Delivering a high-impact event for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 

ICF Next delivered a fully accessible event for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) focused on protecting the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities in institutions. The event supported FRA’s mandate under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by translating extensive EU-wide research into dialogue, peer learning, and concrete follow-up actions at the national level. ICF Next ensured coordination, inclusive participant experience, and high-quality communication outputs to maximise the event’s long-term impact.

Challenge

FRA sought to present findings from a large-scale research project covering 27 EU Member States and three observer countries, while creating momentum for national follow-up action. The challenge was to organise an inclusive international event, while ensuring meaningful engagement among policymakers, human rights bodies, service providers, and organisations of persons with disabilities.

Solution

ICF Next provided full project and event management, covering the complete lifecycle of the event. This included end-to-end coordination and stakeholder management to ensure smooth planning and execution. Onsite, our team oversaw logistics and provided technical coordination at the FRA premises to ensure operations ran seamlessly. We led participant registration, event protocols, and helpdesk support, as well as comprehensive travel and accommodation management, including accessible options.

Accessibility was a core priority, which we supported with services such as live captioning provided by velotypists. This approach also included engaging experienced professionals—such as a facilitator, graphic recorder, notetaker, and subject matter consultants—to support meaningful participation and content capture. Following the event, we designed and delivered a range of communication products, including an easy-to-read report accessible to people with intellectual disabilities, a graphic recording, and an infographic summarizing key outcomes.

Results

The event was delivered successfully on 21-22 October 2025 at FRA premises in Vienna, with no technical disruptions and strong participant satisfaction across all measured KPIs. The project resulted in:

• High levels of satisfaction with content, logistics, catering, and travel and accommodation management.
• Smooth onsite delivery.
• Clear, visually engaging communication outputs to support national-level follow-up.
• Positive feedback from FRA on project management quality and collaboration.