Destination: Berkeley/Oakland/East Bay Meeting & Event Planning City Guide

  • Berkeley/Oakland/East Bay

Destination Articles

  • Take Me Out to the Ball Game

    By Holly Woolard

    March 26, 2013

    San Francisco's got game. So do Oakland and San Jose, and Santa Clara will be added to the list of Bay Area cities with professional sports franchises in August 2014 when the San Francisco 49ers begin playing at Santa Clara Stadium. Heck, even the San Francisco Bay has game and will be showcased this summer during the 34th America’s Cup racing July through September.

  • The San Francisco Bay Area Made Easy

    By Nikki Gloudeman

    March 28, 2011

    The San Francisco Bay Area has a problem: It is so packed with amazing options, from world-class hotels and meeting facilities to eclectic off-site activities and gourmet dining, that it can be hard to know where to begin when planning a meeting.

  • San Francisco Dreamin'

    By Carolyn Koenig

    March 19, 2010

    As the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast, San Francisco Bay laps a thousand-mile shoreline, mingling freshwater from northern California rivers and saltwater from the Pacific Ocean. It creates a biological diversity found nowhere else in California and, not coincidentally, a stunning setting for equally diverse communities.

  • Meetin' on the Dock of the Bay

    By Carolyn Koenig

    March 27, 2009

    More than 21,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers voted in the magazine’s most recent Readers Choice awards contest, and once again, San Francisco ranked No. 1—for the 18th time.

Learn about Berkeley/Oakland/East Bay for Event Venues, Services & Meeting Destinations

Destination Description

Smart Stats:

Number of Meetings Hotels: 215
Total Hotel Rooms: 35,000
Number of Special Events Venues: 580
Local Convention Centers: Moscone Center
Local Airports: San Francisco International, Oakland International and Mineta San Jose International
Local CVB: San Francisco TravelTri-Valley CVB

Smart Snapshot:

Internationally known for its culinary fetes, iconic fog laced landscape, and daunting city hills, San Francisco draws vacationers and is also a sought-after business meeting destination. Between meetings, sip a cappuccino with Ferlinghetti at City Lights Bookstore in North Beach, cruise the Castro with the ghost of Harvey Milk, hit the trails in the Marin Headlands or tune in at Golden Gate Park—be it history, art or culture, San Francisco has what you’re looking for to mix business with pleasure for your next destination meeting.

When taking advantage of San Francisco’s public transportation system, it’s easy to access the area’s many meeting venues, including the Moscone Center, which is sure to provide all of the meeting spaces and meeting room options a company could ever need. Whether riding on an iconic San Francisco Cable Car, or using the local train system Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Muni, you’re sure to arrive at your business meeting destination with ease.

Stepping outside the boardroom, attendees will love both the cultural and natural draws of the City by the Bay. The Embarcadero, San Francisco’s waterfront walkway, stretches all the way from the Giants’ AT&T Park through the Financial District to Fisherman’s Wharf and is a perfect example of integrating this stunning natural landscape into an urban setting.  Grab a bike or some walking shoes and walk or jog along the water. Watch for sea lions at Pier 39, try some cracked crab fresh from the bay, or even hop on a sightseeing boat to Alcatraz, San Francisco’s famed island jail.

With so much to explore, San Francisco is a great option for planning a meeting or corporate event.  But bring a sweater; although the fog is beautiful to look at, it packs a chilly punch.

Plan Your San Francisco Meeting Today!

If you’re thinking of planning a meeting or corporate event in San Francisco and need help finding the ideal meeting venue, conference room or convention center, explore our meeting planning properties in San Francisco.

Smart Meetings – Your Guide to Meeting Planning in San Francisco