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San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

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Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#91

Post by blakeburch »

DebtDeflation wrote: post #30

I've been to tech conferences in San Francisco (Moscone specifically), Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, and Boston. While I'm not ordinarily a fan of Las Vegas, it is hands down the absolute best place for conferences, logistically. It's a 10 minute Uber to get from the airport to the strip. Tons of hotels on the strip. If the conference is at one strip hotel and you are staying at pretty much any other strip hotel, you can…

Logistically, it may be optimal. But from my perspective, it creates suboptimal conference experiences.

Large crowds. Everything hotel/conference room smells like smoke (terrible for asthmatics). Lots of distractions that are especially bad for those with addictions.

If I'm at an event for work, I don't want those things. I want an event that keeps me focused and engaged with the material and the connections.

When a conference is held in Vegas, I know it's going to be more of a party than an educational experience, so I tend to write it off simply because of the location choice.

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#92

Post by jrflowers »

heartjudytenuta wrote: post #48
rib3ye wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an SF resident, 20 years, I was only stolen from twice, and one of those times was at a restaurant next to Moscone during a convention. The data is not encouraging

In 15 years, I only had a crackhead try to forcibly open my passenger door at a stoplight one time, so clearly this is an overreaction. Maybe he just needed a ride.

I like the point you’re making here.

SF is relatively safe because you only had one bad criminal experience in 15 years.

Or

SF is relatively unsafe because you had >0 bad criminal experiences in 15 years.

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#93

Post by blakeburch »

SoftTalker wrote: post #71

Have conferences outlived their usefulness? Is it worth the upheaval in routine to travel, stay in hotels, eat overpriced restaurant food, and tolerate the unsavory street environment of most big cities, to sit and listen to a bunch of companies and authors promote their latest products and books? I'm scheduled to go to a conference in October and seriously thinking about canceling, there's really nothing attractive…

I think the conference format is in need of an overhaul. The only real value in their current state is networking and lead gen for vendors. Everything else is just "Blog Posts, LIVE!"

Remote sessions with small gatherings in major cities? Transition to a YouTube channel with consistent weekly live stream talks? A "tour of talks" with multiple city stops? Monthly themed topic events?

The existing format has become stale and ineffective. Would love to discuss alternatives with others.

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#94

Post by gretch »

rhaway84773 wrote: post #87
netfl0 wrote: post #6

I was only assaulted once at my last conference there (2023).

Violent crime rate per 100k residents. SF - 715 Orlando - 744 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities...

Why are you comparing these things?

Is anyone talking about the state of Conferences in Orlando, FL?

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#95

Post by Tiktaalik »

The situation in SF shows how much of a network cities are, with pieces relying on others for support.

Big downtown conferences rely on a network of hotels and retail and restaurants to support them.

The hotels also rely on the retail and restaurants for support.

The retail and restaurants rely on constant foot traffic.

SF made the subtle mistake of over building commercial office in its downtown, which meant that much of the foot traffic was office workers, and due to circumstance, the bias of office workers was heavily oriented toward the tech sector.

As the pandemic hit and office pivoted toward WFH, suddenly all this foot traffic, a requirement for a healthy downtown evaporated.

Unfortunately for SF, the bias toward tech is hurting its recovery, as tech in particular seems more likely to let the pandemic WFH status quo continue.

Now we're starting to see the network of the healthy downtown unravel as things become untenable for those who rely on foot traffic, and those higher up the chain that require the amenities that rely on foot traffic. No surprise to see conferences start to pull out.

In contrast other cities with less tech workers have seen more of a return to the office, and so their downtown life has picked up. As well with cities with more residential downtown, as there's a more resiliant foot traffic mix, we've seen them more easily rebound as well.

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#96

Post by Tiktaalik »

LeafItAlone wrote: post #31
MisterSandman wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meta cancelled altogether, so that is probably just a cost-saving measure (Meta isn't doing too well rn). RedHat moved their conferences to other states in the US, but still plan on holding future conferences in SF. Which, to me, also sounds like a temporary cost saving measure. I highly doubt it's because of safety or homelessness, if that was the case then they wouldn't be commiting to hold future conferences in SF…

What makes you say Meta isn’t doing well now? 2022 was rough on them, but 2023 seems to be treating them well. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/META/

I would think at this scale of conference organization, the decisions around things to do in 2023 are being made deep in 2022. So they probably decided to cancel 2023 in the midst of the big layoffs and cost cutting of 2022.

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#97

Post by AlbertCory »

benatkin wrote: post #47
AlbertCory wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Denial. No one's going to be honest about not having events there.

Not denial from me, I was thinking of how the city might be trying to make it so people can get there more comfortably, which includes less chance of experiencing some of SF's problems. I don't think it's a very good plan because it's expensive and far into the future, but I think it's a part of the misguided approach the city is taking.

I've actually walked from the CalTrain station to Moscone. It's not all that far.

(of course, your hotel is probably farther.)

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#98

Post by creer »

rhaway84773 wrote: post #87
netfl0 wrote: post #6

I was only assaulted once at my last conference there (2023).

Violent crime rate per 100k residents. SF - 715 Orlando - 744 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities...

You would have to compare the reporting rate also. No idea what it might be in Orlando. In San Francisco I expect it's now low: I'm at two physical assaults in San Francisco and there was no point in reporting either (countless verbal but that's not "violent crime" classification). And the recent (news) reporting on robbery makes it doubtful that much of it gets (police) reported either.

Then again what surrounds Moscone is mostly not "violent crime" as per this classification.

Edit: clarified news vs police reporting

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#99

Post by soupfordummies »

sokoloff wrote: post #43
DebtDeflation wrote: post #30

I've been to tech conferences in San Francisco (Moscone specifically), Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, and Boston. While I'm not ordinarily a fan of Las Vegas, it is hands down the absolute best place for conferences, logistically. It's a 10 minute Uber to get from the airport to the strip. Tons of hotels on the strip. If the conference is at one strip hotel and you are staying at pretty much any other strip hotel, you can…

> you can complete the entire walk underground What? I’ve been to Vegas dozens of times (conferences and pleasure) and I’ve never seen nor heard of this. What specific casino pairs have underground walks between them (intended for public use, not stormwater or utility tunnels)?

Mandalay - Luxor - Excalibur is one for example. Can’t remember if it crosses Tropicana into NY or not.

Not really an “underground tunnel” but definitely an indoor connector

EDIT - just looked at streetview, I think they are actually underground.

Re: San Francisco loses 2 big conferences

#100

Post by creer »

knome wrote: post #88
tlogan wrote: post #29

In separate news, sf chief economist is saying that everything is great [1]. Why is there such strong denial among city leadership and many individuals? [1] https://sfist.com/2023/07/06/san-franciscos-chief-economist-...

There seems to have been a popular hatred of the SF area spreading around online for the last few months or so. At least that's when I noticed it. I went out there as a tourist early last month. I never managed to happen across the roving bands of homeless and wasteland of closed businesses I keep hearing about online. The wharf wasn't even overrun as I had seen claimed. I can't speak to the economics of the area, an…

Fisherman's Wharf is not San Francisco (half joke). And there are certainly perfectly civilized looking actual neighborhoods (say Cow Hollow, nearby). No homeless, no garbage, minimal poop on the sidewalks, minimal loud bike rides, no constant sirens, etc.

But the conference center, Moscone Center, is in one of the neighborhoods where the action is. And a lot of people live in or visit these areas also.

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