San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods, and to really get an authentic experience, Chelsea Marshburn, CMP, DMCP, recommends showing guests the different areas of the city if time allows.
“We are a small city, seven by seven square miles, but packed with everything you need,” says Marshburn, director of experience design for PRA Northern California and president of the MPI Northern California Chapter. “I also like to tell clients that summer in San Francisco is not shorts weather and make sure to let attendees know it can be very cool and foggy year-round.”
Despite the sometimes-cool weather, San Francisco’s compactness makes it an easily walkable city, and if you book a meeting or event in a downtown hotel or venue, attendees will have access to a variety of world-class museums, restaurants and experiences.
“The city center is very walkable, and although some venues might be listed as located in different neighborhoods, often they are only a few blocks from each other,” says Stephanie Franco, CMP (MPI Northern California Chapter), founder and owner of San Francisco-based SpotOn Events.
If you want to plan an event a bit outside of the city, Franco recommends Golden Gate Park for daytime events, since it features lakes, museums and groves where several events can take place. And it’s only a 20-minute trek from downtown via car or subway.
“My personal favorite activities in the park are scavenger hunts and geocaching for company picnics,” Franco says. “Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park is a great area for a host of events; a traditional German Biergarten with sausages and lawn games would be perfect!”
If you keep up with the news, you’ve probably heard that San Francisco is a pricey place to live. It can be expensive for planners, too, Marshburn says.
“I like to warn clients that budgets may need to increase a bit to accommodate a meeting or event in San Francisco,” she says.
Given the success of so many Bay Area companies, even in the face of mounting costs, the area’s event industry consistently produces top-notch events for global marquee brands, Franco says.
“With the year-over-year double-digit growth of the local economy, so has the meeting industry grown,” she says. “Both boutique and large-scale productions are operating at an all-time high.”
In fact, San Francisco-based companies are heavily investing their event dollars on production and the customer journey to make impactful impressions, increase market share and strengthen client relationships, Franco says.
“With more hotels and a variety of price points, San Francisco is attracting a considerably wide range of events, from large trade shows to smaller, intimate events,” she says. “We are not always the most inexpensive city, but if you are looking for an attendance draw, this is the city to host your meeting.”
And what the San Francisco Travel Association is seeing is that planners want an experience for their attendees.
“They don’t want just another meeting in a hotel meeting room; they want something that people will remember,” says Lisa Lewin, senior vice president of convention sales at the San Francisco Travel Association. “They want people to be emotionally connected and are looking for that rare one-of-a-kind experience.”
Marshburn agrees that more planners are asking for activities and experiences that are unique to locals, and that they want to share that behind-the-scenes type of experience with their guests.
“They don’t always have the opportunity to bring their guests off site, so we have been finding ways to bring other parts of San Francisco and Northern California to their meetings,” she says. “Some examples are incorporating tech into the meeting, bringing a local winery on site to facilitate a wine blending team-building activity, a craft or art station where people can work with a local artist to create something to bring home with them or incorporating a local celebrity chef into their event.”
Whether you plan to host a meeting or event on or off site, San Francisco has plenty of new options available. Here’s a rundown of a few recent developments and upcoming projects.
Moscone Center
The Moscone Center completed a US$551 million expansion in January 2019. The center now has 504,914 square feet of contiguous space with 157,000 square feet total “front of house” space added to the Moscone North and South buildings. There is also a new, expanded kitchen added to the North and South buildings and a 49,776-square-foot new, column-free ballroom with terraces offering city views.
Chase Center
The 18,000-seat Chase Center opened in the Mission Bay neighborhood in September 2019. Not only is it the homecourt of the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors, it also plays host to more than 200 events throughout the year and offers private event space for groups.
Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf
A $30 million redesign at the 531-room Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf includes a reconfigured lobby and bar, upgrades to all guest rooms and the addition of a Sheraton Club Lounge.
San Francisco International Airport
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 opened at San Francisco International Airport in July. It’s the world’s first airport facility named after the famous LGBTQ+ leader. The first phase includes a new, nine-gate boarding area and a museum exhibit, “Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope.”
Presidio Theatre
Vacant since 1995, the historic Presidio Theatre has transformed itself, reopening to the public as a performing arts center in September 2019. It features a 600-seat proscenium theater, a large rehearsal space and a pavilion and courtyard available for events.
Hotel Emblem
The 96-room Hotel Emblem opened in early 2019. Located in San Francisco’s Theater District, the hotel offers two dining options, Obscenity Bar & Lounge and Bluestone Lane Coffee, as well as 2,000 square feet of event space.
Virgin Hotels San Francisco
The Virgin Hotels San Francisco opened in February 2019 with 192 guest rooms, a rooftop bar, an onsite restaurant and more than 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Travel Association.
