Laurent Gillieron / AP

It’s easy – and de rigeur – for journalists to make fun of the seriousness and earnestness of the Davos enterprise. What started as bunch of high-powered and smart people taking time out of their schedules to discuss matters of great import has devolved into a media event, a branding opportunity for companies, global leaders, and nations. But as I was stuck on the security line at John F. Kennedy, waiting to board the Swiss International flight to Zurich yesterday, I got an inkling of why it matters to many of those who attend. I got to commiserating with the passenger behind me in line, who turned out to be the chief executive officer of a major software company. His eyes lit up as he talked to a group of people he knew on the line, who were travelling to Switzerland on business, and described Davos. “You get to think about things you never think about,” he said. “Nobody talks about the weather, and nobody talks about what they did last summer.” And it struck me. For those who are too busy working all day, running companies, making business decisions—people who don’t have time, like journalists do, to read blogs, magazines, and newspapers all day—Davos is less about plugging in, schmoozing, and networking, and more about unplugging from the demands of the daily whirl.