Your experiential marketing agency in San Diego

Just reach out to us – we’re ready when you are. You can fill out our contact form or give us a ring to start the conversation. We’ll set up a kickoff call to learn about your event: what you’re envisioning, how many people, goals, budget ideas, etc. From there, our team will craft a customized proposal and plan for you to review. We’ll tweak it until it’s exactly what you want. There’s no commitment – we’re happy to be a sounding board as you firm up your plans.

Absolutely. Multi-day programs are something we handle frequently. In San Diego, that might mean a 3-day sales kickoff where we manage everything from the opening general session to breakout workshops on day two and a fun off-site excursion on day three. We coordinate the entire agenda – conference content, team-building activities, group dinners, transportation, you name it. For incentive trips, we add those special touches: maybe a welcome reception on a yacht cruise, a golf outing, or a private tour of a San Diego attraction.

We do. While our primary bases are elsewhere, we have key team members who live and work in Southern California and can be on-site in San Diego easily. Moreover, over years of doing events, we’ve developed strong partnerships with local vendors and freelance professionals. We know which lighting company to call for a job at the Convention Center, or which caterer to trust for a gala in La Jolla. Essentially, we bring our core VOLO team and augment it with the best local talent as needed. So you get the benefit of our national experience plus local know-how on the ground.

Pretty much the whole spectrum. In San Diego, we’ve produced massive international conventions, high-tech product launches, concert-like corporate parties (complete with stages and live bands), trade show exhibits, charity galas at iconic Balboa Park venues, and intimate VIP dinners on the beach. Our scope is broad because we have in-house expertise in design, production, and logistics for all these formats. Our range of services allows us to tailor to the nature of the event – big or small, formal or funky – you name it.

It varies based on a lot of factors. San Diego can be mid-range in costs – not as high as, say, NYC or SF, but certain aspects (like waterfront venues or union labor at the convention center) can add up. Key factors include venue rental fees, production scope (e.g., elaborate stage design vs. simple setup), attendee count, technology requirements, catering quality, etc. VOLO will develop a detailed budget so you can see where every dollar goes. We aim to be transparent and work within your budget range. After an initial discussion, we can give you a ballpark estimate. Feel free to get in touch and we’ll break down all the options for you.

Yes, we take care of all those permitting details. San Diego has some fantastic outdoor venues – beaches, parks, plazas – and each comes with its own set of rules. VOLO will handle obtaining any necessary city or county permits for your event. For example, if you want an event at a public beach or Balboa Park, we’ll work with the City of San Diego’s permit office to secure the date and ensure we meet all requirements (insurance, safety plans, etc.). We’re familiar with the process and have done it many times. From alcohol permits to noise variances, we’ll dot the i’s and cross the t’s so your outdoor event is fully approved and good to go.

Definitely. San Diego’s coastal vibe can add a lot of charm to an event, and we’re experts at weaving that in. If you want a beach theme, we can do chic ocean-inspired decor – think driftwood centerpieces, sea-blue lighting, and maybe a fresh ceviche bar for a taste of the sea. For a more nautical feel, we’ve used touches like navy-and-white color schemes, ropes and lanterns in the design, and even arranged for events on yachts. The key is to do it in a way that feels elegant and not gimmicky. Our creative designers will infuse just the right amount of San Diego beach flavor to give your event that breezy, local touch without overdoing it.

Ideally, start as early as you can. San Diego has a busy events calendar year-round (with summer and fall being especially popular for conventions and tourism), so key venues and vendors can book up. For a large event, a 6–12 month lead is excellent to lock in everything you want. But we also know opportunities arise last minute – we’ve pulled off great events on short notice too. Ultimately, if you have dates in mind, it’s never too soon to loop us in. Reach out and we can give you a planning timeline that fits. Even if you’re a bit late in the game, we’ll find a way to make it work.

