20:00 PM - 22:00 PM: Welcome Reception
• Location: Acla Bar, Kongress Hotel Davos
• Description: Upon arrival in Davos, attendees are invited to join for an evening of networking over welcome drinks.

8:30 AM - 16:10 PM: Conference Day 1

Congress Centre Davos, Entrance Promenade North, B Pischa Room
Promenade 92b, 7270 Davos Platz (link)

8:30 AM - 9:20 AM: REGISTRATION

9:20 AM - 9:25 AM: OPENING WORDS
Maxim Behar, WCFA President

9:25 AM - 9:30 AM: WELCOME REMARKS
Jürg Zürcher, Member of the Davos Municipality Council 

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Paul Holmes, Founder at PRovoke Media (US)

Reinventing Public Relations for the Age of Permacrisis

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Baron Evans of Sealand, House of Lords member, former UK Labour Party General Secretary,
and Senior Advisor to the Washington DC based Progressive Policy Institute (UK)
  Win ’24 – The Great Journey from Defeat to Victory

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Mary Beth West, Senior Strategist (US)
  PR’s ‘Speak Up’ Role in Today’s Politicized Disinformation Age

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM: COFFEE BREAK/ NETWORKING

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM: PANEL DISCUSSION 1

The Impact of AI on Public Relations

• AI Tools in PR: Enhancing efficiency and targeting through data-driven strategies
• Ethical Considerations: Balancing AI use with privacy and transparency
• AI vs Human Expertise: Will AI replace PR professionals, or enhance their capabilities?
• Crisis Management: How AI can predict and mitigate PR crises

Moderator: Stuart Bruce, PR Futurist & Co-Founder at Purposeful Relations (UK)

Panelists:

• Sanjiv Winayak, Senior Client Director/Head of AI at Milk & Honey (UK); 
• Kateryna Doroshevska, Founder & CEO of BECOME PR Agency (Ukraine);
• Sophie Reymond, Public Relations Consultant and Founder at SRPR (Switzerland);
• Diego Biasi, Founder & CEO, Business Press Srl (Italy).

13:00 PM - 14:00 PM: LUNCH BREAK

14:00 PM - 15:30 PM: PANEL DISCUSSION 2

Future Trends in Public Relations & Digital Marketing

• Deregulated Social Media Content: The rise of less-regulated platforms and its impact on misinformation (Meta’s end to fact-checking).

• Influencer Marketing: Shifting focus toward authenticity and meaningful brand partnerships.

• Crisis Communication in a Digital Age: Adapting to fast-moving media and real-time challenges

• Innovation in Public Relations: Latest trends in a global market

• PR strategist vs. PR executive: how to move to the level of an advisor

• Women in PR: Growing leadership roles for women in a previously male-dominated industry

Moderator: Mike Southon, Entrepreneur Mentor at The Beermat Entrepreneur (UK)

Panelists:

• Iryna Zolotarevych, Advisor to the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine (Ukraine);
• Melissa Buch, Founder and CEO at Brandbuch (Switzerland);
• Lima Alhawamdeh, CEO at AIWIZ Digital Marketing (UK).

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: PRESENTATION 

Catherine Hernandez-Blades, Independent Board Director; Former VP Brand & Communications Officer at Aflac (US)

"Earning Your Seat at the Table…Even if it Means Bringing Your Own Chair"

• Navigating the C-Suite in the Boardroom & Mastering the Dynamics 

• Measurement of PR strategies - Evaluating and Quantifying PR Strategies for High-Profile Clients

• Speaking the CEO's language: Communicating with Precision and Impact

4:00 PM - 4:10 PM: Closing Remarks
Maxim Behar, WCFA President
Summarizing Key Takeaways from Day 1

18:00 PM - 22:00 PM: Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony
• Location: Hotel Waldhuus Davos 

Join us for an unforgettable evening of elegance, celebration, and connection! Enjoy a 3-course gourmet dinner in the company of esteemed professionals and innovators in the communications field. And for the first time in person, the highlight of the evening will be the prestigious Award Ceremony of the annual global Davos Communications Awards 2025, where excellence and creativity take center stage.

Dresscode: Black tie

9:00 AM - 15:00 PM: Conference Day 2

Congress Centre Davos, Entrance Promenade North, B Pischa Room
Promenade 92b, 7270 Davos Platz (link)

9:00 AM - 9:20 AM: REGISTRATION

9:20 AM - 9:30 AM: OPENING WORDS
Maxim Behar, WCFA President

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM: PANEL DISCUSSION 4

Public Relations and the Evolution of Political Messaging

• Characteristics of effective political speeches in election campaigns.

• Tactics for engaging diverse audiences and fostering voter trust during elections on the examples of the Federal elections to the Bundestag in Germany on 23 February;

• Strategies for managing public opinion on economic expansion initiatives.

• Adapting PR strategies to resonate across different geopolitical contexts.

Moderator: Guntram Kaiser, Founder of KaiserCommunication GmbH (Germany)

Panelists:

• Laura Baxter, CEO of Castle Mount Media GmbH (Germany);
• Mihael Cigler, CEO of MC Public Affairs (Slovenia);
• Véronique Haller, Managing Partner at furrerhugi. (Switzerland);
• Rodrigue T. SOFFO, Founder and Managing Director of RS Intelligence & Lobbying (Cameroon).

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM: COFFEE BREAK/ NETWORKING

11:30 AM - 13:00 PM: PANEL DISCUSSION 5

Strategic Communication and Crisis Management in the Modern Market

• Expanding Global Market Presence: Effective communication strategies for entering new markets

• Greenwashing: Analyzing false sustainability claims or misleading practices, sustainability myths (electric vehicles), the impact on brand reputation, best practices for crisis management

• Reputation Crisis in Major Industries: Analysing crisis management practices for oil and gas companies (handling climate change responsibility), airline industry (Boeing’s safety issue), trade (Elon Musk’s support for Trump and its impact on Tesla’s corporate image) 

• Rebuilding Trust Through Strategic Storytelling

• The Spiral of Silence and Chernobyl

Moderator: Catherine Hernandez-Blades, Independent Board Director (US)

Panelists:

• Katja Fasink, CEO, key7 Communications (Slovenia);
• Syed Bukhari, Head of Strategic Communications & Visibility at American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates);
• André Williams, Global Strategic Communication Advisor at Answer Key PR; University of Louisiana at Lafayette Instructor (US);
• Bärbel Hestert-Vecoli, Managing Director Corporate Affairs at Edelman (Germany).

13:00 PM - 13:30 PM: COFFEE BREAK/ NETWORKING

13:30 PM - 14:30 PM: PANEL DISCUSSION 6

Regionality in PR – Tailoring Communication Strategies to Local Cultural Contexts

Moderator: Tatevik Simonian, Co-Founder, SPRING PR; Founder, Doing Digital Platform (Armenia)

Panelists:

• Thabisile Phumo, Executive Vice President Stakeholder Relations at Sibanye-Stillwater (South Africa); 
• Chetna Krishna, Communications Officer at CERN (Switzerland); 
• Viroslava Novosylna, CEO & Founder at Slova Tech PR (Ukraine);
• Kobi H. Osisiadan-Bekoe, Director of Corporate Affairs, Ghana-India Kofi Annan Center of Excellence (Ghana)

14:30 PM - 14:45 PM: Closing Remarks
Maxim Behar, WCFA President
Reflecting on the Summit’s Key Takeaways and Future Direction