达沃斯论坛新手必备指南

    据美国科技博客Quartz上周报道，在周三开幕的达沃斯全球经济论坛（The World Economic Forum）年会上，约80%的与会者都是首次参加。全球经济论坛对这个数据进行了反驳，之后Quartz也将这个数字从文章中删除。但不论正确数字到底是多少，很显然，对大多数人来说，达沃斯是“只会去一次”的地方。

    三年前，我也是达沃斯的新人。无名小卒们到底应该如何充分利用这次冗长的全球性会议？以下是笔者的建议。

    留意老板是否会出席

    在达沃斯，最应该重视的事情之一并不是与博诺的私人会面（虽然这基本是不可能的事），而是一个距离会议中心仅有几步之遥的酒店房间。年会的大多数活动都在会议中心举办。班车间隔时间很长，而且它们很早就会停止营运。而出租车又太过昂贵。

    这里没有很多大酒店，而且房间早已预订一空。第一次来达沃斯的无名之辈别想靠自己订到房间。但是，有人不用为这件事操心，那就是你老板的老板。所以，提前两个月就给老板的老板的助理打电话。你的老板的老板日理万机，所以就算个月之前已经勉强同意出席，最终也有可能无法成行。一月初，你会接到老板的老板的助理打来的电话，告诉你有房间了。但千万别被耍了。在达沃斯，一个晚上500美元只能得到一个小房间。而且，你还得拿出无数的信件，证明你有权得到那个小房间。

    跳过开幕式上克劳斯•施瓦布鼓动人心的演说

    全球经济论坛负责人施瓦布每年都会发表一篇演说，告诉人们如何充分利用在达沃斯的时间。作为新来的无名之辈，这听起来像是必须出席的活动。但我劝你不要去。

    毫无疑问，施瓦布的演说会让你觉得很特别。他让你相信，在接下来几天里，你会沉浸在诺贝尔奖得主和全球领导者的经济辩论当中。这只会让你的自我与达沃斯的真相一起沉沦。它很大程度上只不过是银行家和咨询师们为了逗客户开心的漂亮说辞。而身为一个无名小卒，没有活动会邀请你去参加。

    如果你确实去参加了一场会议，就坚持下去。

    在达沃斯论坛上，CEO、国家元首和各国央行行长将上演一场场精彩纷呈的经济辩论，非常值得一听。许多最好的讨论会会同时进行。而实际的座谈会就像小组讨论一样无聊。CEO们不会说任何有争议的话。其他人也都是彬彬有礼。毕竟，“达沃斯人”从本质上看都是交际家。此外，达沃斯的精神是，所有人都达成共识。这样一来，大多数讨论都被乏味的中间立场所掩埋。不过，不要产生放弃的念头。你去过的其他会议不是同样也很无聊吗！

    Last week, Quartz reported that nearly 80% of the people who attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, which starts on Wednesday, are first-timers. The World Economic Forum refuted that stat, and Quartz pulled it from its article. But whatever the correct figure is, it's clear that Davos for most people is a one-and-done.

    Three years ago, I was a Davos newbie. Here's my advice on how nobodies can make the most of the global gabfest.

    Keep tabs on whether your boss is going

    One of the biggest scores at Davos is not a private meeting with Bono -- though you won't get that either -- but a hotel room within walking distance of the Congress Center, which is where most of the events are held. Shuttle buses take a while to show up, and they stop running early. And cabs are expensive.

    There are not many big hotels, and the rooms are reserved way in advance. As a newbie nobody, you won't get one of these. But you know who will? Your boss's boss. So start calling your boss's boss's assistant two months in advance. Your boss's boss is actually a busy person and will back out of going to Switzerland, even after reluctantly agreeing months ago. In early January, you'll get a call from your boss's boss' assistant saying that the room is available. But don't be fooled. $500 a night in Davos gets you a closet. And you will have to show numerous letters to prove that you are indeed entitled to that closet.

    Skip the opening night pep talk from Klaus Schwab

    Each year, Schwab, who leads the World Economic Forum, gives a talk to on how to get the most out of your time at Davos. For a newbie nobody like yourself, this will seem like a must-attend. Don't go.

    Schwab's talk will undoubtedly make you feel special, convincing you that you will spend the next few days locked in economic debate with Nobel Prize winners and world leaders. This will only make your ego sink further as the reality of Davos sinks in. It's mostly high-minded window dressing for bankers and consultants to entertain clients. And as a nobody, you won't get invited to those events.

    If you do go to a session, stick with it

    The program at Davos is packed with worthy-sounding economic debates between CEOs, heads of state, and central bankers. And many of the best sessions overlap. The

    actual panels will be as boring as, well, discussion panels. CEOs won't say anything controversial. Everyone else is just being polite. The Davos man after all is a networker at heart. Plus, the ethos of Davos is that everyone comes to a consensus, which leaves most discussions lost somewhere in the uninteresting middle ground. Still, resist the desire to ditch. That other panel that you almost went to would have been boring too.