JPMorgan conference expected to generate $92 million for San Francisco economy
SAN FRANCISCO - The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicked off in San Francisco's Union Square on Monday.
The conference drew an estimated 8,000 attendees to the Westin St. Francis.
Mayor Daniel Lurie addressed attendees on the first day, saying they arrived as the city was on an upward trajectory.
"At this very moment, San Francisco is at an inflection point, and in this new era our potential has no ceiling," said Lurie. "I'm glad you bet on San Francisco and brought your conference here."
The conference has a significant impact, attracting other conventions to the city to coincide with J.P. Morgan's. Alex Bastian from the San Francisco Hotel Council said it has resulted in full hotel rooms around the city.
"We're talking about 20,000 people total probably in town around this time," Bastian said. "We have 8,000 here for J.P. Morgan. But we also have a lot of people who come here for those indirectly related conferences."
The conference in San Francisco follows the high-profile assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan last month.
SEE ALSO: FBI says tip from San Francisco police helped identify UnitedHealth CEO shooting suspect
With that in mind, there is heightened security in the Union Square area.
Dozens of police officers were on patrol and even posted in the lobby of the St. Francis.
San Francisco police confirmed that significant work went on behind the scenes with J.P. Morgan and hotels in the area to develop detailed security plans.
The increased police presence around Union Square is only a small part of a much larger security plan.
"This could not be done without the collaboration between the hotel industry and our law enforcement partners," said Bastian. "Especially San Francisco Police Department."
Some guests attending the conference said they've been to previous conventions in San Francisco and noticed the increase in security.
"Clearly there's been an effort to clean up the square, lots of police around which does bring some comfort," said Sahil Kirpekar from New York. "I did walk around last night, and as you go up the hill, it did feel a bit unsafe in places. But I appreciate the effort the city is putting in."
The Union Square Alliance said the conference is bringing visitors to hotels, restaurants, and businesses in the area.
The aim is to send those visitors home with a good impression of Union Square and San Francisco in general.
"Absolutely, 8,000 people concentrated right here at Union Square," said Marisa Rodriguez from the Union Square Alliance. "This is not the convention center; this is Union Square and all the things surrounding this district. Eight thousand people generating over $92 million in economic impact. That is huge."
The hope is that a successful conference will bring more conventions and conferences to the city. The conference runs through Thursday.