The World Communications Forum Association (WCFA) successfully hosted the Davos Communications Summit & Awards 2025 on April 10–11 at the Davos Congress Centre in Switzerland. Bringing together nearly 100 senior communication professionals, CEOs, academics, and policy advisors from over 20 countries, the two-day event tackled critical challenges and future trends in public relations, political communications, and AI integration.

With keynote speeches, panel discussions, and the debut of the in-person Davos Communications Awards Gala, the summit provided a comprehensive outlook on the evolving role of communications professionals in a fast-changing world.

Themes from the Summit

1. AI and the Future of Communications

The growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into communication strategies was a dominant topic. While AI offers tools to simplify tasks, experts like Paul Holmes of PRovoke Media emphasized the need for critical thinking and ethical oversight. He warned that overreliance on AI could dull strategic thinking, which is essential for guiding leaders through turbulent times.

2. Values-Driven Leadership and Influence

Lord Evans of Sealand, former General Secretary of the UK Labour Party, explored how values and identity shape public influence. Using the “funnel of causality” framework, he emphasized the need for communicators to engage with audiences at the level of cultural alignment and belief systems, rather than just through campaign visibility.

3. Trust and Ethical Responsibility in a Polarized World

Mary Beth West, a leading ethics strategist, addressed the increasing threat of ideological echo chambers in public discourse. She stressed the importance of protecting ideological diversity to maintain public trust and warned against labeling dissent as misinformation.

Highlights from the Panel Discussions

Over six panel sessions, more than 30 experts addressed crucial industry topics:

• AI and Digital Marketing: Exploring ethical deployment and creative strategy.

• Political Messaging & Crisis Communications: Insights from Laura Baxter, Mihael Cigler, Veronique Haller, and others.

• Culturally Tailored PR Strategies: Emphasizing regional adaptation in Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

• PR in Wartime & Social Policy: Contributions from Ukrainian communicators such as Iryna Zolotarevych and Viroslava Novosylna.

• Emerging Markets & Youth Representation: Voices from Cameroon, South Africa, the UAE, and Ghana added global perspectives.

Participants included influential professionals such as:

• Stuart Bruce (UK), Mike Southon (UK), Guntram Kaiser (Germany), Catherine Hernandez-Blades (USA)

• Thabisile Phumo (South Africa), Chetna Krishna (Switzerland), Syed Bukhari (UAE), Bärbel Hestert-Vecoli (Germany)

• Kobi H. Osisiadan-Bekoe (Ghana), Melissa Buch (Switzerland), Diego Biasi (Italy)

The event also welcomed Mina Nazari from Iran’s Tabriz Power Distribution Company, showcasing WCFA’s truly global representation.

Davos Communications Awards Gala 2025

On the evening of April 10, WCFA hosted the first in-person Davos Communications Awards Gala, recognizing excellence in 24 categories across strategic communications. Key highlights included:

• Paul Holmes and Lord Evans of Sealand inducted into the WCFA Hall of Fame for lifetime contributions.

• United PR Association of Ukraine, led by Sergii Bidenko, honored for their courageous and impactful work in wartime.

The awards underscored the profession’s ongoing evolution—highlighting innovation, resilience, and leadership in communication.

Strategic Partnerships and Sponsors

The 2025 summit was organized in cooperation with the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA). It was supported by:

• Gold Sponsor: The #PREthics Community

• Silver Sponsor: Brain 4 Strategy

• Media Partner: PR Newswire, a Cision Group Ltd. company

The Davos Communications Summit & Awards 2025 showcased the transformative role of communications in shaping global narratives, advancing ethics, and navigating technological disruption. With leaders and thinkers from across continents sharing insights, the event reinforced WCFA’s role as a hub for dialogue, strategy, and professional excellence. As WCFA President Maxim Behar noted, the summit not only reflected the current state of global communications—but laid the groundwork for the future.

Looking ahead to 2026, the next edition of the summit promises to push even further into the frontiers of digital transformation, PR ethics, and global communications leadership.