STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
‘Variety’ posted its usual article revealing the names of those who are on the guest list for Allen & Co.’s annual soiree in the mountains at Sun Valley Resort.
But this year its author, Cynthia Littleton, noted something else about the glamorous shindig.
“Among the real-world changes that conference-goers will undoubtedly notice are the verdant vistas on the drive to Sun Valley along Idaho’s State Highway 75,” she wrote. “After an unusually wet spring, the area’s forests and mountains are a visual feast with an array of green hues offset by reddish-brown earth and color sprays of abundant wildflowers.”
Only time will tell if Sun Valley’s environmental conditions are ripe for great ideas and bold moves to bloom, as well, she added.
Sun Valley employees bustled around the resort this week, shading outdoor networking nooks from the public with forests of trees brought in from local landscaping companies.
Representatives of Apple, Disney and AT&T are attending this year’s conclave to discuss storytelling in a new era of streaming on-demand platforms, the ‘Variety’ article said.
The conclave gives moguls a chance to swap out their power suits for jeans, while enjoying biking and hiking in alpine splender. AND there’s an ice rink, Littleton added.
Among the attendees this year: Former CIA director David Petraeus, former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, NBC’s Tom Brokaw, Warren Buffett Tim Cook, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.