World Communications Forum Association

What World Communications Forum Association does

World Communications Forum Association (WCFA) is a non-profit professional association registered in Davos, Switzerland in November 2014 under Articles 60 of the Swiss Civil Code. It operates a global platform for communications professionals — primarily PR agencies, in-house corporate communications leaders, and senior practitioners — centered on the annual Davos Communications Summit & Awards, held in the Swiss Alps. The association's mission is to build a cross-border and cross-cultural community of communicators; the 2026 summit drew 35+ speakers and 110+ award entries from 25+ countries across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania.

The portfolio comprises seven interconnected offerings: the annual two-day Davos Communications Summit (Standard Pass 700–850 EUR, Complete Pass 800–980 EUR), the Davos Communications Awards (40+ categories, entry fees 100–150 EUR), a Speaker Bureau (45+ speakers), a PR Agency Tracker global directory, The NextCom Magazine, free online Masterclasses, and tiered membership programs (Corporate 320 EUR, Individual 150 EUR, Institutional 250 EUR, Student 25 EUR annually). Distribution is direct-to-professional via wcfaglobal.com and a small in-person HQ staff of 11–50 employees, augmented by a President (Maxim Behar, also CEO of M3 Communications Group), four Regional Presidents (Asia, Americas, Europe, Africa), an Executive Director, and a ~22-member Global Advisory Board distributed globally.

WCFA is a membership-funded, event-driven association with no parent company, no subsidiaries, no outside investment, and no disclosed financial figures. Its moat is reputational and relational: a decade of Davos summit heritage, senior volunteer leadership, and a globally distributed network of member agencies and in-house communications functions. Core strategic partners include AMEC, PRovoke Media, M3 Communications Group, Davos Congress, and Kongress Hotel Davos, alongside media distribution partners such as PR Newswire, EIN Presswire, and ACCESSWIRE.

Name

World Communications Forum Association

Legal name

World Communications Forum Association

Website

https://wcfaglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WCFA is a Switzerland-based non-profit association serving global communications professionals through its annual Davos Communications Summit & Awards, tiered membership, Speaker Bureau, PR Agency Tracker, and educational programs, operating across 25+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Davos Platz

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from Corporate (320 EUR), Individual (150 EUR), Institutional (250 EUR), and Student (25 EUR) members provide recurring revenue and access to member benefits including event discounts, voting rights, and networking opportunities.
2. Event Participation: Revenue from summit tickets (Standard Pass 700-850 EUR, Complete Pass 800-980 EUR), gala dinner tickets (250-280 EUR), and sponsorship packages (Silver 2,000 EUR, Gold 5,000 EUR, Platinum 7,000 EUR, Gala Title 8,000 EUR).
3. Awards Entry Fees: Entry fees for Davos Communications Awards: Early Bird 100-120 EUR, Standard 120-150 EUR depending on WCFA membership status. Over 110 entries from 25+ countries in 2026.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

WCFA is a non-profit professional association for the global communications industry, registered in Davos, Switzerland in November 2014. Its core offering is a tiered membership program (Corporate, Individual, Institutional, and Student) combined with an annual Davos Communications Summit & Awards, alongside supplementary services such as a Speaker Bureau, PR Agency Tracker, The NextCom digital magazine, and WCFA Masterclasses.

Product overview

WCFA is a non-profit international association that provides a platform for global communications professionals rather than a unified software product. Its portfolio consists of seven distinct offerings: the annual Davos Communications Summit (a two-day conference featuring panels and keynotes on AI, crisis management, and trust), the Davos Communications Awards (a global competition recognizing excellence across 40+ campaign and leadership categories), the WCFA Speaker Bureau (connecting event organizers with PR experts globally), the PR Agency Tracker (a directory service for finding PR agencies by country), The NextCom Magazine (a periodic industry publication), WCFA Masterclasses (online educational webinars), and tiered membership programs. These services are interconnected through WCFA's annual Davos summit as the central gathering point, with awards, speakers, and masterclasses serving as supplementary resources for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Davos Communications Summit: Annual global summit in Davos, Switzerland bringing together communications leaders, PR professionals, and industry experts for conferences and awards.
• Davos Communications Awards
• The NextCom Magazine
• WCFA PR Masterclasses
• WCFA Speaker Bureau
• PR Agency Tracker

Products and services

• Corporate Membership Tiered annual membership for organizations (agencies, corporate communications departments) priced at 320 EUR, granting access to WCFA community, events, and benefits.
• Institutional Membership Membership tier for academic and institutional organizations (universities, training bodies) priced at 250 EUR per year.
• Individual Membership Annual membership for individual communications professionals priced at 150 EUR, providing access to WCFA community, events, and resources.
• Student Membership Reduced-fee annual membership for students in communications-related programs priced at 25 EUR.
• Davos Communications Summit & Awards Annual flagship event held in Davos combining a communications industry summit with an awards ceremony that recognizes achievement across the global communications profession.
• Speaker Bureau Service connecting vetted communications experts with event organizers and organizations seeking speakers for their own events.
• PR Agency Tracker

