Irregular: Munich Insecurity Conference

In this Irregular column, I would like to give a sense of the atmosphere and inner workings of the Munich Security Conference, which our CEO, Christian Habla, and I attended last week.

Clearly, much has been written about Munich, including by us, so I won’t go into enormous detail about what was said, or what made headlines. Rather, I want to talk about what the MSC really is, how it works, who’s who in the zoo, and what can usefully be gleaned from being there on the ground that cannot be understood from reading news reports or watching the speeches.

Februarfest

The MSC is an important event in the international calendar, alongside Davos, the UN General Assembly, and the more specialised summits held throughout the year.

Munich is, above all and unlike those other events, a barometer of transatlantic relations and a window into the European security agenda. It’s also a very good place for doing business. Beyond the official participation of senior politicians — over 50 heads of state attended — there are large delegations of parliamentarians and speakers from civil society and the corporate sector. Many large corporates, especially professional services firms, organise side events and private client dinners. Billionaires fly in on private jets to rub shoulders with world leaders. NGOs convene delegate gatherings outside the official confines of the conference. And astute media organisations, recognising the powerful pull of a drink (or two, or more) after long days of meetings and panel sessions, hire out bars.

All this makes the MSC as much a high-level networking event as a forum for learning about global affairs. In fact, many of the most interesting and frank conversations we had were on the sidelines rather than in plenary discussions or formal speeches.

Getting the most out of the MSC, whether as an official, journalist, or corporate participant, requires understanding the program, its logistics, the atmosphere, the interests of various participants, and how to add value. It means being in the right place at the right time. It requires strong preparation, openness to striking up conversations with as many people as possible, being opportunistic, limiting sleep, and having enough business cards to hand out. Often, it is the most spontaneous, unplanned conversation — struck up while waiting for coffee or a