Zoom meetings certainly have their place, but nothing beats the value of face-to-face interaction. Seeing a bunch of faceless squares on a screen just can’t compete with discussing the latest design or cyber security trends over a cocktail or a good meal.

After two long years, it’s finally happening—San Francisco’s biggest conferences are back in full force. We can all plan to gather together at conferences to exchange ideas, network, see everyone’s entire face, truly connect and have some fun.

San Francisco’s Must-Attend Conferences of 2022

From design to biotech, San Francisco hosts events across various professional disciplines and industries. They’re also not always your typical conference, with some hosting events including jam sessions, pub crawls, and morning runs. Here are just some of the must-attend conferences for 2022. 

In Design

SmashingConf SF 2022

SmashingConf is the ultimate event for web developers and design professionals. The conference will be held June 20-24th and includes morning runs, city tours, and jam sessions.  

This inclusive event will feature speakers including Cassie Evans, international Speaker, Web Developer, and Farai Madzima, UX Lead at Shopify’s Ottawa office. 

Of course, included in the ticket price is their famous Smashing Party. The conference after-party takes place at the Emporium Arcade Bar in San Francisco. Participants can play games, catch up with old friends, and meet new ones.  

Event organizers are committed to keeping everyone safe while having fun. SmashingConf requires all participants to be vaccinated (as an alternative, participants can participate virtually). If attendees become sick or get exposed to covid before the conference, they’ll receive a full refund.

In Cybersecurity

RSA Security Conference

The RSA Security Conference is one of the largest conferences in the Bay Area. The conference will run from June 6th-June 9th at the Moscone Center. 

This four-day event includes seminars, hands-on learning, and networking opportunities. Full Conference, Expo, and Expo Plus attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a pub crawl

The conference features many speakers, including Shailaja Shankar, Senior VP and General Manager of Cisco Security Business Group, and Keith Enright, Chief Privacy Officer at Google.

Don’t miss out on the action! Attendees must bring a vaccination card or a negative covid test to attend this event.

In Tech

TrailblazerDX

TrailblazerDX is right around the corner! Salesforce hosts some of the largest conferences in San Francisco, and anyone who’s ever attended one in the past knows these aren’t your typical button-up events. 

The conference will be held April 27-28th at Moscone West and is geared toward Salesforce partners, developers, administrators, and architects. It will include performances from Weezer and a fireside chat featuring Paralympian Mike Schultz and Olympic Speedskater Maame Biney. 

Athletes aside, some of this year’s many speakers include Slack’s Chief Product Officer Tamar Yehoshua, Salesforce Administrator Jen Cole, and Slack’s Director of Product Management Martie Burris. Topics covered include Salesforce Test Automation, API Development with MuleSoft, and AWS Integration. 

There are no covid vaccination or testing requirements to attend Salesforce’s TrailblazerDX event. Masks are optional but recommended for riding in the conference shuttles.  

In Health

The Neurological Disorders Summit

The annual Neurological Disorders Summit will be held July 18th-21st at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Neuroscientists and physicians will meet to share their experiences and research, participate in roundtable discussions, and network. 

The event will cover various topics, including Epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Advances in Stroke Management and Prevention. Featured speakers include J.Wesson Ashford of Stanford University and Keiko Unno of the University of Shizuoka Japan. Off the Grid will provide lunch, tea, and coffee during the conference (hey, that’s us!).

During the conference, the winners of the poster competition will be announced. The competition features students’ current work and research in the field, and winners are chosen based on visual appearance and the implications of their research.

In Biotech

Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology

If you’re passionate about Biocatalysis, Environmental Microbiology, or Metabolic Engineering, this SIMB 2022 conference is a must-attend event. 

This year’s annual meeting will take place August 7-10th at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. The first day kicks off with workshops on fermentation and experiment design.

The event also features this year’s keynote speaker, Jay Keasling, Philomathia Professor of Alternative Energy at the University of California and senior faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

2022 San Francisco Covid Protocols

Covid cases are going down in many areas across the country, but the virus is (unfortunately) still here.

Leonie Patrick, Vice President of Convention Sales, says, “There are actually no current COVID protocols that are mandated by the city. Some events are still requiring masks or testing, or even vaccination, since their planning began a long time ago when these were still mandated.”

We’re Finally Back to Normal (Almost)

With covid cases dropping across the country, we’re finally able to ditch the Zoom fatigue and enjoy meeting, networking, and learning together in person again. By planning accordingly and following individual conference guidelines, conference attendees can learn together and have fun. 

Are you looking for catering options for your next conference or event? Off the Grid provides flexible indoor and outdoor options that feature the Bay Area’s best food creators. Contact us to cater your next event!