World Economic Forum Still to Hold Davos Meeting in January

(Bloomberg) -- The World Economic Forum still plans to hold some form of gathering of business and financial titans in the Swiss town of Davos next January.

While similar events have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, WEF Founder Klaus Schwab said Wednesday that he intends to host a twin summit, with some delegates in Davos and others joining virtually from more than 400 hubs around the world.

The theme of the meeting will be “The Great Reset.”

“Covid-19 has accelerated our transition into the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Schwab said in a statement. “We have to make sure that the new technologies in the digital, biological and physical world remain human-centered and serve society as a whole, providing everyone with fair access.”

Members of the so-called global elite have typically flocked to the Alpine resort every January for the past 50 years for a combination of academic discussions, client meetings and cocktail parties.

The virus still threatens to change the feel and size of the 2021 meeting if no vaccine is found before then. Travel may be limited, and social distancing rules could remain in place, reducing the appeal of the gathering.

JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, a Davos regular, joked in February that he “has this nightmare that somehow in Davos, all of us who went there got it, and then we all left and spread it. The only good news from that is that it might have just killed the elite.”

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