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San Francisco Travel Association

One Front Street Suite 2900 94111

Five Reasons to Meet in San Francisco Right Now

1. San Francisco Hotel Availability & Rates San Francisco is a powerful magnet for meetings of all sizes, from self-contained meetings based at one hotel to citywide conventions utilizing multiple properties and The Moscone Center. San Francisco boasts: 35,000 hotel rooms, with 19,000+ rooms within walking distance of The Moscone Center 70+ hotels, with 1,100+ new hotel rooms coming by 2024 Great hotel availability and promotion dates Lower average daily rates than Los Angeles, New York and Boston (as of 10/13/21) New and limited time-only incentives for meeting at The Moscone Center 2. Unique Venues & Virtual Tours Need an out-of-the-box idea? San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area offer more than 360 special event facilities and venues—nearly one for every day of the year. San Francisco Travel has working relationships with all of these spaces, not just the ones within city limits. Talk to our talented Convention Services team about finding a space and activating an event that your attendees will never forget. If you’re unable to visit San Francisco in person right now, we can bring San Francisco to you. Click below to take virtual tours of some of our most popular hotels and special event venues. 3. Meet in the Great Outdoors San Francisco's mild year-round weather, unique natural surroundings, and commitment to the environment all mean that some or all of your next event could be held outdoors. The Presidio, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, has multiple historic venues that offer stunning views of the bay and ocean beyond. Golden Gate Park is home to a number of popular attractions that also double as exciting event spaces. Restaurants in the city have taken over curbside, patio, and rooftop spaces to expand their capacity and safely host larger groups. Plus, San Francisco is just a short drive from some of the most breathtaking locations in Northern California, including wine country, Monterey, and Yosemite. 4. Wide-Ranging Appeal and Authentic Experiences If there’s one trait that best defines San Francisco, it is diversity. Attendees can explore the city’s many unique neighborhoods, discover its historic and thriving LGBTQ community, and visit world-renowned art and cultural institutions. It’s all set among some of the most beautiful scenery in the nation, with the city’s natural and man-made landmarks all around you. San Francisco’s welcoming people, its unbeatable food scene, and its endless activity regularly lead to record-breaking meeting attendance. 5. Easy to Get To (and Around) San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 50 international destinations on more than 40 international carriers. The Bay Area’s largest airport connects nonstop with 88 cities in the U.S. on 12 domestic airlines. Located just 14 miles south of the city, it is directly connected to downtown San Francisco by Bay Area Rapid Transit Opens in new window (BART). Once you’ve arrived, explore the city with San Francisco's Muni transit system, any of our tour or transportation partners, or simply on foot! Don't let our famous hills fool you; San Francisco is ranked as one of the top walking cities in the U.S. Learn how San Francisco Travel is working with major stakeholders to ensure your attendees have a safe and wonderful experience. https://www.sftravel.com/meetings/san-franciscos-safety-security-measures-conventions-self-contained-groups Please see our latest sales deployment here: https://www.sftravel.com/meetings/article/meet-convention-sales-team

For more information, check out City Guides.

Awards

Venue Highlights

Cvent's 2023 Top Meeting Destinations

See Cvent's full list of 2023 Top Meeting Destinations.

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Distance from airport

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

    13 mi. from city center

  • Oakland International Airport (OAK)

    20 mi. from city center


Local Attractions

Alamo Square and the Painted Ladies

Recreation
One of the most photographed locations in San Francisco, Alamo Square’s famous “postcard row” is indeed a visual treat. A tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses is backdropped by downtown skyscrapers, and the grassy square itself is an ideal midday break. One of 11 historic districts designated by the Department of City Planning, the area includes several bed-and-breakfast inns.
Corner of Hayes and Steiner Streets
San Francisco, CA
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Chinatown

Business district
San Francisco’s Chinatown is one of the largest outside Asia, offering an array of exotic shops, restaurants, food markets, temples, museums and venerable Chinese institutions. Language here is mostly Cantonese and Mandarin; pagoda-style roofs and decorative balconies dominate the architecture, and street lamps are dragon-entwined. Grant Ave., the district’s main street, is a perpetual pageant during the annual Chinese New Year and Moon Festival celebrations.
Grant Ave between Bush St + Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA
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Alcatraz Island

