Case Studies
Congress

Designing a Hybrid Congress for the WADA Annual Symposium

Dec 18, 2025
3 Minutes Read
Conference delegates seated in a modern auditorium attending a symposium, with speakers on stage and a large presentation screen displaying a panel discussion. Conference delegates seated in a modern auditorium attending a symposium, with speakers on stage and a large presentation screen displaying a panel discussion.
Delivering a hybrid congress for a global organisation like the World Anti-Doping Agency requires more than operational coordination — it demands custom technology, multilingual capability, and a deep understanding of complex participant management. Here is how Kuoni Tumlare Congress approached the WADA Annual Symposium across two successive editions.

Delivering Tailored Hybrid Congress Solutions

Every congress presents unique challenges. For WADA, the priority was managing complex participant selection, delivering inclusive hybrid access, and maintaining the highest standards of multilingual communication across two successive editions.

Partner Profile: World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

Since its establishment in 1999, the World Anti-Doping Agency has been at the forefront of the global fight against doping in sports. Year after year, their Symposium stands as a pivotal event for fostering collaboration within the anti-doping community.  

Our Congress team was privileged to be selected as the Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) for the 17th edition held at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne. 

Modern conference venue exterior in Lausanne, Switzerland, hosting the WADA Annual Symposium.

Managing Complex Participant Selection Through Technology

One of WADA’s biggest challenges in the past was the selection of participants from a large number of organizations, federations and individuals.

To help navigate this challenge and simplify the selection process, our team developed a customized portal for registration and approval management. The platform was meticulously tailored to meet all WADA's specific requirements, which were discussed in detail with the partner at the early stages of the event planning.

This innovative solution streamlined the registration process and provided us with an exciting technological challenge!

Delegates registering at the welcome desk during the WADA Annual Symposium at a modern conference venue.

Designing an Inclusive Hybrid Experience

WADA decided to adopt a hybrid format for the Symposium, ensuring a unique and inclusive experience for all participants.

Our team worked tirelessly to ensure both in-person and virtual attendees felt equally immersed in the event. To do so, we developed a comprehensive action plan, providing ongoing updates and guidance. We also managed the registration process for both onsite and online attendees while supporting communication through a dedicated mobile app.

Thousands of participants gathered in Lausanne to attend keynote speeches, workshops, and sessions. With both plenary and parallel sessions live translated in French and Spanish and available through a virtual platform, participants seamlessly engaged with the content.

Conference delegates attending a keynote session during the WADA Annual Symposium in a large auditorium.

Client Testimonial

“When the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sought a professional congress organiser (PCO) to support us with our first hybrid Annual Symposium, in Lausanne, in June 2022, Kuoni Tumlare rose to the challenge. Franck, Cedric and Carine took the time to fully understand our complex needs; suggest new ideas and improvements in our processes; and walk us through all the steps to ensure success.

When it came time to deliver, we were assigned an amazing project lead in Cecilia! Her knowledge of the various tools used for our Symposium alleviated much of the work on my end; and allowed us to provide next-level product and service to our participants.

Following the first Symposium, we conducted a thorough assessment together. Once again, the whole Kuoni team proposed additional ideas, custom development, and leaner processes, which contributed to the smooth delivery of our second hybrid Symposium in March 2023, which engaged over 1,000 participants from the global Anti-Doping community.

Kuoni is not only a great team to work with; they are also fun to work with. In my view, being able to laugh together during stressful times, is a true competitive advantage in the event planning industry!” I would strongly recommend Kuoni to meet any organization’s PCO needs.”
 

Anaïs Lefevre
Senior Projects and Events Manager

WADA Annual Symposium participants engaging in networking and interactive activities at the conference venue.

Continuing the Partnership

As we look ahead, we remain committed to supporting WADA in its mission to advance a doping-free world of sport. We greatly value this trusted partnership and look forward to contributing to future editions of the Symposium and other impactful initiatives.

Planning a congress or hybrid event? Our experienced team is here to support you at every stage. Get in touch with us to learn how we can help deliver a seamless and successful event.

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