How can an executive or brand participate in Davos in 2027?
Start by separating three different propositions: participation in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, attendance at another organiser's event, and an independently created business programme in Davos. Each has its own issuer, eligibility, venue, terms and evidence. A hotel reservation, city presence or invitation to one private event does not provide access to the Annual Meeting or another controlled venue.
ICON IMAGE is independent from the World Economic Forum and every event organiser mentioned on this page. Access is subject to eligibility, availability and third-party approval. Official participation, independent events, venues, contributors and hospitality are separately confirmed workstreams, not one universal package.
What changed for Davos 2027: the Open Forum has ended
On 15 September 2026, the World Economic Forum announced that it had decided to discontinue the Open Forum Davos. The Forum said the programme had run for 23 editions and more than 230 public sessions. It also stated that it would continue engagement with the Davos community, including a one-day Congress Centre badge raffle for locals from Davos-Klosters, while exploring other opportunities.
This makes older search results especially easy to misread. In previous years, the Open Forum offered free public sessions after registration. Its discontinued status means old registration FAQs, archived programme pages and descriptions of the 2026 format are not a 2027 public-access route. Planning should use current organiser information rather than assumptions carried forward from past editions.
What the announcement does not mean
The announcement does not state that the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is open to general registration, that independent Davos events have stopped, or that a local raffle is available to international visitors. Each route must be assessed on its own current terms. As of 4 October 2026, the Forum referred to the next Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2027 but had not published a complete 2027 participation page with final dates and access details on its main meetings directory.
Four participation routes to distinguish
1. World Economic Forum Annual Meeting participation
The Annual Meeting is the World Economic Forum's own programme and controlled environment. Any invitation, accreditation, badge or access right must come from the Forum or an authorised issuer under current terms. A service provider can help a client organise information and logistics around a legitimate route, but it cannot convert interest, status or proximity into official access.
2. Media accreditation
Media participation is a professional route, not a substitute for a business badge. A journalist or outlet should rely on the Forum's current media process when it is published and provide only accurate professional evidence. A brand, founder, adviser or communications agency should not be presented as editorial media merely to pursue venue entry.
3. Third-party and independent events
Companies, institutions, communities and private hosts may organise programmes in and around Davos during the wider week. An invitation provides only the access stated by that host. It should identify the actual organiser, venue, date, guest conditions and any transfer restrictions. Terms such as official, partner or affiliated require current written rights.
4. A self-directed executive programme
A founder, executive team or investor can build an independent schedule of mutually confirmed meetings, briefings and a private format where relevant. This programme should be useful even if no third-party badge becomes available. It depends on accepted meetings, contracted venues and separately verified event invitations rather than a speculative list of names.
Choose the route from the objective
Define the business question before requesting access: investor dialogue, partner development, policy understanding, client relationships, sector intelligence, media briefings or an independently hosted discussion. The correct participation route follows the objective and the client's credible role. A request framed only as “Davos access” is too broad to assess responsibly.
Identify the minimum successful programme and the dependencies that remain conditional. A useful minimum might be three qualified meetings and one private working session. Official venue access, a named invitation or a speaker opportunity should appear as a separate pending item until the responsible issuer confirms it.
Verify every access item before it enters the schedule
Maintain a confirmation register for every badge, invitation, event, meeting and venue. Record the exact issuer, named guest, date, time, location, access scope, transferability, cost where applicable, cancellation terms, evidence and contact route. Screenshots from an intermediary, a previous year's pass and verbal assurances are not equivalent to current confirmation.
Check the invitation domain, contracting entity, payment recipient, privacy notice and terms. Confirm whether the item covers one person or a delegation, which zones or sessions it includes, and whether identity checks apply. Do not promote speakers, guests or meetings before acceptance. If an element remains uncertain, label it as requested or pending and keep an alternative.
- issuer and official relationship, if any;
- named guest and eligibility basis;
- precise venue, date, time and access boundary;
- status: requested, offered, contracted or confirmed;
- payment, cancellation and substitution terms;
- written evidence and responsible contact.
Build the programme around confirmed decisions
Cluster meetings by objective and location, allow for security and winter operating conditions, and avoid schedules that depend on impossible transfers or unverified access. Provide each executive with the host, counterpart, purpose, context, agreed location, privacy position and action expected after the meeting. A quiet and feasible programme is more valuable than a crowded list of speculative opportunities.
If a private dinner, roundtable, briefing or brand salon is required, scope it as an independent event. Confirm venue authority, capacity, production, accessibility, guest data, catering, alcohol, filming, photography, branding and any local requirements. Invitations should identify the true host and must not use World Economic Forum names or marks in a way that implies endorsement.
What a responsible Davos proposal should show
The proposal should separate ICON IMAGE coordination from every third-party product and decision. It can define research, official-information checks, meeting requests, guest communication, briefing, confirmation tracking, private-event coordination and on-site support within the agreed scope. It should also identify what is excluded or priced separately.
Hotels, flights, general tourism, restaurant recommendations and ticket resale are not the editorial proposition of Private Access. Venue hire, event production, security, transport, contributors, catering, third-party badges and invitations remain separate unless a written scope explicitly includes a confirmed item. No package should imply that all listed possibilities are automatically included.
When to start planning
Begin when the business objective, executive availability and approval budget are clear, not when online speculation peaks. Early work should secure decision rights, a target-account list, meeting rationale, message boundaries and alternative formats. It should not be used to advertise unconfirmed attendance or purchase opaque access claims.
Recheck the World Economic Forum's official meeting pages before contracting around dates or participation. The Forum's September announcement confirms that the next Annual Meeting is expected in Davos in January 2027, but the live 2027 page and its current terms should control once published. Date, venue and access assumptions belong in a verification log until then.
How ICON IMAGE can coordinate an independent Davos mandate
ICON IMAGE can help define the objective, map legitimate participation routes, verify available evidence, structure meeting requests, create an executive brief, maintain the confirmation register and coordinate an independent private programme or event under a separate scope. The work is designed for clients with a clear professional, investment or business purpose.
A request should include participant names and roles, the business objective, relevant relationships, required dates, confirmed items, pending requests, privacy needs and the budget range for independent coordination.
Related Davos and international event resources
Davos 2027 access questions
Can the public register for the Davos Open Forum in 2027?
No. On 15 September 2026, the World Economic Forum announced that it had decided to discontinue the Open Forum Davos. Old registration pages and past-event guidance should not be treated as a 2027 access route.
Does being in Davos provide access to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting?
No. Presence in Davos, a hotel booking, an invitation to an independent event or a meeting elsewhere in town does not provide access to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting or its controlled venues.
Can an executive or brand organise an independent event in Davos?
Potentially, subject to the venue, local requirements, rights, contracts, production capacity and guest confirmations. The event must be described as independent unless a current written agreement supports an official relationship.
Editorial sources
World Economic Forum pages checked on 4 October 2026. The Forum's live meeting pages, written invitations and current participation terms control official access.