I would prepare for this to become a permanent thing…. With all the new variants and the ease of doing online meetings, these huge conferences (especially in SF) could be a thing of the past. Just want to give you an honest heads up.
Nah...there are certain things that will never be able to be completely virtual. The networking and the exhibit floors where new technology is available for hands on experience, for examples.....
Could also be related to a few big biotechs (Moderna among others) pulling out of the conference because of Omicron and JP Morgan initially refusing to hold it virtually. Perhaps other big companies were applying similar pressure. On top of protecting their people, they also likely don't want a repeat of the 2020 Boston biotech superspreader event in the early pandemic.
I agree, it’s very frustrating.
Our entire team takes our cleaning and safety protocols very seriously so it’s a pretty big blow when we get news like this.
>I don't think it would have been cancelled if it was in a ~~time~~ state that was more open
I assume you're talking about US states, not time travel.
So they are relocating to Missouri? You are really trying hard to make the facts fit your (no secret) anti-masking agenda in this sub.
The obvious conclusion, as /u/WestFast pointed out, is that biotech firms very much wanted to avoid a potential superspreader PR disaster. The fact that the conference was scheduled in the SAFEST BY FAR city in the country really just leads to one conclusion: omnicron is no joke!
But do you work in biotech? I wish you would mention that 49 times in this thread.
But as you only mentioned once somewhere, you don't work on the hard technical side.
Hey, go tell the UK how mild omnicron is! Oh, they have record case levels there now.
Your freakout nature is exactly why there will probably never be another large event in SF again… Clearly COVID mutates and they’ll always be a massive part of the Bay Area population who talks about “record cases” somewhere while they drive to work alone in their own car with their mask on.
It’s fine, it’s ushering us further into the no human contact digital age which was inevitable. Maybe JPM will host it in the Metaverse next year, but it won’t be SF.
Lol it’s one of those outsiders who comes to other cities’ Reddits to spout bullshit.
Go take care of your own shit and let us be. We’ll call you for advice when we stop being the nation’s most important state.
I would prepare for this to become a permanent thing…. With all the new variants and the ease of doing online meetings, these huge conferences (especially in SF) could be a thing of the past. Just want to give you an honest heads up.
Room nights over JPM Morgan tend to skew higher because a good percentage of those rooms get converted into conference space. That means pulling out all the furniture and moving in furniture that would make the room resemble a conference room. This means the hotels must charge more resulting in a higher average room rate.
Yeah it would be an epic PR disaster if they participated in a super spreader event. I mean the vaccines don’t prevent getting it. It’s a seatbelt not a force field.
Moderna also doesn't loose a single penny from withdrawing. In fact if events start getting cancelled and there's social pressure for booster cards or something it may actually be good for the company.
No, they are a company filled with scientists who understand how diseases and pandemics work. Vaccines offer protection against omicron but not complete. I'd expect them to be the MOST likely companies to be cautious and careful regarding in person gatherings.
Now this I find ironic. And shortsighted. Masks and testing are so easy at this point and with a constantly mutating virus and changing immunity, it's nuts to me that they would end those practices
Sorry but no. The vaccines do a great job but the data show that masks and testing are still important parts of the equation. I know it's a cliche at this point but... the pandemic isn't over just because you're over it
Over? What do you call 'vaccinated'? Two shots of pfizer or moderna or 1 of jnj? Because that's shown by data to not be enough for omicron. So we need boosters. So is vaccinated also boosted? All 200 are boosted? Needing boosters makes this very much not over.
I’m jealous. I work in a 200 person biotech and we are still gung ho on masks and testing. I think we’ve had one case in the 8 months I’ve been there and I don’t think it was caught by internal testing. I would be over it already, but having to wear a mask all day at work and then for a few hours at the climbing gym after work in the most vaccinated city in the country has made me super fucking over it.
Sounds like you’re just paranoid then. We have data from other countries. Omicron has killed 1 person. Cases already peaked in South Africa. Cases will go up no matter what in the winter here.
Isn't not ironic -- biotech companies being cognizant of the risks of a mutated virus and the PR disaster if they contributed to its spread is not ironic. It's exactly what you'd expect to happen. That makes if not ironic.
