Davos Diary Day Four: Hitting the Twitter Leaderboard, engaging Iqbal Surve – and more

 

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An album of pictures and captions of our Davos adventure can be accessed by clicking here. 

By Alec Hogg*

PlenarySaturday at the WEF is my favourite. The professional networkers pack up and leave the day before, cutting queues and generally reducing the strain on facilities. The frenetic pace of the previous three days drops. And with no media machine to feed, it’s an opportunity to pick gems from the thought-fest.

The first session I’d earmarked to attend was a presentation on the future of oil and gas. Have been keeping myself updated on progress around the massive shale gas deposit in the Karoo. Fracking has transformed America’s energy equation (and in many ways the national psyche) and the UK, blessed with proportionately even higher reserves, is driving hard to unlocking its own resource. David Cameron sent a clear message during his Davos address.

Such is interest in the subject that even though it was scheduled at the Davos Graveyard Shift – early Saturday morning – only those who arrived really early managed to get in. I didn’t but will be scanning the WEF website to find out what went down.

Despite the environmental concerns, the excitement around fracking keeps growing. At the WEF this week I twice heard it being used as an example of how mankind’s ingenuity addresses seemingly insurmountable problems.

It’s easy to forget that only a few years ago pundits predicted oil prices would rise over $200 a barrel and stay there. A consequence, mainly, of rapidly developing China and India sucking away at the finite resources. The invention of technology to unlock plentiful but previously inaccessible shale gas suggests a future oil price under $100 is now more likely.

Missing the fracking session delivered an unexpected benefit. Had I actually gotten into the gas session, it’s certain that I’d have made Quartz editor Kevin Delaney’s one-on-one with Don Tapscott, a research genius insights into our future have been uncannily accurate.

Tapscott has written numerous books on what we can expect. His misfortune, though, was timing. In 1981, for instance, he wrote about how computers would dramatically change the world of work. Naysayers claiming the masses would never learn how to type dismissed the idea.

In 1994 his research led him to writing a book predicting a swing to a Digital Economy, arguing the Internet was the next big thing. Again, Tapscott was years ahead of the rest. Ditto a decade later when he wrote about growing demand for transparency by Governments and corporations, something that has only recently taken hold.

Most of mankind might have dismissed Tapscott’s seemingly way-out projections. But the WEF paid attention. And the man’s growing reputation ensured all available seats for his session were grabbed well before starting time.

The discussion ranged from the rise of the individual and consequences of growing transparency (“We’re all naked – fitness is no longer optional”) through to the predicted end of the Industrial Age system of Government (“You vote, I rule for the next four years and spend 70% of my time raising money to get re-elected”). It deserves an article of its own. And will get one.

The Saturday afternoon buffet lunch, sponsored by Japan, produced a spontaneous discussion about Liechtenstein, one of the smallest independent nations on earth. And one of the richest with its 40 000 citizens enjoying a GDP per capita of $150 000. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister Thomas Zwiefelhofer provided a fascinating lesson in Liechtenstein history and economic policy. This is truly the “Lucky Country” – the only Principality spared by Napoleon and, like Switzerland, able to remain neutral and untouched through two World Wards.

IqbalMy other interesting lunchtime discussion was with Iqbal Surve’ (with wife Nadia right), another Davos regular whose company I’ve always enjoyed. Surve’ has raised the hackles of journalists with executive changes at his recently acquired Independent Newspapers group.

He is a great off-the-record protagonist so we’ll keep what was a  lively conversation between us. Suffice to say there are two sides to every story and his side will be revealed when the case of fired Cape Times editor Alide Dasnois gets heard in Labour Court.

It was back to live tweeting mode for the three final Plenary sessions of WEF 2014. This exercise led me featuring on the WEF’s massive social media “Leaderboard” – a fact pointed out to me by moviemaker Anant Singh. The WEF has been ahead of the social media curve for some time. Good to see it continues to make the running.

All three Plenaries were fascinating, providing their own insights and food for thought. But the last of them was truly memorable. Not only because Jim Wallis of Sojourners referred twice to the words and example Nelson Mandela while exhorting business leaders to put more emphasis on values and integrity when they go home. But also for another brilliant piece by cellist Zoe Keating, who had given our small IMC group a preview on Thursday night.

Although the final Plenary session is the official end of the WEF meeting, it is only really over after the traditional Saturday night Soiree. Countries usually compete for the right to host this party to beat all parties – in 2010 South Africa hosted one of the more memorable with Jimmy Dludlu and Simply Ground providing the music.

This year was different. The party was themed Jazz and Dance. And for the first time since I’ve attended, the black tie affair was held off-site from the Congress Hall at the new InterContinental Hotel.

As happens in Davos, we ended up sharing a four person table with an extraordinary human being. This time it was one of the youngest of the 2 500 participants, 21 year old Blair Ding whose business card reads “I do the interesting stuff.” A resident of Nanking in China, the scene of the greatest massacre of World War Two, Blair takes a refreshing approach to the anti-Japanese obsessions of many of her elders. For he, the past is not relevant , it’s tomorrow that matters.

Blair is on WEF’s Global Shapers programme, an invitation-only network for 21 to 30 year olds. A Member of Mensa, she was in Davos after being selected as one of three Chinese Global Shapers from 1 000 members.

Blair told us her age is a reflection of having skipped two years at high school and another year at university. Her sights set on a post graduate degree at Oxford or Cambridge and thereafter to start her own business.

Nice to see a really smart youngster choosing entrepreneurship over corporate life.  Hope springs eternal.

* Alec Hogg is the founder and publisher of Biznews.com

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