WordblogJournalism in a changing world

Being left behind on London during the Davos jamboree has “become a social blunder on a par with being caught in the capital in August,” says Ruth Sutherland in the Observer business section.

Yes, there is a touch of sour grapes and like her I would rather enjoy being there next year. Every blogger who can seems to have made their way to Switzerland.

Arianna Huffington gives us a taste of this up-market event which makes it sound like one of those giant Harry Potter fests they go in for in the US. She wrote: “There are hundreds of different “sessions” (including panels, workshops, and working lunches) taking place over the four and a half day conference — and that doesn’t include all the unofficial parties, dinners, and “nightcaps” that go on here until the wee hours of the morning.”

Daily Telegraph editor Will Lewis was there too, blogging: “Right now I am off to a drinks function hosted by Lakshmi Mittal, followed by a dinner at which Stern and Cameron are due to speak about the environment. Later on there are no end of drinks parties to attend. I am told that Guy Ruddle, head of Telegraph Talk and part of our Davos team, has volunteered to monitor and report on those late-at-night bashes.”

Jeff Jarvis took his Buzzmachine there and was able to give us his world view: “Reuters was holding a lunch party today up at the top of one of the mountains that lords over us here at Davos. I was looking forward to being there and seeing the view, shooting video, eating cheese. But I was not looking forward to the ride. I hate heights. But the promise of wine and cheese got me into the funicular railway and up and up and up we went.”

Tim Webber, at the BBC’s Davos blog, tells us: “Looking back at the past week, what was the hottest ticket in town? Undoubtedly the Google party on Friday night.”

Over at the Guardian’s Comment is Free, Larry Elliott tells us: “Davos is where you can see all the names in your contacts book - and the ones you hope to add - under one roof. Was that really Jean-Claude Trichet chatting to George Soros? Yes it was. Shall I accept that invitation to go to lunch with Bono? Only if doesn’t clash with my session with Bill Gates. Davos, believe me, brings out the groupie in all of us.”

So there you have it: Davos has defined social media.