San Francisco gears up for Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco is set to become a global tech hub this week as it hosts Salesforce’s massive annual Dreamforce conference, drawing nearly 50,000 attendees from over 150 countries.

The event, held at the Moscone Center, is expected to generate over $130 million in revenue for the city, providing a significant boost to local businesses and creating thousands of jobs.

Businesses in the area, such as The Harlequin Restaurant and Bar, are preparing for the influx of visitors. Staff member Cindy emphasized the importance of hospitality, saying, “It’s guests coming in. And we want people outside the city to come back to San Francisco.”

Despite the economic benefits, concerns about public safety have been raised. Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff has called for increased security, suggesting the deployment of the National Guard. While the city currently has about 1,500 officers, Salesforce has hired hundreds of off-duty officers to patrol the area.

Conference-goers have mixed feelings about the city’s safety. One attendee remarked, “I think it’s nicer than I expected, to be honest. It certainly seems like it’s coming in a really good direction.” Another noted the presence of homeless people but felt “absolutely safe here.”

As Dreamforce kicks off, local businesses hope the event will mark a step toward revitalizing San Francisco’s economy and vibrancy.

Watch Michael Thomas’ full report in the video player above.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.