Salesforce Inc.’s massive Dreamforce conference will be staying in San Francisco next year, following Chief Executive Marc Benioff’s threat to relocate it to another city.
Return to San Francisco in 2024
“Get ready for an electrifying experience at Dreamforce 2024! Thrilled to share the news that Dreamforce, the world’s largest enterprise tech conference, will be returning to San Francisco, the stunning city by the bay—and now the AI capital of the world in 2024!” Benioff tweeted on Tuesday, accompanied by a selfie of himself and San Francisco Mayor London Breed at a Golden State Warriors game.
Showcasing World-Changing Ideas
“Dreamforce is about showcasing the world-changing ideas that are driving innovation and creativity, and there is no better place to do that than the AI Capital of the World – San Francisco!’ Breed tweeted on Tuesday.
In August, Benioff expressed concerns to the San Francisco Chronicle that future Dreamforce conferences might need to be relocated if the city’s homelessness and drug use problems negatively impacted this year’s event. However, the conference proceeded without any major incidents.
Economic Impact and Hope for Downtown Recovery
This year’s conference, which took place in September, attracted approximately 40,000 attendees to downtown San Francisco. The area is still struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic. According to the Chronicle, the event injected an estimated $89.3 million into the local economy.
Salesforce, as the city’s largest private employer, plays a significant role in San Francisco’s economic landscape.
The successful execution of Dreamforce gives hope to the city, as it aims to attract other major conferences and tourists back to its downtown area. San Francisco will be hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the upcoming week, with leaders from 21 countries—including President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping—expected to attend. The event is anticipated to have an economic impact of roughly $53 million.