Marilyn Carlson Nelson, chairman and chief executive officer of Carlson, has joined a select group of industry leaders in authoring a "state of the industry" study for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting being held today through Sunday in Davos, Switzerland. The Aviation, Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report will be unveiled at the conference and formally released to the public in early March.

Mrs. Nelson's contribution, entitled "Fulfilling the Promise: Positives and Potentials of Travel & Tourism," examines the effects of travel and tourism on societies, along with impediments and concerns related to further growth of the economic sector.

In addition, Mrs. Nelson will speak on other topics at the conference. She will address a plenary session on "Emerging Markets: Whose Standards Apply" and will address the Aviation, Travel and Tourism Board of Governors (of which she is a member) on the subject of "Building Future Economies through Industry Collaboration."

The Davos meeting's theme of "The Shifting Power Equation" focuses on the new influences shaping the world, including the growth of emerging economies and the increasing leverage of commodity suppliers.

Mrs. Nelson will join more than 2,000 government, business and academic leaders attending the WEF. She is a past co-chair of the conference; serves on the Board of Governors for Aviation, Travel and Tourism; is a member of the forum's International Business Council; and is a founding co-chair of the WEF Women Leaders Program.