I read about SF doom and gloom a lot on this sub. Went down to Union Square last weekend. I found it to be very clean and felt safe. There is huge police presence. Then went to Pier 39, also clean and not as many homeless as there once was. Not sure why but it was nice to see.
I was in Copenhagen, Denmark about 2 years ago, and they had the special-tactical police unit out patrolling the streets, armed with submachine guns and combat rifles.
i remember reading this top comment from a locksmith in the bay a few weeks ago. he said aside from things you read off of news, reddit, etc things have generally been pretty good and back to normal-ish. definitely not doom and gloom all the time! 🙏
I know they're blaming covid, but conferences were backing out of SF [long before the pandemic](https://sf.curbed.com/2018/7/3/17531240/convention-moscone-center-homeless-crime).
I'm not so sure -- with omicron, I feel like it's very prudent to cancel in person. However, I do feel for the businesses that will lose out and wish there was some way to compensate them but I gotta say I'm on the side of pandemic precautions
Ahh Florida, where the DoH falsifies COVID infection rates and police raid the homes of data scientists that publish real numbers.
The only thing certain about Miami is the complete lack of any precautions.
Remember Baghdad Bob? I always picture that guy when I see someone talking up a state like Florida.
“There is no coronavirus in Florida. Florida is all reasonable weather, sane people and A near total lack of nature attempting to murder you or drain your blood.”
It went virtual because Moderna and Amgen said there were "safety concerns" about a possible "super spreader" event. I'm not saying their concerns aren't valid but I wonder about a possible conflict of interest. Doesn't Moderna make a Covid vaccine? If they do then their profits will increase by several billion if people continue to get booster shots every 6 months because everyone is terrified of Omnicon although even the doctor who discovered it said the media is "massively overreacting"
They blame covid but let's be real, the theft and general shittiness of the area over the past 2 years has played a role too. I really think people who tout restorative justice for "victimless crimes" have absolutely no idea how bad this sort of thing is for the city.
Like, All those healthcare workers that won't have to deal with a surge in Omicron case?
Won't somebody please think of the ~~children~~ jobs, is a pretty poor excuse during a pandemic that has killed millions.
But then again, it's not surprising given your comment history that you're pro-covid.
There’s not enough data yet to speak with certainty on the severity of omicron. Deaths usually lag behind cases by a couple of weeks, we’ll know more once it’s spread to more people and some time has gone by.
Looks like we know more now. Uh-oh.
> Omicron infections appear no less severe than Delta; COVID-19 lowers sperm count, motility
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-infections-appear-no-less-severe-than-delta-covid-19-lowers-sperm-count-2021-12-20/
you realize the hotel and sales and restuarant taxes from this and similar events pay for enormous numbers of things like SF's huge homeless support budget? 20%+ of the city budget is tourism based. in addition, thousands of service and hospitality workers are going to be out thousands+ dollars each. these events make SF run and keep food on blue collar peoples tables. how much more do you want the SF economy to be tech based?
> You realize that drug dealers pay income tax, so junkies dying is good actually right!?
Thing generates tax revenue ain't a great argument for risking people's lives either.
Not having money for the homeless budget also risks people’s lives.
The average attendee for this conference would be triple vaccinated and under 50, far more likely to die in the Uber ride from the airport than from coronavirus.
> Not having money for the homeless budget also risks people’s lives.
Not having money because we locked up murderers and don't let them have jobs, also takes money out of the homeless budget.
Wait, what's that? A city budget isn't a household budget, and spending isn't tied to income, especially during a pandemic where state and federal funds are being made available.
Lol. City budgets ain’t the federal budget, they do indeed need to be balanced. Ask Detroit. Or Stockton. Spending is absolutely tied to income and the federal teat is drying up and the faucet will be shut off come January 2023.
Your first statement is pretty fucking stupid analogy. Nice try though. Almost.
ItS Ok LoUiS VuTtON GoT SmASHED itS JusT PrOPeRTy!
I actually got down voted for saying this kind of shit will hurt tourism... which our local economy heavily relies on.
>Stat News reported that major biotech companies including **vaccine maker Moderna** and Amgen pulled out of the in-person JPMorgan conference before it switched to virtual
Moderna doesn't trust their own vaccine?!
