“Intelligence on the World, Europe, and Italy”
The great issues of the world of today and tomorrow have been discussed for 50 years at the Cernobbio Forum.
Our annual Forum, "Intelligence on the World, Europe, and Italy", is one of the world's most important meetings between top executives. Over the years, it has hosted numerous prominent speakers, including Gianni Agnelli, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, Joe Biden, H.M. Queen Rania of Jordan, H.M. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Kofi Annan, as well as the messages from Pope Francis, Sergio Mattarella, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the international business community.
The Forum is held every year at the Villa d'Este in Cernobbio (Italy) on the first weekend of September. In 2024, we will be celebrating its 50th anniversary (September 6-7-8, 2024): it is a historic milestone for TEHA, a testament to the continuous relevance of this event, despite the most profound transformations of the country, the economy and society. Over the years, it has preserved its mission, but at the same time has been keeping an eye on the future.
During the three days, an exclusive audience of national and international participants (CEOs, heads of state, ministers, economists) meet for an exchange of views on crucial issues and priorities on the agenda of entrepreneurs and political leaders, in the areas of business, economics, finance, science, innovation, and politics, in compliance with the Chatham House Rule - the discussion remains confidential, so as to stimulate a free and open discussion.
The Cernobbio Forum during the Covid-19 pandemic
The well-known health restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to reconfigure and redefine the way the initiative was organised from 2020 onwards. The last four editions have been held in a "phygital" format (partly physical and partly digital), with a main hub based in Villa d'Este, our traditional location, connected to satellite hubs located in other cities in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world.
In 2020, the videoconferencing option was a totally new and different experience, simulating participation in person. People who participated remotely could interact with guests physically present in Cernobbio, through holograms .
The 49th Forum
During the 2023 edition, more than 200 national and international hubs connected to remotely attend the event, also thanks to the support of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) which offered diplomatic delegations and ICE offices abroad the opportunity to follow the sessions. At the same time, a hub was set up in China, which live-streamed the event and also engaged the local audience with parallel sessions.
72
speakers
(+70% international)
15
participating countries
7
participating Governments
19
studies presented
The Peres Heritage Initiative
For 7 years, the Forum has also hosted the award ceremony of the Peres Heritage Initiative, a social award created in memory of Shimon Peres, to pass on to future generations his legacy of technological innovation and the search for peace. Peres participated in 24 editions of the Cernobbio Forum.
