Dreamforce conference in San Francisco returns to full pressure following pandemic – NBC Bay Space

Tuesday marked the first day of this year’s massive Dreamforce convention in San Francisco, and it’s the first time since the pandemic that the gathering does not have any restrictions on the number of attendees.

There are about 40,000 people at the event, making it the biggest convention the city has had in years. It’s also a test for a city struggling with heavy criticism over homelessness, open drug use and crime downtown.

The big conversations happening at Dreamforce this year surround artificial intelligence. But what’s also important for all of the attendees is how they perceive the city.

“One thing I was impressed with is how they definitely cleaned up prior to the conference,” Keegan Otter said. “It looks a lot cleaner than when I’ve come in the past.”

Outside the convention perimeter, the city seems to have made a concerted effort to make the area around the gathering as inviting as possible for attendees. The closest set of encampments appeared to be a couple blocks away.

Ahead of the convention, Salesforce CEO Marc Bennioff made comments hinting that he’d consider moving the event in the future if the city didn’t get a handle on its longtime street struggles.

During his keynote speech Tuesday, he only made a passing comment about safety in the city.

“We want to say aloha to all of you,” he said. “We want to welcome everyone to San Francisco, our home. And we hope that you have a great time here and a safe time.”