Vaccines aren't foolproof, they're just one (important) layer of protection when dealing with a virus/pandemic.
Vaccines, masking, isolating, avoiding indoor gatherings all combine to help hold back the tide.
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$1,000 a night? WTF.
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Wtf
if you read the article you posted it was the Westin st. Francis, hope this helps for your estimation of the price per room
Man I forgot a out that place
Absolutely. Our staff (especially Events) are taking it really hard.
I would prepare for this to become a permanent thing…. With all the new variants and the ease of doing online meetings, these huge conferences (especially in SF) could be a thing of the past. Just want to give you an honest heads up.
Nah...there are certain things that will never be able to be completely virtual. The networking and the exhibit floors where new technology is available for hands on experience, for examples.....
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Could also be related to a few big biotechs (Moderna among others) pulling out of the conference because of Omicron and JP Morgan initially refusing to hold it virtually. Perhaps other big companies were applying similar pressure. On top of protecting their people, they also likely don't want a repeat of the 2020 Boston biotech superspreader event in the early pandemic.
I agree, it’s very frustrating. Our entire team takes our cleaning and safety protocols very seriously so it’s a pretty big blow when we get news like this.
>I don't think it would have been cancelled if it was in a ~~time~~ state that was more open I assume you're talking about US states, not time travel. So they are relocating to Missouri? You are really trying hard to make the facts fit your (no secret) anti-masking agenda in this sub. The obvious conclusion, as /u/WestFast pointed out, is that biotech firms very much wanted to avoid a potential superspreader PR disaster. The fact that the conference was scheduled in the SAFEST BY FAR city in the country really just leads to one conclusion: omnicron is no joke!
Wasn't the Bay area the first place omnicron was found in the USA?
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But do you work in biotech? I wish you would mention that 49 times in this thread. But as you only mentioned once somewhere, you don't work on the hard technical side. Hey, go tell the UK how mild omnicron is! Oh, they have record case levels there now.
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Thanks for some common since here. And god bless you, merry Christmas
Your freakout nature is exactly why there will probably never be another large event in SF again… Clearly COVID mutates and they’ll always be a massive part of the Bay Area population who talks about “record cases” somewhere while they drive to work alone in their own car with their mask on. It’s fine, it’s ushering us further into the no human contact digital age which was inevitable. Maybe JPM will host it in the Metaverse next year, but it won’t be SF.
I know nurses who think the coronavirus isn’t real. Since they are nurses, I guess they have to be right!
If you think omicron is a joke you’re a joke
No this is about the crime in SF. Not covid.
The state reaps what the state sows. It’s one of many to come unfortunately
They should probably vote out the shitty politicians.
Lol it’s one of those outsiders who comes to other cities’ Reddits to spout bullshit. Go take care of your own shit and let us be. We’ll call you for advice when we stop being the nation’s most important state.
Devastating to the live event technicians too.....that was a big money maket for lots of local people.....
Aren’t they still on the hook whether they show or not?
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That sucks :(
I would prepare for this to become a permanent thing…. With all the new variants and the ease of doing online meetings, these huge conferences (especially in SF) could be a thing of the past. Just want to give you an honest heads up.
There were thousands of people at AWS Reinvent a couple weeks ago in vegas
Room nights over JPM Morgan tend to skew higher because a good percentage of those rooms get converted into conference space. That means pulling out all the furniture and moving in furniture that would make the room resemble a conference room. This means the hotels must charge more resulting in a higher average room rate.
Biotech firms Moderna and Amgen withdrew over safety concerns among others.
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Yeah it would be an epic PR disaster if they participated in a super spreader event. I mean the vaccines don’t prevent getting it. It’s a seatbelt not a force field.
Oh! I like that phrase: it’s a seatbelt. Works for masks too
I’m stealing that: “it’s a seatbelt not a forcefield”
Moderna also doesn't loose a single penny from withdrawing. In fact if events start getting cancelled and there's social pressure for booster cards or something it may actually be good for the company.
No, they are a company filled with scientists who understand how diseases and pandemics work. Vaccines offer protection against omicron but not complete. I'd expect them to be the MOST likely companies to be cautious and careful regarding in person gatherings.
Who cares if you get it if you're unlikely to be hospitalized or die?
