As we shared yesterday, Reputation.com CEO Michael Fertik is in Davos, Switzerland this week for the World Economic Forum. For those unfamiliar with the World Economic Forum, the WEF “is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.”

In other words, it’s a really big deal. As Michael Fertik describes it in a recent dispatch, Davos “becomes the center of the universe” for nearly a week during the World Economic Forum, and for good reason. It is exceptionally rare to have so many world leaders meet in one place to discuss the most important issues facing our collective society, which is why it’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

To help newcomers to Davos, Fertik recently authored a Beginner’s Guide to Davos for the Harvard Business Review. Check out the article in full below.

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Davos, Switzerland, becomes the temporary capital of the planet this week as business and policy leaders converge to tackle pressing questions. Like only a handful of other small towns, Davos becomes the center of the universe for a brief span each year. Other temporary capitals include my own cherished Louisville, which commands the world’s attention for the full two minutes of the annual Kentucky Derby, though Davos does become the hub of the world for nearly a week.

Along with others from HBR, I’ll be sending dispatches all week. Please follow along and let me know what you’re interested in. I got in late last night, barely slept due to jet lag, and then woke up this morning for some extremely good muesli. Also some bread and cheese with holes in it; here they don’t call it Swiss cheese.

I didn’t know much about Davos and the World Economic Forumbefore I got involved with the WEF; here’s some basics for those of you who are new to the event:

The World Economic Forum functions more like an ecosystem or a city than a monolithic organization. To be “at Davos” doesn’t mean you’ll be in the same place as Bill Clinton or Bono, though that would be cool. The WEF is comprised of many groups, among them policy groups, civil society groups, technology pioneers, and many more. Meetings tend to align around these organizations or along horizontal themes, which offer some of the best opportunities for substantive cross-pollination. The WEF is remarkably good at making substantive matches among parties with similar interests in industry or thematic sessions, but the shortage of time, naturally shared professional focus, and the social bonds of prior events often lead people to have their own WEF experiences that can be rather different from others’.

Most of the really good stuff happens outside the Congress Centre. The official sessions of the WEF are well-publicized. But much of the most fascinating substance occurs either after hours or in private sessions. Some of the best meetings happen at the many hotels in town and include both “official” WEF participants and thought leaders who are invited to contribute but who aren’t themselves official attendees; I’m guessing that less than half of the people visiting Davos this week will have WEF badges. The Belvedere Hotel — probably the ritziest option on the strip — is known as a kind of “mini-Davos” itself, with many key meetings and casual get-togethers. Indeed, I’m writing this dispatch from the coffee bar at one of the many mini-lounges inside the hotel, each of which is hosted by a company or a country. The veterans say the best conversations happen at the parties and bars from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

It is cold here. Stay-inside, yes-it’s-crisp-and-refreshing-Alpine-air-but-did-you-hear-me-say-it’s-cold, eat-your-muesli, and wear-heavy-undergarments cold. The Swiss don’t seem to know that. The local kids in the town traipse to school in the morning with sneakers and light sweaters, and there are hale-looking people running by you for exercise in snow-traction shoes and windbreakers. The Scandinavians and the surprisingly large contingent of Mongolians also seem not to notice the temperature.

I hope that gives you some early flavor for what’s going on. Today I’m heading to some opening sessions for the Technology Pioneers. Looking forward to meeting some very smart entrepreneurs!

For up-to-the-minute dispatches from Davos, follow Michael Fertik on Twitter.