Emerging countries, big businesses deck out Davos

David Callaway and Donna Leinwand Leger 6:35 p.m. EST January 22, 2015

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Gather a couple thousand of the world's richest people in a small, frozen town for a week and you get more than parties and seminars. Davos is replete with emerging countries aggressively promoting themselves as good places to do business.
Walk along the main promenade that winds through the center of town toward the main conference center, where the World Economic Forum''s annual meeting is in session, and you'll see advertisements for India, Malaysia, Egypt, South Africa, Azerbaijan and others. Colorful billboards extol each country's business virtues.
"Make it in India," say the signs on the temporary India center in town and on the buses that drive up and down the promenade, delivering WEF attendees to their seminars. A massive promotional banner for Egypt hangs from the top of the Hotel Belvedere in the middle of town. A banner lauding South Africa's "Inspiring New Ways" occupies an entire side of the city's art museum.
The pitches don't stop with billboards. Many countries host elaborate parties and dinners, such as "A Taste of Italy" or "Japan Night," where delegates can sample the national fare and, of course, partake of an open bar.
Businesses, too, want a crack at the elite clientele who trek along the icy streets from their far-flung hotels to the Congress Center, which hosts the forum's 2,500 guests.
Steps from the entrance where CEOs queue up for a security check in below-freezing temperatures, a man in a rustic shack ladles out steaming cups of hot cocoa while touting the virtues of Renault-Nissan's electric car.
"How about a bacon sandwich," shouts a cheery Brit outside Davos headquarters of Aberdeen Asset Management, one of the premier Scottish fund managers, specializing in emerging markets.
This prime corner real estate on Davos' main promenade "51 weeks a year is a crystal shop selling healing crystals," says Aberdeen spokesman James Thorneley. Aberdeen rented the shop from the owner for a week, stripped it down and redecorated it in cool gray accented with stags, the company's logo, painted an eye-popping fuchsia to transform the shop into a hip coffee cafe by day and a sleek cocktail lounge at night.

Companies are promoting themselves at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Aberdeen Asset Management set up a coffee bar/cocktail lounge on a prime corner and even hired a bagpiper to attract attention (Photo: Donna Leinwand Leger, USA TODAY)

Aberdeen pulled out all the stops to entice the delegates, who include heads of state, CEOs and media giants, to stop by its pop-up cafe. The company even imported a top mixologist from a London restaurant to create drinks with scotch at the bar. Just to be sure the Davos delegates don't overlook the spot in the hustle and bustle, Aberdeen has a bagpiper playing outside the cafe for several hours a day.
"It's an amazing place to meet our clients," Thorneley said. And Davos residents are welcome to stop by, too.
The company, founded 30 years ago with $100 million, now has assets topping $550 billion, Thorneley said.
"We are a big player and we need to be seen as a big player. The World Economic Forum is the place to be," he said. "It raises our global profile."