entrepreneurship

My first day at the Annual Meetings, and it’s a good thing I’m here early. Security is tight and traffic is backed up. Still, delegates can be seen happily chatting away as they wait to pass through the metal detector, the press is photographing the lines, and meetings are being planned for lunch. A thermal camera screens us as we are cleared through.

I’m looking for the civil society rooms. As with any large conference, there may be up to seven or eight meetings being conducted at any one time. This isn’t so much a problem if it weren’t for the fact that no one seems to know where the “civil society people” are. “Civil society? I don’t know…but the plenary is this way.” No thanks. Then I’m security-blocked a few times from going down to the floor where I think I may find this morning’s meeting. It seems “the press are not allowed” into the civil society meetings. I beg to differ. I finally find a free staircase without any security. I run down and realize I am at the right place…and the press are definitely allowed.