Historical landmark
A mile and a half (2.4 km) from Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz (the name means “pelican” in Spanish) was the site of the first lighthouse built on the Pacific Coast, then a federal prison for such notorious convicts as Al Capone. Now it is one of the city’s most popular attractions. Tours include a self-guided trail, a video presentation and audio tours narrated by former guards and inmates through main cell blocks as well as special programs on famous inmates, fortifications, etc.
Pier 33
1398 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94133
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Civic Center

Business district
A monumental grouping of federal, state and city structures, San Francisco’s Civic Center is the most spacious and, for many, the most impressive in the United States. The magnificently restored City Hall is crowned by a dome taller than the one on the nation’s Capitol; tours of City Hall are conducted on a regular basis. Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, the War Memorial Veterans Building and the War Memorial Opera House are now collectively known as the San Francisco Performing Arts. SFJAZZ Center, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium — the scene of concerts and civic events — the Main Library and other civic structures are all nearby. The old Main Library has been transformed into the new Asian Art Museum.
Van Ness, Market + Golden Gate Triangle
San Francisco, CA
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Cable Cars

Historical landmark
San Francisco is one of the few places in the world where people can ride on a national historic landmark. Refurbished and equipped with new tracks, cables, turntables and cable propulsion machinery, they operate much as they did on Aug. 2, 1873, when Andrew S. Hallidie guided the first car down the Clay Street grade. Today’s fleet totals 40; the adult fare is $6. Volumes have been written about the cable cars and their inventor, but a ride on a cable car and a visit to the Cable Car Museum are the best way to understand the system, its simple mechanics and worldwide popularity.
San Francisco, CA
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Embarcadero

Business district
The Embarcadero stretches along the bay where miles of deep-water piers shelter ships of all flags. Here, too, at the foot of Market St., is the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is a vibrant public space housing high-end retailers, a food hall, restaurants and a farmers’ market. The Ferry Building is also the terminal for ferries to Marin County, Vallejo, Oakland and Alameda. Promenades extend along The Embarcadero from the Ferry Building, past the base of the Oakland Bay Bridge to the South Beach area near King Street.
Southeast of Fisherman's Wharf
San Francisco, CA
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Castro District

Business district
Steep streets and brightly painted Victorian houses give this upper Market St. “Gay Mecca” that distinct, San Francisco look. The Castro is filled with imaginative boutiques, bookstores and bars. Built in 1922, the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., survives as one of the last grand movie palaces. The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 1800 Market St., houses dozens of community organizations. Also of note are Harvey Milk Plaza, dedicated to one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, and Pink Triangle Park, a memorial to 15,000 LGBT Holocaust victims. Each June the SF Pride Parade draws 500,000 participants and spectators. The Castro Street Fair unfolds each October.
Market + Castro Streets
San Francisco, CA
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Golden Gate Bridge

Historical landmark
Once called “the bridge that couldn’t be built,” today it is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. This magnificent span, perhaps San Francisco’s most famous landmark, opened in 1937 after a four-year struggle against relentless winds, fog, rock and treacherous tides. It links The city with Marin County and the Redwood Empire beyond. Pedestrians and bicyclists can cross free of charge (hours are subject to change). Enjoy a gull’s-eye view down to the decks of oceangoing passenger and cargo liners, aircraft carriers and sailboats.
San Francisco, CA
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Convention Centers

  • The Moscone Center

    The Moscone Center (Moscone North, South and West) consists of more than two million square feet of building area, including over 738,000 square of exhibit space, up to 107 meeting rooms, and nearly 152,000 square feet of prefunction lobbies.

    • View details
      Exhibit Space797,422 sq. ft.
      Total meeting space502,000 sq. ft.

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Additional Information

Now is time to support the trusted local businesses that give San Francisco its character by meeting right here in the city. Read through for more of the benefits of meeting in the City by the Bay, and then start a conversation with our expert Convention Sales and Services teams. We can't wait to host you!

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