My Davos StoryBaek Seong-jeong  Davos is a city located in the eastern part of Switzerland, famous as a ski resort as well as for the annual World Economic Forum. The event management staffs were divided into teams based on tasks. The operational team for the press center was dispatched to Zurich, while I was assigned to the protocol team in charge of the entourage waiting room in Davos. It takes over five hours drive from Geneva to Davos via Bern and Zurich. The roads in Switzerland are dark and icy, but I persevered and soon found myself in Davos. Staff headquarters were quickly established in the hotels near the forum venue in Davos, and we began preparing for the event. We organized the headquarters area, checked to make sure all the equipment was functioning properly, checked the guest and lodging lists and purchased supplies. We even hand-selected Swiss chocolates for President and Mrs. Lee, and I was moved by the thought of the president and other distinguished guests picking up a pen one of us had arranged or eating one of our famous chocolates. All of these things, down to the smallest details, passed through the hands of an event staff member just like me! I moved to the entourage waiting room on the day of the event, which was a facility provided for the convenience of staff members accompanying world leaders visiting the event. Important-looking men and women would interrupt their discussions on the Davos forum to show interest in me and my studies in Switzerland, and asked me about the country as well as Davos. I shared my experiences in Switzerland and my impressions of its advanced systems with everyone. On the day of the "Korean Night,"an event celebrating Korean culture, I waited in front of the Schweitzer Hof Hotel where the president was staying to guide participants to vehicles and assist them in checking into the hotel. I spent the day with little thought of eating or resting, and it was only after the conclusion of the day’s events that I realized how exhausted I was. Finally, the event drew to a close and the VIPs began their journey home. I stayed in constant communication with drivers to provide up-to-the-minute updates on schedules and ensure a proper flow of transportation assets. All programs were wrapped up by two o’clock, and the chief presidential secretary and the entire staff were able to breathe a sign of relief. "Good job everyone, he has returned safely to Zurich!"That was the end of our duty in Davos. Would these guests ever realize the effort that went into preparing this event? Will anyone know how much slept we lost and how many meals we skipped? Despite these misgivings I had before the event, I realized on the last day that the satisfaction of watching the event draw to a successful close was reward enough on its own. I learned that behind a glamorous international event lies the effort of countless dedicated staff members and event organizers who ensure the success of the event, and vowed to continue to devote myself to my studies in order to become a professional, world-class PCO. What is the Davos Forum? Now in its 40th year, the World Economic Forum ("Davos Forum”) is held every year in Davos, Switzerland, and is a venue for world leaders to meet and exchange a variety of information and discuss plans for advancing the development of the global economy. Held under the title of "Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild,"President Lee Myung-bak of Korea delivered the first official address of the 2010 World Economic Forum, and personally participated in the "Korea Night 2010"event held on January 28 in downtown Davos to promote Korean culture and cuisine. |
