The powerful pull of Davos

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A woman cleans a window at the Congress Centre ahead of the WEF's annual meeting. Switzerland mobilised up to 5,000 soldiers to secure the areas surrounding the alpine resort. (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele) AFP

Spanish opera singer José Carreras performs during the Crystal Awards Ceremony during the opening plenary session on the first day of the 41st WEF event in Davos on January 26. The theme in 2011 - "Shared Norms for the New Reality". (Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott) Keystone

A worker carries out the last preparations inside the Congress Centre, a day before the official opening. (Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott) Keystone

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pays a minute's silence during the opening ceremony for victims of the suicide bomb attack at Moscow's Domodedovo airport. Medvedev arrived in time to address the forum, but was forced to cancel most of his Davos appointments after the January 24 attack.( AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini) Keystone

People gather in the Congress Centre on the first day but can't seem to find enough seats. (Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott) Keystone

A sniper stands on the roof of the Kongress Hotel next to the Congress Centre during the annual meeting. (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele) AFP

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, who is the 2011 president, speaks during the opening plenary session of the WEF event.(Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott) Keystone

United States Nobel Economics Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz speaks during a panel session. (Keystone/Laurent Gillieron) Keystone

Cooks prepare food for the rich and famous inside the Congress Centre.(AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini) AFP

International Monetary Fund (IMF) special advisor Min Zhu gestures during the opening of the Davos meeting. (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele) AFP

Amer Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, looks on during an early panel session. (Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott) Keystone

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who attended in 2010, was on hand again in 2011. (Keystone/Laurent Gillieron). Keystone

Former US President Bill Clinton arrives for a panel discussion on the second day of the event on January 27. (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele) AFP

A lady in red passes the WEF logo on the second day of the WEF meeting in Davos. (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele) AFP

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The resort in canton Graubünden once a year brings the high and mighty to southeast Switzerland.

There are those who steal the limelight while others work behind the scenes at the 2011 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.