Client Overview
A global medical conference brand required an experienced hybrid event production partner to support the delivery of a large-scale conference in San Diego, designed to serve both in-person and remote audiences.
The event was delivered as part of a 10‑month retained partnership, with Virtual Approval operating as an extension of the client’s internal team – supporting strategic planning, technical design, supplier management, and end‑to‑end delivery.
The Challenge
The conference brought together a highly engaged medical audience in a new and logistically complex venue in San Diego – a location known for premium costs and limited setup windows.
Key challenges included:
- A complex hybrid format, requiring parity of experience for both audiences
- 800 in‑person attendees and 600 online attendees, across 5 days
- Five parallel content tracks, alongside a large exhibition hall
- 80 exhibitors, each with operational requirements
- CE‑accredited content, requiring careful management of speaker submissions and session compliance
- A long, content‑heavy agenda with minimal setup time
- A strict budget, balanced against high technical expectations
- Speakers travelling from across the USA and internationally
In addition to the core conference programme, the event included experiential and wellbeing elements such as movement sessions, workshops, and curated evening experiences – all requiring specialist technical and operational planning.
Our Role
Virtual Approval was responsible for full pre‑production and production management, acting as the central technical and operational lead throughout the planning and delivery phases.
Pre‑Production & Planning
- 10‑month retained partnership working alongside the client team
- Development of the technical architecture for a complex hybrid conference
- Careful selection and management of local crews and audio-visual supplier
- Careful selection and deployment of specifically designed internet infrastructure, robust and secure enough to manage the live stream, as well as delegate access points
- Creation of a detailed technical run of show covering plenaries, tracks, workshops, and social sessions
- Careful budget management to balance ambition with viability in a high‑cost location
AV & Technical Infrastructure
- Virtual Approval supplied 2 x Technical Managers and a Show Caller to oversee all technical delivery, content, client relations, speaker management and production
- Sourcing and management of a local audio‑visual supplier in San Diego
- Oversight of all technical infrastructure across stages, breakout rooms, exhibition hall, and hybrid plenaries
- Configuration of a platform capable of supporting:
- Large concurrent audiences
- Live streaming across multiple tracks
- Interactive hybrid plenary sessions
- A robust post‑event content library
Content & Speaker Management
- Management of varied speaker needs, security, confidentiality, and technical requirements
- End‑to‑end management of speaker content submissions
- Coordination of CE‑accredited materials and compliance requirements
- Speaker scheduling and technical planning across five tracks
Hybrid Plenary & Audience Engagement
- Delivery of two fully hybrid plenary sessions, enabling:
- Live interaction between in‑person and online audiences
- Shared Q&A and engagement moments
- Design of engagement strategies to ensure both audiences felt equally included
Exhibition & Experiential Elements
- Technical supervision of exhibition hall with 80 exhibitors
- Integration of experiential programming, including:
- Interactive workshops
- Dance and movement sessions
- Yoga and breath‑work experiences
- A specialist sound bath, requiring expert audio management
Evening & Social Programme
- Support for a series of evening events, including:
- Networking sessions
- A formal sponsored dinner dance with DJ
- Technical coordination for lighting, sound, and staging across social environments
Set Design, Operations & Logistics
- Collaboration on set design and furniture layouts to support both content delivery and audience flow
- Management of operational logistics across a new venue
- Coordination of tight setup windows and rapid changeovers
- Coordination between external suppliers for venue dressing, power, internet, exhibition booths
Post‑Event Delivery
- Organisation and management of all session recordings
- Submission of on‑demand content library for post‑event access
The Result
The conference was delivered successfully as a high‑impact hybrid experience, balancing clinical credibility with creativity, wellbeing, and community.
Both in‑person and online audiences were able to engage fully with the programme, interact during plenary sessions, and access high‑quality content during and after the event.
Despite the challenges of a new venue, strict budgets, and a demanding agenda, the event ran smoothly – supported by careful planning, robust technical design, and close collaboration with the client and suppliers.
Why It Worked
This project succeeded because of:
- Deep experience delivering complex, content‑heavy medical events
- Early and sustained involvement through a retained partnership
- Strong hybrid design thinking, not just live streaming
- Careful supplier and budget management in a high‑cost market
By acting as a true extension of the client team, Virtual Approval ensured that every technical, operational, and experiential detail worked together to deliver a confident, seamless hybrid conference.
