It’s a wrap

sunset Keystone

So it's all over for another year - 259 sessions covering every topic under the sun, and the world is pretty much at the same spot as when WEF started - at least on the surface.

We have learned a bit more about the fundamental issues underlying the problems we face. And we have a fair idea of what to expect for the coming 12 months.

But the myriad debates and monologues only scratch the surface of WEF. The iceberg underneath is comprised of a series of meetings between government ministers, NGOs, business leaders and all the other participants.

The Informal Gatherings of World Economic Leaders (IGWELs in WEF-speak) may have brokered some secret deal or forged deeper relations that could change the world for the better.

The corporate version is known as “elite speed dating”, making invaluable business contacts, nailing down a deal or hammering out sticking points.

WEF is the biggest international telephone book of practically anyone who matters on the global scene. Talk in public is often followed by action behind closed doors.

Exhausted, I head off into the sunset.