After two decades in San Francisco, Oracle’s OpenWorld, which attracts over 60,000 customers and partners every year, is relocating to Las Vegas. Oracle’s decision will cost San Francisco an estimated $64 million a year in economic activity.
News reports cite the the city’s high hotel rates and poor street conditions around the Moscone Convention Center as reasons for the Oracle OpenWorld move.
Based in Redwood Shores, a short drive south from San Francisco, Oracle is one of the largest employers in Northern California. In a statement issued on December 10, Oracle said: “Oracle is excited to offer a modern, state-of-the-art experience for attendees at Oracle OpenWorld and Code One 2020 in Las Vegas. The city and its vast amenities are tailor-made for hosting large-scale events, and we look forward to bringing the industry’s most comprehensive technology and developer conference to America’s premier hospitality destination. Oracle continues to enjoy a strong relationship with the City of San Francisco and partners such as the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors. We look forward to working with our longstanding counterparts in San Francisco on future events.”
According to CNBC, the San Francisco Travel Association in an email to members said that Oracle has signed a three-year agreement to bring its flagship event to the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. The email cited the city’s high hotel rates and “poor street conditions” as reasons for the move. San Francisco has been dealing with a severe homeless problem for years.
In a press conference on December 16, San Francisco Mayor London Breed pledged to clean up the city’s streets and care for the homeless. “San Francisco is a world-class city. We attract people from all over the world. They come here because not only is it a beautiful city, but it’s an enjoyable experience,” Breed said. “Wherever you walk in San Francisco, it should be a good experience, and I am committed to working with all of the folks here to make sure that we make those experiences a lot better.”
San Francisco drew around 26 million visitors this year, creating an estimated $9 billion in economic activity for the city, the mayor noted. “We have conventions booked up in this city for years to come. So trust me, we have maybe lost one large convention but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone ready to take their place,” she said. “So let’s not be discouraged by someone choosing in this one particular instance to move their convention because we are going to make sure that we work with those others who are waiting in line to be a part of San Francisco.”
For more information on OpenWorld, click here.
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