- Davos
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Reflecting on six years on the ground in Davos, I realize just how much I would have valued a "behind-the-curtain" perspective before my very first trip. Having supported Davos for years, both at Cloudflare and in previous roles, I felt I knew what to expect. Yet, the reality is that no amount of advance planning can replace experiencing it firsthand. It’s an event unlike any other. It’s overwhelming, exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure, and utterly impossible to prepare for until you’ve logged thousands of steps through the Swiss cold, dressed in business attire, wearing snow boots and running purely on adrenaline.
Every year has a different pulse. This year, with the largest-ever U.S. delegation expected and a theme centered on “A Spirit of Dialogue,” there’s a palpable anticipation for the conversations that will unfold. But before we get into the strategy and the "big" meetings, we have to talk about the reality of being there.
Davos isn't your typical conference city; it’s a quaint ski town. The town undergoes a striking transformation when the World Economic Forum comes to town. Come mid-January each year, a flood of world leaders, CEOs, politicians, journalists, academics, activists, humanitarian groups, celebrities (of all kinds), and influencers converges on the once-quiet mountain town. The humble storefronts along the quaint Promenade are transformed as local owners lease their spaces to a global mix of companies, nations, and humanitarian groups. I’ve heard emptying their stores and leaving them behind for two weeks pays for itself the rest of the year in some cases. These organizations "set up shop" to amplify their voices and make their presence felt. With security heightened to the extreme, the streets are lined with sleek black SUVs, Mercedes limo vans, and military convoys, giving the town an unmistakably high-stakes energy. As snow drifts across the rooftops, it’s not always the work of nature—sometimes it’s the quiet shuffle of an armed guard, vigilant over the streets and corridors below.
The "Science of Association" here is largely a matter of logistics. You might think you can pop between meetings in five minutes, but you have to factor in "Davos Time." Between the heavy military presence, security checkpoints—much like TSA—and the occasional road closure for a presidential motorcade, everything takes longer. I always tell my team to add a 20-minute buffer to everything, even if you’re a few minutes' walk away from your next meeting. Walking is almost always faster than driving. And, if you’re not late, chances are the person you’re meeting with will be, even in the home of the most efficient Swiss watches. Everything takes a bit longer, and the day-to-night nature of all of the events, meetings, dinners, and parties takes real stamina. If you treat this like a sprint, you’ll be burnt out by Tuesday. It’s a marathon, and you have to pace yourself.
Your badge is your identity. It’s not just a name tag you can take off at the end of the day, or the one that you are embarrassed to still be wearing after you leave a conference hall—it’s your most important “accessory.” If you have a White Badge, you’re in the "inner sanctum" of the Congress Center. For many in communications, you’re operating on Affiliate or Hotel Badges. Still very helpful, but nothing quite like the coveted White Badge.
Having a badge is really handy in the world of Communications. The Hotel Badge is a vital tool if you don’t have a WEF-issued one. Without it, you can’t even step foot into places like the Belvedere Hotel, where many major media outlets have lounges and private high-security meetings happen. In our roles, we always have to be (at least) two steps ahead when it comes to supporting executives. This is where you start to panic—so close yet so far if you can’t actually sit down and staff an interview or be there for a talk in the Congress Centre. That’s when a simple, reassuring text from a producer makes all the difference—just knowing your executive is in place and everything is moving. I still can’t get over how strange it feels to be present yet somehow not fully there at times.
People always ask me what to pack, and I promise I’m not leading you astray: it’s all about "Business-Ski Chic." You will see CEOs in suits wearing heavy snow boots and puffer jackets and that is completely normal.
My go-to is a pair of furry snow boots, a big down jacket, a furry hat (my ears get cold!), and layers—lots of them. The venues are small and often poorly ventilated, so you’ll go from freezing on the trek to overheating in a storefront meeting. And please, take my advice: buy crampons. Those little ice cleats for your boots will save your life (and your wrists) for the unexpected ice that greets you when you least expect it. Texting in a rush—and wham! Davos has a way of reminding you exactly where you are. I’ve seen dozens of people take some big spills.
A few other "pro-tips" for your Davos Advance Team starter kit:
For Cloudflare, success is multi-faceted. It’s found in the depth of our policy and leadership conversations, the quality time we spend with customers and partners against that iconic mountain backdrop, and the chance to connect with journalists. Ultimately, it’s measured by the long-term relationships we build here.
There’s a unique bond you form with people here. Maybe it’s because the venues are so small or because you’re all surviving the elements together, but the connections you make in a Davos coffee line are often more "real" than any you’d make on an expo floor in Vegas. And, you truly never know who you’ll meet. Over the years, I’ve met people here who have become part of a familiar rhythm—same time, same place, different year. There’s a certain irony in the fact that some of them live just fifteen minutes away from me, yet it takes traveling thousands of miles by plane, train and car to finally sit down and catch up.
By the time Friday rolls around—which seems to have more sessions than I remember in recent years—you’ll be exhausted. By the time it’s over, you can almost expect the first signs of a cold to set in. Your immune system has put up a valiant fight against minimal sleep, days of "passed hors d'oeuvres” and handshakes, and late nights—including the legendary 4 AM finishes at Cloudflare Haus, featuring Barry’s Piano Bar. But if you’ve managed to keep your executive on track, your wrists intact, and successfully navigated the precision of "Swiss Time," you’ve done it. Now, it’s time to defrost and decompress, even as you carry home the thrill of everything you encountered that week.