The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday said it will hold its Annual Meeting 2021 in Lucerne-Burgenstock, Switzerland, from May 18 to 21, as against the traditional venue of ski resort town Davos in January-end.

The change in schedule and venue was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Announcing the new place and schedule, the WEF said the annual meeting will take place as long as all conditions are in place to guarantee the health and safety of participants and the host community.

In addition, as previously announced in late August, the Annual Meeting 2021 will be preceded by high-level ‘Davos Dialogues’, digitally convened by the WEF during the week of January 25, when key global leaders will share their views on the state of the world in 2021.

The meeting will focus on the solutions required to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

Global leaders will come together to design a common recovery path, to shape ‘The Great Reset’ in the post-COVID-19 era and rebuild a more cohesive and sustainable society.

The Annual Meeting 2021 will combine both in-person and digital elements. Participants in Lucerne-Burgenstock will be connected with a network of 400 hubs around the world, providing the opportunity for a dialogue with the Forum’s young Global Shapers, to ensure openness and inclusion.

Traditionally, the WEF holds its annual summit in the Swiss ski resort town of Davos in January.

The high-profile event is attended by thousands of global leaders from fields of business, governance, politics, art and culture, civil society and academia, among others.

Earlier in June, the WEF had said it will adopt a new twin-summit format for its next annual meeting by bringing together leaders from across the globe for in-person as well as virtual dialogues with the theme of ‘The Great Reset’

The 50th WEF Annual Meeting, which was held from January 21-24, 2020, was one of the last high-profile gatherings this year before the coronavirus pandemic brought almost the entire world to a halt.