Moscone Center – Overview

The city and port of San Francisco are vibrant and diverse. This hip city in Northern California is one that attracts many to visit for pleasure and business. You may find yourself coming to San Francisco to attend an event or tournament at the Moscone Center.

The Moscone Center’s size dwarfs many and is by far the largest convention center in San Francisco, covering more than 20 acres. At the end of 2018, a $550 million expansion was completed, which according to tourism officials, makes it the 15th largest convention space in the country. Consisting of three separate buildings and an underground exhibition area, you’ll want to get an idea for the scope of the newly renovated Moscone Center as a whole to help you plan your visit.

 

Overview

  • 504,000 square feet of shared space: After the completion of the expansion project in 2018, the convention space is now almost double what is offered in the largest hall of the Moscone Center. The expansion also included the North and South buildings getting connected via a glass bridge. Now, space is contiguous, allowing for smooth transitions throughout events.
  • Glass Bridge: The expansion included the addition of the glass bridge. This walkway connects the North and South buildings. The bridge features “Point Cloud,” a light sculpture created by Leo Villareal. Villareal is the artist who created the “Bay of Lights,” which is a light sculpture of 1.8 miles of LEDs along the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
  • 25,000 square feet of outdoor terraces: One piece of feedback the Moscone Center listened to when expanding was adding a ton of outdoor terraces to the buildings. These areas are great for receptions. There is a 22,000-square-foot terrace on the top level of the south building facing Howard Street. Guests can take in wonderful views of the San Francisco skyline from the terraces.
  • 82 meeting rooms: For those looking to host smaller-sized meetings or breakout sessions, there are plenty of meeting rooms to utilize throughout the Moscone Center.
  • Two ballrooms: There are two available ballrooms in the Moscone Center. One of these ballrooms is completely new and offers 50,000 square feet of column-free space. The ballroom seats over 6,400 guests in a theater setting.
  • Underground exhibit hall: This area was originally built as a compromise to be mindful of city space. It can accommodate over 2,300 booths or be used as a flexible meeting space.
  • 367,500 square feet of space in Moscone West: Each of the three levels that make up Moscone West are just over 100,000 square feet, totaling at the 367,500 square feet mentioned. The design of the floors allows for extreme flexibility when planning events as they can convert for exhibits, meetings, and banquets easily.
  • 25,000 square feet for pre-function: A pre-function lobby are that spans 25,000 square feet can be found on each level of Moscone West. The first-floor lobby is perfect for registration.
  • Customizable second and third floors in Moscone West: Often referred to as “swing space,” these levels can be used for a variety of activities because they are highly customizable. Both levels can be split into 19 rooms by using the moveable walls. The third floor, however, also offers a column-free ballroom space or general session area. If used for booths, both floors can fit up to 500 booths.
  • On-site visitor center: Guests are able to take advantage of the on-site visitor center staffed by the San Francisco Travel Association. They will be able to provide you information about not only the Moscone Center but other activities and sights to see while in San Francisco.

 

Tips

  • You can purchase Wi-Fi or get it from a sponsor. Wi-Fi is available in Moscone North, South, and West and can be purchased for one hour or one full day. If you are at a sponsored event, the meeting planner or sponsor may have already purchased Wi-Fi. If this is the case, then attendees will have access to free Wi-Fi after obtaining login information.
  • There is no private parking on site. However, there is a good amount of public parking close to the Moscone Center. Some parking garages are the Moscone Center Garage, Sonoma Square Garage, Impark, and Jessie Square Garage.
  • Plan out your route in advance. The Moscone Center is one of the largest convention centers in the United States, spanning three buildings with multiple levels and an underground area. In order to make your visit run as smoothly as possible, it is highly advised you look up maps of the center and plan out your trip ahead of time. Also, take note of where there are spots along your walk to stop and get help from the friendly and informative staff, such as the on-site visitor center.
  • Bring a sweater to the Moscone Center. Some guests have mentioned fluctuating temperatures throughout the different rooms, exhibit halls, and banquet rooms in the Moscone Center. Therefore, it is advised to bring a light sweater you can take on and off to stay comfortable.
  • If you lose an item, check with the Moscone Center’s lost and found. Any item brought to the lost and found will be held there throughout the day of the event. They will keep any item for up to 60 days after the event.
  • When you leave the Moscone Center, put away or recycle your attendee badge and stay alert. Doing so will make it less obvious that you are a tourist to San Francisco and help you fit in with the locals. Pickpockets are less likely to target someone that they believe is local.
  • There is a homeless population in San Francisco and around the Moscone Center, but it is advised you do not financially assist individuals on the street. However, you can donate to organizations that help the homeless in the city. These organizations include Episcopal Community Services, Glide Memorial, Saint Anthony’s, Swords to Ploughshares, Larkin Street Youth Services, Hamilton Families, Project Homeless Connect, SF Marin Food Bank, Mercy Housing, and Tipping Point Community.

 

Trivia

  • The Moscone Center is making an active effort to go green. While expanding and renovating, a major goal for this convention center was to obtain as many LEED certifications as possible. New features for going green include the following: recovery of 15 million gallons of groundwater annually for reuse, largest solar panel array in the city, zero-emissions electricity, and use of natural daylight to offset electrical lighting.
  • The Moscone Center’s full name is the George R. Moscone Convention Center. George R. Moscone was the mayor of San Francisco. He actually opposed the building of this convention center when it was first proposed in the 1960s because he worried it would displace the poor and elderly. On November 27, 1978, Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated by Dan White.
  • Many aspects of the Moscone Center were built in specific ways to compromise with the community. Being in the heart of San Francisco, the Moscone Center is open to community feedback. The underground exhibition area was built to minimize space being used above ground. When planning for its expansion, it used community feedback to include outdoor terraces and a playground for children.
  • Over the years, the Moscone Center has won quite a few awards. The Moscone Center won the State of California’s Waste Reduction Awards Program, or “WRAP,” of the Year Award. The United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded the convention center the Leadership Award of Excellence. Additionally, after pushing for sustainability, USEPA also awarded the Moscone Center the Green Power Leadership Award.