( CNN ) -- Business leaders , heads of government , entrepreneurs and even the odd celebrity are rubbing fur and down-quilted shoulders at Europe 's highest altitude town , Davos , for the World Economic Forum 's annual meeting . Here 's all you need to know about the meeting , the town and those lucky enough to be invited . The town . At 1,560 meters Davos is the highest town in Europe , its population is more than 11,000 . Its average temperature is -5°C/23°F in January and 17°C/62°F in July . The meeting is beneficial to the city : its CO2 levels fall on average up to 30 % during the annual meeting , thanks to controls on vehicle emissions and the use of electric transport . Moreover , the annual meeting contributes CHF 45 million ( $ 50M ) to the local Davos economy and CHF 70 million ( $ 77M ) to Switzerland 's economy overall . The attendees . 250 top political leaders and heads of international organizations attend the forum , this year , 40+ of them are current heads of state or government . The security is tight -- although the organizers do not release specific information , it is estimated that around 4,000 Swiss troops , police and security personnel guard the town . Accreditation , which is necessary for anyone attending , costs $ 20,000 . The youngest participant is 21-year-old Umar Anwar Jahangir , a `` Global Shaper '' from Islamabad , who heads Bahria Medics , a student-run social welfare organization . At the other end of the age range is Shimon Peres , President of Israel , at 90 . Overall , 2,500 delegates traveled to Davos from more than 100 countries . That 's five times as many as the first time the event was held in 1971 , when only 444 participated . However , just 15 % of this year 's guests are female . The meeting . Only once was the annual meeting held outside of Davos : In 2002 , in New York , as a gesture of solidarity after the 9/11 terrorist attacks . There are four World Economic Forum bureaus around the world : The headquarters in Geneva , and in New York , Beijing , and Tokyo . This year , the WEF program includes more than 250 events , organized by nearly 500 staff members , and covered by more than 500 journalists , who had to submit their applications nearly three months in advance . CNN itself sent nearly 40 reporters , producers , cameramen and crew . More than 2 million people follow the WEF on Twitter . Davos : All you need to know to be a delegate .
Davos contributes CHF 45M ( $ 50 M ) to the Davos economy and CHF 70M to Switzerland . Overall , more than 100 delegates traveled to WEF from more than 100 countries around the world . The average temperature in the town of Davos is -5°C in January and more than 100 °C in January .