The World Federation of Occupational Therapists hosts its international congress every four years, bringing together practitioners, educators and leaders from across the profession. For the 19th WFOT Congress and Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand, I was commissioned to lead the creative direction and develop the full visual identity for the event. Having worked with WFOT since 2020, and previously creating the branding for the 2022 congress, I was entrusted to deliver a cohesive and distinctive brand experience for the 2026 edition.
The goal was to create a vibrant and engaging identity that reflected the host location, captured the theme Inspiring Change, Innovating Futures, and aligned with WFOT’s wider mission of advancing occupational therapy globally. The visual system needed to be flexible enough to work across a broad range of digital and print applications, while maintaining consistency and recognition throughout the full event journey.
Approach
My approach focused on blending contemporary design with visual references inspired by Thai culture, creating an identity that felt both modern and rooted in place. Alongside the creative development, the project required close collaboration with the event management company, on-site production team and external suppliers to ensure the branding was applied accurately across every touchpoint. This involved managing a wide range of outputs and coordinating production details to maintain quality and consistency from pre-event promotion through to the live congress environment and post-event resources.
I created the full congress branding and rolled it out across a comprehensive set of materials. This included teaser videos to build excitement ahead of the event, social media templates for ongoing communications, the congress website, presentation templates, exhibition booth designs, printed and digital signage, a sponsorship brochure, a programme brochure for attendees, and a post-congress programme hub featuring session recordings, presentations and related content.
The 4 day congress was delivered successfully with a strong and consistent visual presence across both digital and physical channels. The event welcomed more than 2,300 delegates from over 100 countries, with speakers representing more than 70 countries, and was delivered within budget. The final identity helped create a colourful, engaging and culturally relevant experience that supported both the event theme and WFOT’s global profile.
