Mother of all junkets.

The mother of all junkets has come round again. The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is holding its annual jamboree, a gathering of puny politicians, business bandits and bonus-guzzling bankers. In an article in the New York Times of January 24, 2011 Andrew Ross Sorkin gave a detailed cost breakdown of attending the conference. It is worth revisiting that article again. Only members are invited. Basic membership cost $52000 and you have to buy a ticket for $19000 plus tax. For a total of $71000 you get invited to general sessions but do not get to participate. For that you have to rise to Industry Associate level which cost $137000 plus the ticket for a total of $263000. With this you can take part in panel discussions and interact personally. If you take along some chamchas, especially if the taxpayer is footing the bill, you can rise to Strategic Partner level. Membership for 5 people $527000 plus ticket of $19000 each for a total of $622000.For this you get access to private sessions, conference rooms to hold meetings in and, that most valued status symbol, a car sticker allowing you door to door pick up service. Membership gets you invitation to Davos plus 6 other meetings around the world. Of course, the blood-suckers have to stay somewhere. A 5-bedroom chalet for 1 week cost $14000 and a Mercedes with driver $10000 for 1 week. After all that brainstorming there would be need to unwind. The Posthotel would charge $210 per person per hour so a cocktail with 60 guests would be $8000 for 1 hour, $16000 for 2 hours. The Indian contingent last year, if memory serves me right, consisted of 124 people, headed by our great sage Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. By my estimate it would have cost One billion rupees. We are not told as to who foot the bill but what we know for sure is that Foreign Direct Investment fell by 30% last year. We have not been told whose turn it is to attend this year and how many people will be going but prices must have gone up and the rupee is down 15% so the cost will be that much higher. It would be much better to arrange a one week party in India with food, drinks and performances by Bollywood babes. At least it would keep the money inside the country and stimulate the local economy. For that amount artificial snow could be arrange for the photographs. Trouble is, there is coalition dharma to think about.