Vision
To ensure that San Francisco is the most compelling destination in the world.
Mission
To enhance the local  economy by marketing San Francisco and the Bay Area as the premier destination for conventions, meetings, events and leisure travel.
Values
The SFCVB's organizational values are:

Strive

  • We will strive to perform at our highest levels at all times with a commitment to giving our personal best at all times. We will uphold our goals and values and conduct all business with honesty and integrity.

Foster

  • We will foster a work environment that values and encourages communication and openness, diversity, individual contribution and positive attitudes.

Create

  • We will be a fertile environment for creativity, innovation and teamwork. We will keep the SFCVB at the forefront of the industry, as befits one of the world's most creative cities.

Value

  • We will value our members, stakeholders, clients and most of all, each other, by being respectful, appreciative and willing to learn.

Be Accountable

  • We will be accountable to our goals, each other and fiscally accountable to our stakeholders.
Bureau History
For nearly 100 years the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau has worked on behalf of its members to promote San Francisco as the destination of choice for conventions and leisure travel. The Bureau is an outgrowth of the San Francisco Convention and Tourist League, a non-profit, local business association founded in 1909 to reclaim the City's position as a world-class destination in the wake of the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire.

The Bureau continues that mission today, aggressively marketing and selling San Francisco to attract visitors. The Bureau is a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)6 membership organization, headed by a Board of Directors made up of 45  business leaders from various companies, elected by the membership. Additionally, in 2003, the Bureau established a 501(c)3 foundation to raise scholarship funds for students enrolled in local hospitality management programs and to produce educational programs.

In 2006, San Francisco hosted 15.8 million visitors who spent $7.8 billion during their stay - that's more than $21 million a day. That makes tourism one of our most important industries. Here's why:

  • Visitor dollars spent here generated over $473 million in taxes and fees that support The City's general budget, health and safety, arts and cultural organizations, recreational facilities and low-income
    housing.
  • Visitor dollars supported about 68,650 jobs in the hospitality and tourism industries. That's about $1.8 billion in local payroll (excluding tips).
Largest Bureau Worldwide
Some 1,800 Bay Area businesses are Bureau members making our membership base one of the largest of any convention and visitors bureau worldwide. Members also make the Bureau one of the largest and strongest business associations in San Francisco. Member companies partner with the Bureau in selling San Francisco as a destination for domestic and international association and corporate meetings planners and group and individual travelers - efforts that help make San Francisco a vibrant place to do business.
Bureau Membership
Nearly every San Francisco business, large and small, benefits from the traffic and spending of tourists and convention-goers. Hotels, restaurants, retail shops, tour and transportation companies, attractions, and other companies that have a large stake in the visitor market leverage the strength of their Bureau membership to reach these customers.

Members are provided exclusive programs and services for maximizing their marketing, networking, relationship and educational development enabling them to capture a larger share of the visitor market.
Joe D'Alessandro
President & CEO
415-227-2698
Dan Goldes
Executive VP, Strategy & Development
415-227-2655
Leonard Hoops
Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing
415-227-2614
Laurie Armstrong
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
415-227-2615
Deborah Reinow
Vice President, Tourism
415-227-2628
Tina Wu
Chief Financial Officer
415-227-2609
Click on the images above to download a high resolution version.
Bureau Funding
Our work to attract conventions and visitors is made possible through both public and private sector support. About 38 percent of our $14 million 2007-2008 operating budget comes from the private sector in the form of membership dues, advertising, e-commerce and program revenues. 56 percent of the budget comes from a small portion of the revenue generated by the tax on San Francisco hotel rooms through a contract with the City to promote San Francisco as a destination and to book conventions and trade shows in the City's convention facilities. The balance comes through contracts with Grants for the Arts and the San Francisco International Airport.
Bureau's Efforts Impact Entire Bay Area
The impact of visitors to San Francisco reaches far beyond the City itself. While the majority of Bureau-member businesses operate within the boundaries of the City, a third are located outside of San Francisco. These businesses recognize that attracting visitors to the City also generates tourism expenditures in their communities. Here are some visitor statistics that demonstrate the broad impact of the City's visitor industry:
  • More than 4.5 million overnight visitors stayed in commercial accommodations in 2006. Add in "day trippers" and those who stayed with friends or relatives, or in surrounding communities, and the total jumps to 15.8 million visitors a year.
  • 26 percent of visitors to San Francisco live within a day's drive of the City. That's 4.1 million leisure visitors from our own region.
  • Thousands of visitors to the City take day trips beyond city limits or extend their visit throughout Northern California by taking side trips to other area locales and attractions.
    • 14 percent visit Sausalito.
    • 23 percent visit the wine country.
    • 9.5 percent visit the Monterey peninsula.
General Department Emails
For members only, if you have a question and would like to contact our membership services department, please visit our membership directory listings.
Bureau Locations
Business Office
201 Third Street, Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103-3185
Voice: 415-974-6900
Fax: 415-227-2602
Ask about membership!
Visitor Information Services
900 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-2804
Voice: 415-391-2000
Fax: 415-362-7323
Visitor Info: Order Visitor Info
Convention Sales Office - Washington, D.C.
1730 M Street, NW, Ste. 607
Washington, D.C. 20036-4505
Voice: 202-466-4400
Fax: 202-452-8948

900 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Our Partners