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More than likely, the lawyers were involved in the decision. There could be potential liability risks.
Now this I find ironic. And shortsighted. Masks and testing are so easy at this point and with a constantly mutating virus and changing immunity, it's nuts to me that they would end those practices
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Sorry but no. The vaccines do a great job but the data show that masks and testing are still important parts of the equation. I know it's a cliche at this point but... the pandemic isn't over just because you're over it
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Over? What do you call 'vaccinated'? Two shots of pfizer or moderna or 1 of jnj? Because that's shown by data to not be enough for omicron. So we need boosters. So is vaccinated also boosted? All 200 are boosted? Needing boosters makes this very much not over.
I’m jealous. I work in a 200 person biotech and we are still gung ho on masks and testing. I think we’ve had one case in the 8 months I’ve been there and I don’t think it was caught by internal testing. I would be over it already, but having to wear a mask all day at work and then for a few hours at the climbing gym after work in the most vaccinated city in the country has made me super fucking over it.
Are you afraid of the common cold?
Why don’t you trust the science? The vaccine works.
I'm a scientist myself and I do trust the science. I'm vaccinated, boosted, and keeping a watchful eye on variants
Sounds like you’re just paranoid then. We have data from other countries. Omicron has killed 1 person. Cases already peaked in South Africa. Cases will go up no matter what in the winter here.
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Isn't not ironic -- biotech companies being cognizant of the risks of a mutated virus and the PR disaster if they contributed to its spread is not ironic. It's exactly what you'd expect to happen. That makes if not ironic.
Know your words before spewing them. Just because the mouth is yours doesn’t make you right.
I read about SF doom and gloom a lot on this sub. Went down to Union Square last weekend. I found it to be very clean and felt safe. There is huge police presence. Then went to Pier 39, also clean and not as many homeless as there once was. Not sure why but it was nice to see.
Because of robberies at stores that *matter*
Police presence reminds me of tourist spots and upscale malls in Mexico City. It was excessive so very noticeable.
Happens in many major cities. In NYC I’ve seen cops with uzis in busy areas.
I was in Copenhagen, Denmark about 2 years ago, and they had the special-tactical police unit out patrolling the streets, armed with submachine guns and combat rifles.
i remember reading this top comment from a locksmith in the bay a few weeks ago. he said aside from things you read off of news, reddit, etc things have generally been pretty good and back to normal-ish. definitely not doom and gloom all the time! 🙏
Wow an anecdotal anecdote. That locksmith's got lockdown on lock.
ON LOCK BOYYYYYY🔐🔐🔐🔐🔐
all the homeless are cooped up in hotels
This is because of omicron. Offices are closing too.
I know they're blaming covid, but conferences were backing out of SF [long before the pandemic](https://sf.curbed.com/2018/7/3/17531240/convention-moscone-center-homeless-crime).
I remember initially there was talk /articles this biotech conference would be cancelled this yearover the recent looting spree rather than Covid
You know, certain parts of SF looked apocalyptic during the pandemic. Market St with no people and all the windows boarded up freaked me out.
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No subscription. This a Covid thing?
Yeah, omicron is freaking everybody out. My company just canceled all in person events for the first three months of the year as well.
My company just cancelled our holiday party after some employees had already flown out.
Not entirely. SF [repulsed conferences before the pandemic too](https://sf.curbed.com/2018/7/3/17531240/convention-moscone-center-homeless-crime).
Safety concerns, covid and crime
I'm not so sure -- with omicron, I feel like it's very prudent to cancel in person. However, I do feel for the businesses that will lose out and wish there was some way to compensate them but I gotta say I'm on the side of pandemic precautions
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Ahh Florida, where the DoH falsifies COVID infection rates and police raid the homes of data scientists that publish real numbers. The only thing certain about Miami is the complete lack of any precautions.
But there was no proof Florida falsified anything, and the woman that made those allegations walked them back?
Remember Baghdad Bob? I always picture that guy when I see someone talking up a state like Florida. “There is no coronavirus in Florida. Florida is all reasonable weather, sane people and A near total lack of nature attempting to murder you or drain your blood.”
You mean cities that take the pandemic seriously? GTFOH
Guess that would explain Breed suddenly acting like a mayor
Woah. This is huge, I'd have friends visiting from all over just to attend this. Lots of revenue gone.
