Bankers' reputations are at an all-time low, but top financial officials are turning out in force at this year's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, calculating that the business opportunities of rubbing shoulders with industry chief executives, regulators and world leaders outweigh any public relations flak for attending an elite jamboree in a Swiss ski resort.

Last year, at the height of the financial crisis, many prominent bankers decided against making the trek to Davos. But next week, most of the biggest banks will be represented. Two no-shows from last year, Robert Diamond, president of Barclays, and Vikram Pandit, chief executive of Citigroup, will both be there. Goldman Sachs is sending five top executives, led by chief operating officer Gary Cohn.