Absolutely. San Diego is a hub for biotech and tech, and we’ve supported many events in those sectors. We’ve done user conferences for software companies, complete with live demo stations and high-tech presentations. We’ve produced product launches and press events for biotech firms, where precision and scientific accuracy in staging were key. We understand that these industries often require robust audiovisual setups, live streaming capabilities, and polished presentation materials – all of which we provide. VOLO also knows how to cater to the audience (whether it’s scientists, engineers, or investors) with the right balance of information and engagement. In short, yes – we have significant experience supporting the event needs of San Diego’s tech and biotech companies and can bring that expertise to your event.

Yes – from the biggest tasks to the smallest details. Once VOLO is on board, we coordinate everything needed for your event. That means securing and managing vendors (caterers, AV suppliers, decorators, transportation, etc.), creating detailed load-in and load-out schedules, handling permits with the city or the Port (if you’re on the bayfront), and ensuring all those pieces come together perfectly. We basically become your one-stop project manager. You’ll have a single point of contact (us) while we wrangle all the moving parts behind the scenes.

We sure do. San Diego Comic-Con, for example, is a time when many brands host special events and activations in the Gaslamp district – and we’ve helped make those happen. We understand the fast-paced, high-energy environment when a major event is in town. Whether it’s a Comic-Con afterparty, a branded interactive fan experience, or a hospitality lounge for a big sports tournament like the Farmers Open, we have the team to execute it. Planning events during busy city-wide happenings means logistics can be complex (permits, crowd control, competing for venues), but VOLO has navigated those waters successfully. Our experiential marketing team loves the excitement of piggybacking on major events and will ensure your brand stands out in the crowd.

San Diego’s weather is one of its best assets, and we definitely take advantage of it. Whenever it fits the event, we incorporate outdoor elements – think sunset cocktail receptions on a terrace, open-air expo areas, or beachside team-building activities. Because the climate is so mild, we can get creative with indoor-outdoor flow: for example, designing an event that moves from an indoor conference session to an outdoor networking mixer seamlessly. We always plan for comfort (heaters or shade as needed, even though it’s usually gorgeous out). By using San Diego’s sunshine and scenery in our designs, we give attendees an experience that says “why be indoors when it’s this beautiful?”

Yes! We thrive on unique venues. In San Diego, we’ve tackled some really cool ones – including events aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier and upscale receptions on the beach at Hotel del Coronado. Planning for these venues takes special expertise (think: coordinating around museum exhibits or tides and sand), and we have it. We work closely with venue management to address all the quirks and opportunities of a space. Whether it’s a historic ship, a beachfront lawn, a rooftop with skyline views, or even the San Diego Zoo after hours, VOLO will adapt our plan to the venue. Those unique settings often create the most memorable events, and we love making them work flawlessly. Our project portfolio includes many San Diego locations, showing our experience across the city’s venues.

Absolutely. The San Diego Convention Center is like a second home to us for big events. We know the logistics of that venue inside and out – from coordinating with their union crews and scheduling dock deliveries to setting up elaborate general sessions in the ballrooms. We can manage multi-track conferences with dozens of breakouts, huge exhibit floors, and all the audiovisual production that goes with it. Our team will work hand-in-hand with the convention center’s event services to cover all bases – scheduling, security, internet connectivity, you name it. We can even design engaging trade show exhibits and interactive installations to maximize the use of the space. Bottom line: a large convention at SDCC is completely within our wheelhouse.

VOLO is often the first name that comes up for top corporate event planners in San Diego, especially for large conventions and trade shows. We have extensive experience at the San Diego Convention Center and major hotels in the Gaslamp Quarter, orchestrating events that host thousands of attendees. Our team manages every detail – from speaker sessions, expo hall logistics, registration experiences, and even off-site networking events – so you can focus on your content while we handle the production. Choosing VOLO as your corporate event planner means you get a seasoned partner who knows how to keep big San Diego events running smoothly and impressively.

VOLO Events has a strong reputation in San Diego for experiential marketing and event production. We’ve been recognized as a top agency in the industry (even earning a spot on Event Marketer’s Top 100 list) and our work in San Diego reflects that quality. From concept to execution, we consistently deliver creative, high-engagement events – whether it’s an interactive product demo downtown or a large corporate celebration by the bay. Our team combines big-idea creativity with meticulous planning and a personal, down-to-earth approach. The result? San Diego clients who consider us their go-to partner for making memorable events.