In an unfortunate quirk of scheduling, two separate meetings of major import to the global economy are both happening on Wednesday, making it impossible for Corporate Dealmaker to offer an appropriate curtain-raiser for both. But rather than leaving readers completely dependent on CNBC, we offer this handy compare-and-contrast guide to the G8 meeting in earthquake-stricken L'Aquila, Italy, and the annual Allen & Co. picnic for media moguls, hustlers and poseurs in sun-splashed Sun Valley, Idaho.
Special guests: Give Allen the edge here, with Cleveland Cavs star (and NBA MVP) LeBron James coming to Idaho and rubbing shoulders with Jim Dolan of Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE:CVC) and the Knicks, among others. But you never know who Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi might show up with.
Air travel: It's the G8, hands down. G-IVs are nice, but there's no topping the big Boeings, Airbusses and maybe a Tupolev, not to mention the ability to secure an air corridor with NATO fighter jets.
Hot topics: For the G8, it's whether the global economy needs
more stimulus, plus controlling climate change. In Sun Valley, it's whether people will ever pay for
digital content, plus Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Chrome OS announcement and what it means for Microsoft Inc. (NASDAQ:MSFT). Pick your poison.
Moral compass: In Italy it will be provided by Pope Benedict XVI, who just published an
encyclical criticizing the global economic system and calling for a new global structure. He'll also be meeting with U.S. President Obama. The Allen & Co. crowd will have to make do with Warren Buffett again.
Possible deals: In Italy, an agreement to keep the globe's
annual temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius. In Idaho, a movie studio
joint venture for DVD manufacturing. Give the G8 points for vision, and the Allen crowd the nod for feasibility. -
Kenneth Klee
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