Apply

Call us : + 12(167) 427 - 7542

Apply
Apply

Where the next decade gets decided

Meridian Forum brings six hundred leaders from business, government and science to one lakeside hall for three days of frank, off-the-record conversation.

Request an invitation Read the programme
Dates
22–24 September 2027
Venue
Lakeside Hall, Zurich
Delegates
600, by invitation
Format
Plenaries, roundtables, dinners

Fewer panels. More decisions.

For twelve years the forum has worked on a simple idea: put the people who disagree in a small room, take the cameras out, and give them enough time to find what they can do together.

About the forum
Two delegates shaking hands across a table

  1. Off the record

    Roundtables follow the Chatham House Rule. You may use what you hear, never who said it.

  2. Rooms of twenty

    Most sessions seat twenty people around one table, with a chair who keeps the talk on the question.

  3. A written outcome

    Every roundtable ends with a one-page note of what the room agreed to do next, shared with its members only.

Three days, one question each

Day one asks: who pays for the energy transition?

  1. Plenary

    Opening address: the price of waiting

    Hosted by Margaret Lee, Chair of the forum

  2. Roundtable

    Grids, storage and who builds them

    Twenty seats · utilities, investors and regulators

  3. Roundtable

    Industrial heat without coal

    Twenty seats · steel, cement and chemicals

  4. Plenary

    A banker, a minister and an engineer

    Moderated conversation with three delegates

  5. Dinner

    Lakeside dinner

    Seating plan by the forum team, so you meet someone new

Full programme with rooms

Voices in the room

A few of the people who chair this year’s sessions. The full delegate list is shared with delegates only.

  1. Margaret LeeChair of the forumEnergy
  2. Michael GreenwoodManaging partner, Halden CapitalCapital
  3. Selena FitzChief economist, NorthgateTrade
  4. Henrik AaltoFormer minister of industryPolicy
  5. Nijal ParrettDirector, Institute for Applied AITechnology
  6. Daniel OkoroChief operating officer, Arden LogisticsSupply chains

Meet the right twenty

Tell us what you work on. Before the forum, the team introduces you to the delegates who share your questions.

Your interests

3 delegates share your interests.

  • Investment director

    Pension fund, Netherlands

    Capital · Energy

  • Head of grid planning

    Utility, Denmark

    Energy · Cities

  • Founder and CEO

    Logistics software, Singapore

    AI policy · Trade

  • General partner

    Venture fund, Switzerland

    Capital · AI policy

  • Chief medical officer

    Hospital group, Spain

    Health · AI policy

  • Head of trade finance

    Bank, United Kingdom

    Trade · Capital

  • Deputy mayor

    City government, Canada

    Cities · Health

  • Chief executive

    Shipping group, Norway

    Energy · Trade

Lakeside Hall, Zurich

A 1920s hall on the shore of the lake, twelve minutes from the main station. Delegates stay in three partner hotels within walking distance.

  • Seefeldquai, 8008 Zurich
  • 12 minutes from Zurich HB by tram
  • Interpreting in English, German and French
Travel and hotels

Ways to attend

Places are confirmed by the forum team after a short application. Fees cover all sessions, meals and the evening programme.

Founder

CHF 1,900

For founders of companies with fewer than fifty people.

  • All plenaries and two roundtables
  • Founders’ supper with investors
  • One mentor session
Apply as a founder

Delegate

CHF 4,800

For leaders of companies, public bodies and research institutions.

  • All plenaries and roundtables
  • Both forum dinners
  • Introductions by the forum team
  • Written outcomes of your rooms
Apply as a delegate

Partner

From CHF 45,000

For organisations that want to host a roundtable or a dinner.

  • Three delegate places
  • Host one roundtable
  • Shape next year’s questions
Talk to the team

Before you apply

The secretariat answers every question within one working day.

Senior people from companies, governments, universities and civil society. The team aims for a room where no sector holds more than a quarter of the seats.

The form takes five minutes. You hear back within ten working days, and the fee is only invoiced once your place is confirmed.

Accredited journalists can attend the plenaries, which are on the record. Roundtables and dinners are closed to the press.

Yes. A fund set up by the partners covers the fee for public servants and NGO staff. Tick the box in the application to be considered.

Request an invitation

Applications for 2027 close on 30 June. Countdown to the opening plenary:

  • 00Days
  • 00Hours
  • 00Min
  • 00Sec