Jessica’s Blog: Tradeshows at Moscone in San Francisco, CA

I have to say after traveling many convention centers in the US, I tend to neglect my own backyard of San Francisco. San Francisco has been the permanent home of some very large conferences of the past years, Macworld, RSA, Oracle Open World, Fancy Food, InterSolar, GDC (Game developers conference), Ad:Tech, etc… Here’s a quick glimpse into the city if you will be traveling here for your next big event.

Moscone is broken up into 3 halls, North, South, and West. North & South both opened in 1981. 85%  of the time these two halls are the host of larger capacity meetings.

The South hall has a distinct interior. The architecture consists of grand arches that start at one end of the room and runs across to the other. As it being an underground convention center this was the best design solution to support earthquakes vs. numerous columns dropped within the convention space.

The West hall was opened in 2003 consists of 3 levels. This is the home to conventions like Web 2.0, Ad:tech, and Macworld.

It’s very easy getting into  San Francisco, SFO is just about a 20 minutes away with an average cab fair of about $45.00.  There is also the option of public transportation, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train system: http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/inbound_sfo.aspx.

RESTARUANTS/NIGHTLIFE

 

Now for the fun stuff. After the show closes there are numerous close by and top SF restaurants/bars for corporate mingling:

Straits: Inside the Westfield shopping center, one block north of the West Hall
Jillian’s SF: Relaxed casual billiards with bar, great for private parties. Adjacent to the North hall
XYZ: Trendy boutique restaurant located inside the W hotel. Across the street from the North Hall
Buca di Beppo: Italian restaurant chain. approx. 1 block east of the South Hall
Starlight Room: SF old time socialite, Harry Denton’s lounge, a top the 21st floor of the Sir Francis Drake in Union Square. Approx. 5 blocks north of the West Hall
Bourbon & Branch: Fun 1920′s “speakeasy.”  Approx. 6 blocks east of the North HallÂ
Benu: Asian fusion & great for the foodie! Owner Corey Lee is a former chef at the French Laundry in Napa. Approx. 4 blocks south of the South Hall

SIGHTSEEING

Now after the 3 days of exhibiting if you are able, or have enough energy left to even want to, to spend an extra day/s in SF. Here are some must sees if you are exploring the city. Great options for family visits as well. 

Union Square: Shopping hub of San Francisco. Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Niketown
Golden Gate Bridge: A San Francisco staple, just make sure its a clear day!
Chinatown: Adjacent to Union Square with a lot of bargain finds.
Palace of Fine Art/ Exploratorium: A kid and adult favorite.
Fisherman’s Wharf/Embarcadero: The home of the famous SF clam chowder bowls.

San Francisco is a great city with a lot of history, a big favorite among convention goers. Our Skyline offices are located about 45 minutes south of San Franicsco and a local source to those coming in domesictally or interationally.

Any questions on exhibiting in San Francisco feel free to email me at jlorias@skybay.com

Jessica Lynn Orias | Exhibit Consultant | 44111 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 | ph. 510.933.2212 | jlorias@skybay.com |fx. 510.490.9949 | www.skybay.com

Filed under: Cities, Jessica's Blog, Show Tips

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