Global government or golf?
So just what is Bilderberg and how important is it? Often the debate surrounding the meeting can be skewed by people arguing for completely contrasting points of view. The plot for world government and global domination vs. a golfing weekend for retired, rich old men.
The secrecy
Secrecy isn't a complex theory, but in many respects it's probably the key issue. Bilderberg's critics regularly call for more openness, while its defenders will often say it's better described as "private" as opposed to "secret."
Chip Berlet, of Political Research Association would prefer to see more openness, but says: "What matters is their decisions are transparent and they are open to change by democratic process."
But activist Benedict Broy says: "Democracy needs transparency and if there is a policy forming process going on then people should be aware of how these policies are being formed."
The privatisation of government
Big Bilderberg player David Rockefeller said himself in a 1999 Newsweek interview: "Somebody has to take government's place, and business to me seems a logical entity to do it."
The theory here is that private entities, such as bankers, financiers and businessmen have an open, private forum in which they can influence decision making. Denis Healey says: "No individual policy is ever formed at Bilderberg," insisting it's all about increasing cooperation and understanding.
Financial control
Some people believe that a primary purpose of Bilderberg is to allow the wealthy attendees to influence governments of the world in a way that benefits them.
Daniel Estulin says Bilderberg are trying to create a "one world company limited."
Mr Estulin says: "It's the creation of a European and North American elite who get together to see the best way to control the world, but not in the sense of government control, rather financial control where corporations have a lot more power than governments."
Chip Berlet agrees that there's financial injustice, and believes the elite manipulate the system, but finds it difficult to fathom why people use the argument in specific relation to Bilderberg.
He says: "We know that's how it works, but this is not a secret process, it's called late stage industrial capitalism or state capitalism."
World government
Probably the most hot button theory when it comes to Bilderberg, it's a subject which elicits a feverous response from both camps.
It is something that a number of attendee's have advocated. Critics are convinced that it's a call for a small ruling elite to run the world, sceptics believe it's simply about greater global understanding.
But Bilderberg researchers like Daniel Estulin are sceptical as well. He says: "The idea you have one small group of people behind the scenes controlling the levers of power is a very primitive concept."
But perhaps one of the most commonly quoted lines from David Rockefeller was a speech made at the 1991 Trilateral Commission. Here he said: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected the promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world-government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto determination practiced in past centuries."