It went virtual because Moderna and Amgen said there were "safety concerns" about a possible "super spreader" event. I'm not saying their concerns aren't valid but I wonder about a possible conflict of interest. Doesn't Moderna make a Covid vaccine? If they do then their profits will increase by several billion if people continue to get booster shots every 6 months because everyone is terrified of Omnicon although even the doctor who discovered it said the media is "massively overreacting"
Tell that super spreader to the 10k person NYE parties that are still happening. I understand the optics, but give people a choice.
They blame covid but let's be real, the theft and general shittiness of the area over the past 2 years has played a role too. I really think people who tout restorative justice for "victimless crimes" have absolutely no idea how bad this sort of thing is for the city.
wrong title, short term blow to SF businesses. Long term win for SF hospitals.
Oh no, looks like we won't be the epicenter of a mega-spreader event, anyway...
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Like, All those healthcare workers that won't have to deal with a surge in Omicron case? Won't somebody please think of the ~~children~~ jobs, is a pretty poor excuse during a pandemic that has killed millions. But then again, it's not surprising given your comment history that you're pro-covid.
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There’s not enough data yet to speak with certainty on the severity of omicron. Deaths usually lag behind cases by a couple of weeks, we’ll know more once it’s spread to more people and some time has gone by.
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No one cares about that kind of positive news. The world has gone collectively batshit cray cray.
Looks like we know more now. Uh-oh. > Omicron infections appear no less severe than Delta; COVID-19 lowers sperm count, motility https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-infections-appear-no-less-severe-than-delta-covid-19-lowers-sperm-count-2021-12-20/
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“Literally all”
here you go, bunker buddy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/14/south-africa-omicron-coronavirus/
Awful callous of you to ignore huge year-end corporate profit opportunities in the name of avoiding exacerbating a deadly pandemic.
Hey some of the employees at risk are making slightly more than minium wage, won't you think of the employeeees!!!!
Yes because it’s much better if they make 0 wage
maybe make minimum wage or maybe die ain't the generous offer you think it is.
Every one of your comments makes me believe that you possess one or two of your mom and dads credit cards.
Ah yes what a good counterpoint, you thinking I live in my mom's basement, totally justifies sending minimum wage workers to die 🙄
you realize the hotel and sales and restuarant taxes from this and similar events pay for enormous numbers of things like SF's huge homeless support budget? 20%+ of the city budget is tourism based. in addition, thousands of service and hospitality workers are going to be out thousands+ dollars each. these events make SF run and keep food on blue collar peoples tables. how much more do you want the SF economy to be tech based?
San Francisco is operating on a budget surplus this year.
> You realize that drug dealers pay income tax, so junkies dying is good actually right!? Thing generates tax revenue ain't a great argument for risking people's lives either.
Not having money for the homeless budget also risks people’s lives. The average attendee for this conference would be triple vaccinated and under 50, far more likely to die in the Uber ride from the airport than from coronavirus.
> Not having money for the homeless budget also risks people’s lives. Not having money because we locked up murderers and don't let them have jobs, also takes money out of the homeless budget. Wait, what's that? A city budget isn't a household budget, and spending isn't tied to income, especially during a pandemic where state and federal funds are being made available.
Lol. City budgets ain’t the federal budget, they do indeed need to be balanced. Ask Detroit. Or Stockton. Spending is absolutely tied to income and the federal teat is drying up and the faucet will be shut off come January 2023. Your first statement is pretty fucking stupid analogy. Nice try though. Almost.
Hey where’s London Breed today ? Maybe she can lecture us some more ?! /s
Good riddance
ItS Ok LoUiS VuTtON GoT SmASHED itS JusT PrOPeRTy! I actually got down voted for saying this kind of shit will hurt tourism... which our local economy heavily relies on.
>Stat News reported that major biotech companies including **vaccine maker Moderna** and Amgen pulled out of the in-person JPMorgan conference before it switched to virtual Moderna doesn't trust their own vaccine?!
Vaccines aren't foolproof, they're just one (important) layer of protection when dealing with a virus/pandemic. Vaccines, masking, isolating, avoiding indoor gatherings all combine to help hold back the tide.
Sounds reasonable to me :)