When the Dilawri Cardiovascular Institute (DCI) began planning Vancouver Valve 2026, they had a clear vision. The event would bring more than 100 cardiovascular professionals to a Vancouver theatre, many of them travelling from overseas, for two days of focused conversation.

DCI wanted it to feel important and credible, but also warm, relaxed and unmistakably Vancouver, without losing its sophistication. Above all, they wanted it to go well beyond a traditional medical conference.

From the first conversation, we understood their vision. The natural world sits at the heart of DCI’s discussions, so we set out to make the theatre feel like a place on the BC coast rather than a conference room. It was also a fitting welcome for guests who had travelled a long way to be there. The idea took shape as a pencil sketch inspired by a real BC beach, then as 3D models and concept renders, so DCI could see the room long before load-in.

It started with a pencil sketch.

Concept render: blocking out the set.

The key was blending real nature with technology. On stage, real cedar, along with rocks and driftwood, framed a video wall playing footage we created of a West Coast shoreline, with gentle waves rolling onto the sand. The greenery spilled over the screen’s edges so the technology felt like part of the landscape while still serving as the main screen for presentations. Lighting and audio gave the room a warm, theatrical feel, and a painted floor carried the beach to the edge of the stage.

Real cedar, moss and driftwood, built around the screen.

On day two, guests walked into somewhere new. The sunny beach had become a lake at dusk, with a dock and a red canoe, and the warm yellows and greens gave way to cool blues and purples. The physical set never changed. We transformed the room with video and lighting alone, giving guests a fresh view and DCI two distinct looks for the cost of one set.

“They took our ideas and brought them to life even better than we’d imagined,” says Kevin McKenzie, Consultant, Dilawri Cardiovascular Institute (DCI). “The quality of their work genuinely impressed us and our guests, and we achieved the ‘wow moments’ we were hoping for.”

Behind those moments was a team DCI could count on. Our crew had a single day for load-in, and that afternoon DCI asked to add the painted floor. We had it ready by evening without disrupting the schedule.

Ready by evening: the painted floor carries the beach to the edge of the stage.

What started as a clear vision and a dark, empty theatre became a room that felt as important as the people in it, and as warm as the city welcoming them. For two days, more than 100 cardiovascular professionals from around the world gathered on a West Coast shoreline instead of in a conference hall, and DCI got the event they had set out to create.