The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is an annual Russian business event for the economic sector, which has been held in St. Petersburg since 1997, and under the auspices of the President of Russia since 2006. Each year, more than 10,000 people from over 120 different countries take part. The Forum brings together the chief executives of major Russian and international companies, heads of state, political leaders, prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, departmental ministers, and governors.