I run a coffee shop in Sun Valley. An exclusive conference hosts big executives each year but it's been bad for my business.

Jacob Frehling

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jacob Frehling, the co-owner of Maude's Coffee and Clothes in Ketchum, Idaho, about a six-minute drive from the Sun Valley Lodge. It's been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has seen sales data from last year that indicate Maude's saw a drop in transactions during Sun Valley week compared to the week immediately after in July. Representatives for the Allen & Company Sun Valley conference did not respond to a request for comment from BI.