Dreamforce conference brings another boost to downtown San Francisco businesses

By CBS Bay Area

Dreamforce 2026 is once again bringing thousands of people to downtown San Francisco, providing a major boost for local businesses and giving city leaders another opportunity to showcase the city to visitors from around the world.

For businesses like The Grove restaurant and bar, located just a few blocks from Moscone Center, the impact can make the conference one of the most important weeks of the year.

David Cohen, head chef and business partner at The Grove, said the difference is visible just by looking outside the restaurant.

“Dreamforce is one of the biggest conferences of the year. It’s wonderful when a local business brings this many people. It’s a huge bonus. I mean just look at the foot traffic,” he noted.

Cohen has seen firsthand the difference Dreamforce can make when the conference is held in person. The event went virtual in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, eliminating the influx of visitors that businesses surrounding Moscone Center typically see during the conference.

For Cohen, the impact on the restaurant’s bottom line is significant.

“It’s a significant markup in business,” Cohen said. “Without the city bringing these world-class events downtown to Moscone. It’s truly a make-or-break for us.”

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said he has also heard positive feedback from people returning to the city for the conference.

“They’ve been coming every year and say this year they’ve noticed even more improvement,” Lurie said. “And they are excited to be back. And I think what’s important is we know we are safer and the streets are cleaner.”

According to Dreamforce, the event pumps about $130 million into San Francisco’s economy each year. Lurie said the financial impact is significant, but believes there are also benefits that are harder to calculate when thousands of visitors experience the city and eventually return home.

“We have a long way to go,” Lurie said. “But for us to show the world, which we’ve done at Super Bowl, World Cup, and now Dreamforce, people go back home and they tell people about our great city, and that means people will come back and visit, maybe on a vacation.”

For businesses, each visitor also represents a potential returning customer.

Cohen said anytime someone walks into The Grove for the first time, the goal is to give them a reason to return, whether later in the week or during another trip to San Francisco.

“The goal is always the same. Good hospitality. You want them leaving remembering the name,” shared Cohen.

Cohen has been in San Francisco for 15 years and said there are few weeks on the calendar as important to his business as Dreamforce.

When asked to compare the conference with other major events in the city, Cohen said Dreamforce is his most important week of the year, or close to it. His closest comparison was the surge in business surrounding this past year’s Super Bowl festivities.

For Cohen and other businesses around downtown San Francisco, the hope is that visitors coming to the city for Dreamforce leave remembering more than just the conference and find a reason to come back.