Project Overview

The World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) is the world’s largest nephrology conference, organized by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN). With over 6,000 medical professionals and researchers from more than 130 countries expected to attend WCN’26, our team was engaged to provide comprehensive communication support to the congress secretariat.

Over a seven-month period from September 2025 to March 2026, we managed a wide range of communication tasks—including liaison between the Japan-based secretariat and ISN headquarters in Belgium, as well as correspondence with international exhibitors. Working in close collaboration with secretariat staff, we delivered timely, cross-time-zone support that contributed to a successful congress.

Background & Challenges

Running a secretariat for an international medical congress demands far more than logistical coordination. It requires accurate handling of complex, technical documents, rapid and professional responses, effective communication across time zones, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders with varying cultural backgrounds.

For WCN’26 in particular, the volume of communications to be processed during the preparation phase was immense. The secretariat faced the challenge of responding quickly and accurately to a high volume of inquiries, while navigating cultural nuances and coordinating seamlessly across a global network of researchers, medical professionals, and exhibitors.

Services Provided

We delivered the following communication support services on behalf of the secretariat:
• Email Management — Email correspondence and proxy sending on behalf of the secretariat to international stakeholders (7 months)
• Document Creation & Translation — Creation and translation (Japanese ↔ English) of official documents and correspondence
• Schedule & Task Coordination — Tracking communication tasks against the preparation timeline, sending reminders, and supporting smooth secretariat operations
• Information & Document Management — Organizing inquiry records, managing preparation documents, and supporting information sharing across the secretariat team
• Medical Document Translation — Translation of medical and scientific materials submitted by exhibitors

Results

• Faster and smoother communication with international stakeholders
• Reduced workload and administrative burden on secretariat staff
• Streamlined progress on congress and exhibition preparation
• Enhanced credibility and professionalism of the congress on the international stage

Client Testimonials

“We were able to achieve both speed and accuracy in our international communications, making secretariat operations significantly smoother. The team handled highly specialized content with great precision—it was an enormous help.”

“Collaborating with Urban Connections from September onward has been a truly valuable experience with outstanding results. We are already receiving inquiries for similar projects, and we will certainly reach out again for the next opportunity.”

“You did a wonderful job.” — ISN Representative

Considering Secretariat Support for Your International Conference or Event?

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