How to Prepare for the World Business Forum

The World Business Forum is a lot to take in: two days, dozens of the world’s most influential business minds, and thousands of leaders in the room with you. The people who get the most out of it aren’t the ones who simply show up; they’re the ones who arrive with a plan. And putting one together takes less than you’d think, a little preparation beforehand, the right attitude during, and a bit of follow-through afterward will help you get the most out of everything the World Business Forum has to offer. Here’s how to make yours count, from the moment you book your ticket to the weeks after it ends.

Before the Forum: Do Your Homework

Start with the speakers. You’ll get far more from a talk if you already know who’s on stage and why they’re there, so take a minute to learn who they are and to track down their main ideas, their frameworks, and the achievements that made their name. We’ll give you a shortcut to make it easier: our list of must-read titles on the speakers coming to the Forum, which brings together their key ideas and why they’re worth reading, and On the Road to the World Business Forum, a curated selection of exclusive videos featuring the best speakers from last year’s Forum who will also be speaking this year. Fifteen minutes with either one and you’ll walk in with context most of the room won’t have.

Then look at the agenda. Mark the sessions you don’t want to miss, but resist the temptation to fill both days completely. Everything is recorded and available to rewatch through December 31, 2026, so there’s no need to catch it all live. Knowing that frees you up in two ways: to be present for the talks that matter most to you, and to leave room for the unplanned hallway conversations that often turn out to be the best part of the day.

A few practical details will save you stress once you’re there. Check your city’s venue, the doors, the start times, and the nearest parking, and plan your route so the first morning isn’t a scramble. Bring comfortable shoes, a light layer for the air-conditioned rooms, a charged phone with a backup battery, and whatever you take notes on. None of it is glamorous, but it’s the difference between arriving frazzled and arriving ready and open.

And before you go, decide what will make these two days worth it. It might be a problem you want fresh ideas for, a decision you’ve been turning over for a while, or a part of the business you know needs a rethink. Walk in looking for something specific and you’ll be surprised how often the stage seems to hand you the answer.

During the Forum: In the Room

Don’t worry about writing everything down. The full talks will be waiting for you afterward, so don’t transcribe: filter. Note the idea that made you start your business, the question you can’t quite answer, that one thing you want to try on Monday. If we may offer one tip, set yourself a rule: leave each session with a single “I need to act on this,” and you’ll end up with a clear to-do list instead of a paragraph of abstract ideas.

Networking tends to be the part people dread, and here it’s easier than it seems. The whole room is grappling with the same concerns you are, so the conversation is half-started before you open your mouth. You don’t need a clever line. “What brought you here?” or “Which talk are you most looking forward to?” work precisely because it’s what everyone has already been thinking about. Want an even warmer opening? React to what just happened on stage: “What did you make of that last session?” is an instant bridge.

A few things worth keeping in mind:

• Aim to have real conversations, not a stack of business cards. One exchange you actually follow up on is worth more than twenty you forget by lunchtime.
• Ask more than you pitch. People remember the interest you showed in them, not how impressive you sounded.
• The in-between moments are the good ones. Coffee breaks, the lunch queue, the minutes before a session starts: that’s where the magic happens.
• Connect on the spot. A quick LinkedIn add while you’re face to face is worth more than the usual promise to “email sometime.”

And pace yourself. Two days of full attention are intense, so step out for air when you need to, stay hydrated, and don’t feel guilty about skipping a live session here and there. Remember, you’ll have the recording.

After the Forum: Where It Really Pays Off