow was missing, but the view of the alpine meadows remained splendorous. 

For Davos regulars, the missing snow was the key talking point. Many delegates held impromptu polls to ask whether people they preferred the Annual Meeting in May or January. The charm of a Davos winter with sub-zero temperatures, sharp winds and icy roads is for the brave-hearted, who have to rush across venues on dangerously slippery pavements.

The delegate kit always includes snow-clamps, which can be strapped onto shoes to prevent slipping. This time the lack of snow also meant that sessions on meditation and wellness usually held with a spectacular view of the Rinerhorn peak were not held. 

This “Summer Davos” delegate kit this year included compact umbrellas to ward off occasional light showers. Delegates were delighted to walk around in comfort without snowshoes, scarves, gloves, caps and thick overcoats, the donning and doffing of which led to long queues at security checks and coat checks inside hotels and meeting venues. 

The promenade wore a different look. Legacy global tech companies like Meta Facebook, SAP, and Infosys were vying for promotional space with a dozen crypto and metaverse companies.  

India was everywhere. The country and state pavilions from India dominated a third of the promenade. Apart from the India Lounge, the pavilions of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh took over prime real estate along the promenade. Giant colourful banners by the states made the atmosphere rather festive in the Swiss town. The aroma of sambhar and samosas wafted in the air, replacing the flavours of Swiss fondue and coffee. 

Pea soup, mushroom risotto and hummus replaced ham sandwiches at the conference centre, where meat dishes were avoided. The menu mostly used seasonal and locally-produced food, and the fish and eggs used were sustainably sourced. Monday was a no-meat day, with the entire menu being vegetarian, much to the delight of environmentally-conscious delegates. 

Ukraine sent a large delegation to Davos “to unify and inform the response of the global community” to Russia’s war on Ukraine and urge world and industry leaders to provide heavy arms support and tighten sanctions against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s impassioned plea for support via videolink was supported on the ground by the star power of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, and his brother Wladimir Klitschko, both former holders of heavyweight world titles. 

The building adjacent to the India Lounge has traditionally been the Russia House. This time Russians were denied participation at Davos and their usual spot to given to Ukrainian groups. Russia House was renamed “Russia War Crimes House”.  

The familiar black VW minivans that operate as shuttles on fixed routes for delegates at Davos were replaced by colourful hybrid versions. Often the minivans become a captive space to connect and network with fellow delegates. Many friendships and long-term associations have emanated from five-minute conversations between delegates in the minivan. 

It’s the informality and the many opportunities to connect and form long-lasting bonds that gives WEF’s Annual Meeting its unique flavour. Each delegate feels at home in the company of strangers at Davos, and leaves with political, business and social networks that feed their next big idea to make the world a better place.