How to Speak at a Davos Side Event
Every January, hundreds of people speak at Davos side events. Almost none of them applied for the slot. Here's how it actually works, and what to do if you don't have one yet.
There are two Davos programmes
Two separate things share the name "Davos" every January.
The first is the World Economic Forum's own Congress Centre programme — the official Annual Meeting, gated by accreditation that runs through paid corporate membership. Getting on that stage is a different question entirely, tied to Forum partnership status, and it's outside what this page or Davos Access can help with.
The second is everything else: the Houses, pavilions, dinners and private panels that companies, institutions and organisations run independently, up and down the Promenade, for the length of the week. None of it is part of the official WEF agenda. None of it needs a WEF badge to speak at. This is the programme The Side Stage tracks — and the one this page is about.
Who actually books side-event speakers
Not the WEF, and not Davos Access either.
Each House, dinner or panel is run by whoever is hosting it — a company, a fund, an embassy, a foundation, a media outlet. Some staff their own events team to fill the agenda; many bring in an outside curator or production partner for the week who handles programming, including who's on stage.
There's no central booking office and no public call for speakers. It runs on relationships, referrals and whoever the host or their curator already has in mind.
When the slots get filled
There's no published deadline, because there's no public application process to have a deadline.
In practice, most agendas come together in the months before the week itself, once a House or dinner host has locked their venue and settled their own programme. [PLACEHOLDER — Hélène to supply: typical lead time before agendas are set]
Waiting until January to start is waiting too long — by then, most rooms already know who's speaking.
What organisers are looking for
Fit, not fame.
A host filling a short panel slot wants someone who can speak specifically and briefly to a subject their room actually cares about — not a broad introduction to a topic, a sharp angle on it. Real expertise, a clear point of view, and the ability to say something worth the room's attention in a few minutes.
Logistics matter too: being in Davos on the right day, able to cover your own travel, and easy to work with on short notice. [PLACEHOLDER — Hélène to supply: any other specific selection criteria worth naming]
If you don't have a slot yet
This is what Davos Access can actually help with.
We don't run the Houses or dinners ourselves, and we can't promise a slot — nobody honestly can, this far out or this close in. What we can do is tell you plainly what's realistic given what you'd speak about, and pass your interest along to hosts and curators we're in touch with when it's a genuine fit.
Want to speak at Davos 2027?
Tell us what you'd talk about and we'll tell you the truth about your odds.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need WEF accreditation to speak at a Davos side event?
No. The official WEF Congress Centre programme and the independent side-event ecosystem — Houses, pavilions, dinners and private panels — are two separate things. Speaking at a side event needs an invitation from whoever's hosting it, not a WEF badge.
Who books speakers for Davos Houses and dinners?
The company, fund, embassy or institution hosting the event — not the WEF, and not Davos Access. Some hosts staff their own events team; many bring in an outside curator for the week who handles the agenda, including who speaks.
When should I start trying to get a Davos speaking slot?
As early as possible, and well before January. There's no public deadline because there's no public application process — agendas come together in the months before the week, once a host has settled their own programme, not during the week itself.
What are Davos side-event organisers looking for in a speaker?
A specific angle on a subject their room cares about, not a general introduction to a topic. Beyond the topic fit: being in Davos on the right day, able to cover your own travel, and easy to work with on short notice.
I don't have a speaking slot yet — can Davos Access get me one?
We can't promise a slot — nobody honestly can. What we can do is tell you plainly what's realistic given what you'd speak about, and pass your interest along to hosts and curators we're in touch with when it's a genuine fit.