The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, commonly referred to as Davos, welcomes more than 3,000 global leaders from business, politics and civil society every January in the namesake Swiss city. They gather to address pressing issues such as climate change and economic and geopolitical challenges. Davos, which begins Monday and runs through Friday, was started in 1971 by the German economist Klaus Schwab, who initially named it the European Management Symposium.
Severin Podolak, the head of event management and operations for the World Economic Forum since 2021, helps design the event, manage it and ensure its overall success. Before taking on this role, Mr. Podolak held a similar position for the Swiss Re Group, a reinsurance company based in Zurich. He has more than 20 years of experience in events and hospitality.
“I’m in charge of the nitty-gritty details of the meeting and the person who makes sure that the technology is working, that the rooms are warm enough and everyone is well fed,” he said. The timing of the sessions, accommodations for attendees, and transportation to and from Davos also fall under Mr. Podolak’s purview.
He was attracted to the position, he said, because he has a passion for “orchestrating impactful events that drive global change.”
“The forum’s mission to improve the state of the world through multi-stakeholder collaboration resonates deeply with my professional values,” Mr. Podolak said.
Davos, the forum’s largest meeting, transpires in three venues: the Congress Centre; Kurpark Village, a nearly 65,000-square-foot temporary wooden chalet that debuted in 2024; and the Davos Ice Stadium, where hockey is played. Collectively, they are known as the Secured Zone and are within a five-minute walk from one another.
Mr. Podolak said the meeting encompassed more than 500 sessions over five days, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sessions include panels on global issues such as sustainability, artificial intelligence and the state of democracy worldwide, and invitation-only small-group and problem-solving discussions.
“Every session, whether it’s a breakfast, dinner or an address to a large group, has a purpose,” he said. “Nothing we organize is for pure networking only, although that ends up happening.” He noted that organizations and individuals attending the meeting planned the after-parties and other social events, not the World Economic Forum.
Planning the gathering is a yearlong endeavor for an in-house events team of 15. “As soon as one Davos is over, we start planning the next one and meet weekly up until two months before when we start meeting every day, sometimes multiple times daily,” he said.
The following interview was conducted by video and has been edited and condensed.
Can you elaborate further on what your team does for Davos?
The main responsibility of the events team is to develop the overall event concept and coordinate the various contributors, including both internal and external contractors. We plan the event, negotiate contracts with suppliers, ensure budget adherence and manage relationships with various stakeholders.
Our team is responsible for the entire infrastructure and work force for the event, contracting accommodations and providing comprehensive participant and staff logistics, including transportation. We also create the food and beverage concept, manage freight and material transport, and handle session logistics. This means ensuring that every session room is equipped and set up according to the requirements of the next session. This also includes managing technological aspects such as audio and visual setups.
After the event, it’s our job to ensure that the relevant feedback is collected and findings are incorporated into next year’s event concept.
What criteria do you use to change how Davos is organized each year?
The attendee experience, of course, is crucial. We have staff on the ground who gather feedback from attendees on the spot and make changes for the following year accordingly. In the last few years, participants have told us they wanted places in our venues to have informal gatherings between sessions. In response, this year, we have lounges with tables of different sizes and couches and food and drink stations where people can meet.
How do you ensure security across multiple events and locations?
There are around 5,000 security people on site during Davos, including the Swiss military, the police and employees of private security companies. Some officers are in uniform while others are not, but security is visible, and there are multiple checkpoints throughout.
How do you design the agenda to provide a balanced time allocation?
We try to make sure that each session hits a topic of relevance and has balance and diversity. The sessions are roughly 45 minutes to an hour long and include a mix of people from different countries, genders and industries.
How do you ensure that events start and end on schedule?
Being late is not an option because we livestream more than 50 percent of the sessions. We start them on time even if the room isn’t filled or people are still walking in. Sometimes, they overrun, but the moderators handle this, and we have at least 45 minutes between sessions to clean the room and set up for the next session.
Where do attendees stay, and what are the arrangements for transporting them from their hotels to events?
We have contracts with more than 45 hotels in Davos and the neighboring city of Klosters. Most book accommodations with us when they register. We have four shuttle lines connecting the various hotels with the venues. In addition, all attendees have access to free public transportation to and from the venues.
How do you deal with any medical issues that might come up?
We have an infirmary at the Congress Centre with doctors on site all day for anything that may happen.
You have said that sustainability is a priority when organizing the event. Can you share more details?
Sustainability is at the core of the organization, and we have many initiatives to be as ecologically responsible as possible. Our heating is provided only by local wood pellets. We don’t use oil or gas. We use only LED lighting, and the majority of our transportation fleet is electric vehicles.
With respect to food, we use A.I. technology to determine how much is uneaten and what can be salvaged. We donate whatever we can save to a local charity, 4Reasons, which runs a pop-up restaurant during Davos that’s open to anyone. There is no cost to dine, but they do request a donation.
What keeps you awake at night during Davos? What do you worry about most?
In Davos, the days are long, and the workload can be heavy. At night, I am usually so exhausted that I sleep like a stone. Davos is the result of a year of preparation with a very competent team, and I am confident that we have control over what we can manage.
However, in a complex event with so many participants and moving parts, it is not possible to predict everything. Therefore, my efforts are focused on how we can best deal with unpredictable situations. Ultimately, my main concerns are about the team — keeping them healthy and their work balanced during the event is of the utmost importance.
Can you discuss the timing of Davos, which starts on the day of the U.S. presidential inauguration?
We know that the inauguration means that there may be a smaller political footprint from the U.S. at the meeting. This year, we don’t know what will happen because government officials have up until the date before the event to register. However, a strong contingent of U.S. business leaders and media is still attending.
