Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua Talks Davos

Bloomberg Television presenter Francine Lacqua has answered some of News on News' questions as she travelled to Davos for the 2011 World Economic Forum.

Francine is the host of On the Move, airing on Bloomberg Television live from Davos all this week from 8:00 am to 9:00 am GMT.  Lacqua, who joined Bloomberg in 2000, has covered many international events for Bloomberg Television including the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as well as IMF, G20 and OPEC meetings around the world.

Bloomberg Television will be extensively covering the World Economic Forum this year, presenting over ten hours of live daily coverage from the network's premiere location on the top of the Congress Centre in the heart of Davos. 

Q1) Is this your first time at the WEF in Davos?
 
This will be the fifth year I've reported from Davos. And despite little sleep and very long hours -- we start on Bloomberg Television at 6am, and often finish working after midnight-- I look forward to it all year. Anyone who is anyone in the business world attends the WEF Davos, so we get great access to newsmakers from all over the world.
 
Q2) What part of Bloomberg Television's Davos coverage do you think separates Bloomberg from the rest?
 
Bloomberg Television brings you the inside story on what is really going on. Our coverage is based on giving our viewers the best possible interviews, and insightful, intelligent analysis of what's going on behind the scenes. So we try and set our own agenda, and to pick up on the main trends that will shape the world economy faster than our competitors. If we feel that inflation will be the key concern for 2011, then you'll have plenty of grilling of CEOs and policy-makers on that subject. I'll speak to around twenty CEOs and policy-makers a day, so the viewers should have a pretty complete picture of what's going on after day one.
 
Q3) In these tough economic times, do you think the WEF in Davos still carries the same weight and influence that it did a decade ago?
 
Every year I'm amazed at the caliber of people attending the forum.  A lot of the CEOs come to do business or exchange ideas. Some come just for networking. Whatever the reason, most newsmakers in the world of economics and business attend, and that carries weight. And in this very informal environment, people like to talk about their concerns, so it's a good bellwether of what the rest of the year will bring.
 
Q4) How are you travelling to Davos this year?  The weapon of choice for those without private jets and helicopters seems to be the train...
 
I'm sitting on the train as I'm writing this, I'm very fond of this journey - it's almost 'frozen in time.' The trains are sometimes old and creaky, but always on time, and you go up the mountain, with the most amazing views of trees covered in snow - just like in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It feels like the last minute of calm before the craziness that is Davos.
 
Q5) What should viewers look out for from your role in Bloomberg's Davos coverage this year?
 
I hope you enjoy our interviews, and the special coverage we've put together, running from 6am London time until well into the night.

More details of Bloomberg's Davos coverage is available on their website; http://www.bloomberg.com/davos/.