23 Jan Davos has failed to keep up with a changing world – City A.M

The BFPG’s Communications and Events Manager, Matt Gillow, wrote for City AM on the World Economic Forum in Davos, arguing that the ‘pay-to-play’ nature of the summit is outdated, and that forums like Davos need to become more transparent if they are able to take on the issues faced by liberal democracies worldwide.

Matt said: “The World Economic Forum paints itself as an opportunity for activists and upwards-punchers to “speak truth to the powerful”. But the fact is that protesters are finding their own ways to do this every day, using social media from their phones rather than flying to Switzerland once a year. If Davos ever was the forum for elites to listen (a dubious claim by all accounts), it certainly is no longer.

Because the world is changing, and liberal leaders are being too slow to adapt to new realities.”

Matt went on to say: “We need global cooperation to confront some of the biggest challenges of our age, such as climate change, inequality, and population growth. And it’s right for world leaders to engage with the business community to tackle these issues. But they need to do so in a more transparent way.  After 50 years of back-room meetings with world leaders and chief executives, with pay-to-play billionaires getting privileged access to policymakers, maybe it’s time to call quits on Davos.”

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