Quantifiable outcome

• 150M+ potential audience reach through awards winner publicity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACCESSWIREminorGTM or Marketing PartnerACCESSWIRE is a press release distribution service partner providing newswire services for WCFA announcements and member news.
• Africa Brand SummitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Africa Brand Summit for cross-promotion of communications events and initiatives across Africa.
• DHLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal logistics partner potentially supporting WCFA event logistics and material distribution.
• EIN PresswireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPress release distribution partner for WCFA and member communications news.
• Launchee SpaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner platform for WCFA member communications and event promotion.
• M3 Communications Group, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull-service communications group providing web design and development for WCFA. CEO Maxim Behar serves as WCFA President. Strategic partner since WCFA's founding, operating as a partner of Hill & Knowlton Strategies since 2000.
• O'Dwyer'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerO'Dwyer's PR industry publication partner for WCFA news and member visibility in the PR industry.
• PR NewswireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR Newswire, part of Cision Group Ltd., serves as media partner for WCFA events and awards publicity.
• Public Relations TodayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR industry publication partner for content sharing and member visibility.
• RuepointminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIrish PR agency partner featured in WCFA's PR Agency Tracker directory.
• Turkish AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAirline partner potentially offering discounted travel for WCFA event attendees.
• World PR DayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld PR Day partnership promoting the global public relations profession and its contributions to society.
• MedcomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia conference partner, organizer of MEDCOM 2026 where WCFA President Maxim Behar delivered keynote.
• TIIKMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference and events partner co-organizing media events with WCFA.
• AMECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCFA is official industry supporter of AMEC Global Summit 2026 in Dublin. AMEC CEO Johna Burke is a keynote speaker at Davos Summit 2026. Deep collaboration on communications measurement and evaluation standards.
• PRovoke MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPRovoke Media, founded by Paul Holmes, serves as media partner. Paul Holmes is a keynote speaker at Davos Summit 2026. Coverage of WCFA events and awards.
• Exchange4media (e4m)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndian media partner for WCFA summits and communications industry coverage.
• Markson PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing communications partner for WCFA events.
• The PR EthicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPR ethics initiative partner, with Mary Beth West founding The #PRethics Community featured at WCFA events.
• key7 CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenian PR agency and general partner for WCFA summits. CEO Katja Fašink is a keynote speaker at Davos Summit 2026.
• Davos CongresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavos Congress Center hosting WCFA summits at Promenade 92b, 7270 Davos Platz. Venue partner for annual events.
• Kongress Hotel DavoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial hotel partner and venue for Welcome Reception at Acla Bar. Preferred accommodation partner for WCFA summit attendees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AMEC (Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication): International industry body for communication measurement and evaluation, hosting the annual AMEC Global Summit. Comparable as a global communications-focused association running international events, and a strategic partner of WCFA.
• Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA): Global PR industry body offering membership, events, awards, and professional development for communications professionals. Directly comparable to WCFA's membership, summit, and awards offering, though historically UK-rooted and more established.
• International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO): Global umbrella body for PR trade associations and agencies, offering international networking, awards, and thought leadership across member countries. Highly comparable as a global communications industry organization with membership and events.
• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC): Global professional association for business communicators offering membership, certifications, regional chapters, and an annual world conference. Directly comparable to WCFA's professional membership model and international conference programming.
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR): UK-based professional body for PR practitioners offering chartered membership status, training, events, and awards. Comparable as a membership-driven professional association serving communications practitioners.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): Largest US-based professional organization for PR practitioners, offering tiered membership, local chapters, annual conference, and awards programs. Directly comparable in membership structure and event programming.
• PRovoke Media (formerly The Holmes Report): Global PR industry media brand producing events, awards (PRovoke Media Awards, Global PR Agency of the Year), and editorial coverage. Direct peer in PR industry events and awards, and strategic partner of WCFA.

Broad incumbents

• PRWeek: Major PR industry media brand owned by Haymarket, running the PRWeek Awards and industry events globally. Comparable as an established media-and-events platform serving PR professionals, with deeper resources and longer operating history.
• Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: The flagship global awards and conference event for the broader creative communications and advertising industry. Comparable as a prestigious awards-driven industry event, but operating at much larger scale across advertising and creative, not just PR.

Regional players

• European Association of Communication Directors (EACD): European-focused network for senior communication leaders and in-house communication directors, offering events and thought leadership. Comparable as a membership and events organization for senior communications professionals, though primarily Europe-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2VwOlIKmrPLO8J9liLqjtQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/theWCFA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wcfa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World Communications Forum Association