Welcome to BuildOUT California's Founders Day, at the iconic and historic Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco's Union Square! This is the world’s largest gathering of LGBT/Allied businesses, professionals, national/state/local government agency leaders and elected officials, industry experts and influencers, in the architecture, engineering, construction, material supplies and real estate development industries!
OUR THEME FOR THIS EVENT IS:
IMPACT
2024 Founders Day features:
-
Over 1,000 attendees!
-
Multiple Industry Panels
-
Dozens of Golden Pitches by LGBT Owned/Certified Firms
-
VIP Reception
-
Gala Dinner & Awards featuring internationally recognized speakers
-
An After-Party that will ‘out-do’ our 2023 and 2022 after-parties!
-
Discounted Room Rates at the St. Francis Hotel in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square!
FOUNDERS DAY SCHEDULE
11:00 am
12:00 pm
12:00 pm
12:00 pm
1:00 pm
1:00 pm
2:30 pm
2:30 pm
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
5:30 pm
8:16 pm
Registration and Exhibitor Connections Begin (Georgian Room)
Exhibitor Tables (Colonial Room)
Transformational Leadership in the Construction Industry (Borgia Room)
Headshots - by professional photographer, Royce Fonseca (Sussex Room)
The Golden Pitch Session 1 (Borgia Room)
ESG – Bringing Theory Into Practice for Supplier Diversity (Grand Ballroom)
The Golden Pitch Session 2 (Borgia Room)
Alternative Project Delivery Panel (Grand Ballroom)
Industry Roundtable with Students on Being Your Authentic Self in Workplace (Yorkshire Room)
VIP Reception (Italian Room) Honoring Ramon Hopkins, Chief of Construction Division, Caltrans
Gala Dinner & Awards Program (Grand Ballroom)
After Party (Colonial and Italian Room)
TICKETING IS NOW CLOSED FOR FOUNDERS DAY EVENTS.
STAY AT THE WESTIN ST. FRANCIS HOTEL
Stay with us at the Westin St. Francis Hotel as part of our BuildOUT California Founders Day Experience!
We invite you to stay with us at the iconic Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square. Please use the link below to take you to BuildOUT California’s On-Line Room Block Reservation Page which is administered by the Westin St. Francis.
Our ‘Group Rate’ of $189 (per night) is available on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, and Thursday, May 30, 2024.
This link will provide you with the option to reserve a room with:
2 Double Beds
1 King Bed
1 Queen Bed
Please note that a $25 destination fee will ‘show up’ on top of the special BuildOUT California Room Rate. This ‘additional charge’ will be waived by the Westin St. Francis and NOT charged to you.
If you have specific questions regarding booking your special BuildOUT California Room Rate, please contact: Jennifer Olarte at jenniferolarte@ghirardelliassoc.com.
OUR VENUE
The historic Westin St. Francis Hotel has hosted U.S. presidents, kings, queens, emperors, and others, who were both titled and notorious!
The construction of the St. Francis Hotel was initiated by the trustees of Charles Crocker's estate, a prominent figure among the influential railroad tycoons known as "The Big Four" who were instrumental in building the transcontinental railway's western segment. Designed by Bliss and Faville, the architectural style was influenced by the renowned Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. Opening its doors on March 21, 1904, the hotel quickly gained renown as one of San Francisco's most prestigious destinations, alongside the established Palace Hotel on Market Street.
In the 1920s, the St. Francis Hotel became the favored accommodation for notable personalities and Hollywood actors. Among its distinguished guests were iconic silent film stars like Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford, as well as other luminaries such as novelist Sinclair Lewis, circus impresarios the Ringling Brothers, and world champion swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, credited with popularizing surfing.
Adding to its allure, the hotel boasts a historic lobby master clock, a significant landmark as the first of its kind in the Western United States. Notably, the Bourbon Steakhouse by celebrity chef Michael Mina now occupies the space previously housing his eponymous restaurant, as well as the Compass Rose and the Patent Leather Bar, originally designed by Timothy L. Pflueger.
Preserving its rich history, the hotel showcases a curated collection of photographic prints by Ansel Adams, originally commissioned to promote the former Patent Leather Bar. Additionally, it upholds unique traditions such as employing an official hotel historian and offering the industry's sole remaining coin cleaning service for guests.
What ‘history’ will be made by BuildOUT California while at this amazing and structurally significant venue?