MICE City: San Francisco’s top five meeting and event locations

Whether culture or commerce, San Francisco has got it going on. This applies doubly so to SF’s Financial District where hedge fund execs and shoppers deep in retail therapy mingle under the silhouette of the Transamerica building.

As you might expect for such a buzzing city, San Francisco is awash with some exceptional MICE facilities. To make things easier for event planners, the good people at the San Francisco Travel Association have put together their choice of San Francisco’s five leading MICE venues:

Bentley Reserve & Conference Centre

Formerly the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the Bently’s imposing, eight-columned-entrance is an immediate signal of its long-established elegance. Wood-panelled boardrooms class up any meeting and large windows keep things bright and cheerful, while smaller meeting rooms and a conference lounge fill in the gaps for groups large and small. The real newsmaker is the Banking Hall, an epic 8,000-square-foot ballroom that was voted the best in North America by BizBash in 2013.

Julia Morgan Ballroom

For more than 100 years, the 1400sqm of event space within the Julia Morgan Ballroom and its sister venues have offered modern amenities, acclaimed culinary direction and distinctive Beaux-Arts architecture. An unobstructed exhibit space as well as breakout and lounge areas provide flexibility for all types of events.

Practising Law Institute California Conference Centre

A polished and affordable choice for seminars, receptions and business meetings located on Market Street, the recently renovated LEED Gold-certified centre’s mix of meeting rooms facilitate networking and provide comfortable, tech-savvy amenities for speakers and attendees — including webcast/video conference capabilities for those who couldn’t make it in person.

City Club of San Francisco

The City Club’s Art Deco interiors present a modern and dramatic setting for everything from client receptions to fairy-tale weddings and holiday gatherings. One of San Francisco’s premier business and social clubs has a reputation for stellar service, linking event organisers with the city’s best vendors and ensuring it all comes together smoothly in its variety of spaces, from grand salons to a library, wine cellar and penthouse.

One Kearny

Comprising three buildings that date back to the 1900s, the One Kearny building is home to event venue, One Kearny Club. The 370sqm venue hosts events ranging from small meetings to all day corporate events and receptions with a maximum capacity of 300 guests. It includes an outdoor terrace that John King, urban design critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, described as “San Francisco’s most exhilarating new public space.”