How to produce a 3-day world medical congress for 500 attendees: the WSEI case
500 specialists, three congress days and two galas: the pieces of an international congress and how you would produce it.
A real event used as a production example. Here is how you would run an event like this with Murphy OS today.
A three-day world medical congress for 500 attendees is produced as three chained events: the scientific programme by day, hospitality by night and the logistics that connect them. At WSEI, the congress on implants and aesthetic surgery by Establishment Labs and Motiva, high-level scientific sessions were combined with two galas at landmark Barcelona venues: Llotja de Mar and the Maritime Museum. Here are the pieces of an event like this and how you would run it today with Murphy OS.
What the event demanded
The public write-up lists:
- 500 attendees: surgeons, doctors and specialists in aesthetic surgery and implants.
- A three-day congress with keynote sessions, technology applied to aesthetic surgery and interaction spaces.
- Coordination of every service of the convention.
- A gala dinner at Llotja de Mar with high-end food.
- A farewell party at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, with AV production.
- Goal: position WSEI as the reference event in aesthetic surgery, in knowledge and in hospitality.
An audience like this is demanding, with packed agendas and high expectations on both halves: content and experience.
The production pieces of an event like this
Guests
500 specialists from different countries: multilingual registration, capped sessions and workshops, separate sign-up for each gala, dietary needs, hotels and transfers. The piece with the most data and the most changes.
Budget
Three days of venue, congress AV, two gala venues, daily catering, transfers. Many lines, many room nights and many versions: the client will compare scenarios before signing off.
Space
Three different spaces: the congress venue in theatre style plus breakout rooms, Llotja de Mar with gala dinner tables, and the Maritime Museum for the party. Each with its plan, capacity and build.
Run of show
Three days of scientific programme with speakers who run over, plus two nights with their own rhythm. One late session drags the whole day.
Suppliers
Venue, AV, catering, two gala venues, transport, hosts, technicians. Many contracts, many riders.
Risk
Programme delays, speaker changes, badge pickup queues on day one and transfers to the galas.
How you would run it today with Murphy OS
Forms: multilingual congress registration
In Forms use the conference template: branded landing page, capped workshops with a waitlist, questions that only show when relevant (for example, the gala only for those attending that day), dietary needs and coach. Publish in English, Spanish and any other language you need.
The client comments on the page before it goes live and then follows the figures live. On day one, open several badge lines with QR and print badges by attendee type: speaker, delegate, staff. Star the speakers. For gala catering, export the dietary and allergen list.
Planner: budget versions and setup by day
In Planner build the project with VAT per line, fee and room nights. Create versions to compare scenarios (say, with and without the second gala) and the client gets a PDF without your margins. In Setup and agenda split the venue build, the three days and the two gala builds, with times, owners and suppliers.
Scenes: three spaces, three scenes
The congress plan calibrated in theatre style for the plenary and, in other scenes, Llotja de Mar with gala tables and the Maritime Museum for the party. For dinner, paste the list with group and meal and hit Auto-seat. Export list by table, alphabetical index for registration and special meals for catering.
Contracts: every venue and supplier
Venue hire for the congress and each gala space, supplier contracts for AV and catering, speaker agreements where needed and a room block if you handle accommodation. Cancellation and liability insurance clauses on, signed with a code. Adviser review first.
Run of show: three days in tabs
In Run of show each day gets its own tab with its date: load-in, day 1, day 2, day 3 and load-out. Sessions chain together and you pin what cannot move, like coaches leaving for the gala. Stage management ticks each speaker from their phone and sees if you are running late; the client follows the programme on their link without internal notes.
What you take away
- A congress with galas is two events. Design them separately and join them with logistics.
- Registration is the backbone. Workshops, gala, dietary needs and transfers in one form.
- Version the budget. The client will compare scenarios.
- Each space gets its own plan. Plenary, dinner and party are built differently.
- Pin transfers in the run of show. If a session runs over, the coach does not wait.
What I would check tomorrow
- Form with workshops, gala and dietary needs, in every language.
- Three budget versions including room nights.
- A plan to scale for each space, with dinner seating.
- Signed contracts with the venue, galas and suppliers.
- Day-by-day run of show with transfers pinned.
Frequently asked questions
What is WSEI?
A world congress on implants and aesthetic surgery, by Establishment Labs and Motiva, that brought together 500 surgeons, doctors and specialists in Barcelona over three days.
What did it include besides the congress?
Two gala nights: a dinner at Llotja de Mar and a farewell party at Barcelona's Maritime Museum.
How do you handle registration for an international congress?
With a multilingual landing page, capped workshops with a waitlist, tracked emails and QR check-in. Forms has a conference template with all of that.
How do you run a multi-day run of show?
In Run of show each day sits in its own tab with its date and total, and stage management ticks each speaker from their phone.
How many budget versions does a congress need?
At least three: initial, adjusted and final. In Planner you duplicate the version before cutting and compare.