Questions 21-25
"Youre off to the World Economic Forum？" asked the Oxford economist, enviously. "Howvery impressive. Theyve never invited me."
Three days later, I queued in the snow outside the conference center in Davos, standingbehind mink coals and cashmere overcoats, watched over by Swiss policemen with machineguns."Reporting press？ You cant come in here. Side entrance, please." I stood in line again, thistime behind PMfa jackets and Newsweek journalists, waiting to collect my orange badge. Onceinside. I found that the seminar I wanted to go to was being held in a half-empty room. "Youcant sit here. All seats are reserved for white badges. Coloured badges have to stand."
An acquaintance invited me to a dinner he was hosting. "There are people Id like you tomeet." The green-badged Forum employee stopped me at the door. "This is a participantsdinner. Orange badges are not allowed." Then, later, reluctantly. "If youre coming in. pleasecan you turn your badge around？ Dinners may be upset if they see youre a colour."
"Why does anyone put up with being treated like this？" I asked a Financial Timescorrespondent. "Because we all live in hope of becoming white badges," he said. "Then wellknow whats really going on."
A leading British businessman was wearing a white badge, but it bore a small logo on the topleft-hand corner. GLT. "Whats a GLT？" I asked.
Ah, he said. "well, its a Davos club. Im a Global Leader for Tomorrow."
"That sounds very important," I said. "Yes." He said, "I thought so myself until I bumpedinto the man who had sponsored me. On the way to my first meeting. I asked him if he wascoming, and he said, "Oh no, dear boy, I dont bother with that any longer. Im not a GLT anymore Im an IGWEL." "Whats an IGWEL？" I asked him. "A member of Informal Group ofWorld Economic Leaders of Today."
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