The Biggest Annoyances Of Oracle OpenWorld 2007
The sprawling event, which encompassed all of the Moscone Center's facilities as well as the conference facilities of five nearby hotels, seems to get bigger and more intense every year, along with the frayed tempers of local residents resulting from traffic-choked streets and crowded sidewalks.
But this year, the frustration wasn't confined to the downtown area, and there was abundant anecdotal evidence the OpenWorld event is getting too big for San Francisco to handle, despite the estimated $80 million it brings to the city and local businesses.
Following are four of the biggest hassles associated with the Oracle OpenWorld 2007 event:
1. Traffic Jams -- For the second straight year, the city shut down Howard Street between Third and Fourth Streets to accommodate the event. This led to unusually heavy traffic jams, and pedestrians walking through the area were treated to a cacophony of blaring horns and a steady stream of shouted expletives. In fact, several city residents reported seeing blushing sailors passing through the area while on shore leave.
2. No Room At The Inn -- The influx of OpenWorld conference attendees made it impossible to find a hotel room anywhere in San Francisco's downtown area. Ditto for area restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc.
3. Overflowing Facilities -- Wednesday afternoon, during keynote addresses from Michael Dell and Larry Ellison, San Francisco fire officials restricted access to Moscone Center North, reportedly because the conference hall was over capacity. San Francisco Fire Department officials couldn't be reached for comment.
In the main conference hall prior to the keynotes, giant video screens invited attendees to send their suggestions for improving the event via text message. Their suggestions were then posted on the video screens for all to see.
One attendee's suggestion spoke volumes: "Vegas, Baby!"
4. The Noisy Concert From Hell -- Oracle Wednesday night held its OpenWorld Appreciation Event at the Cow Palace in the southern part of San Francisco, which included a mega-concert with performances by Billy Joel, Lenny Kravitz, and Stevie Nicks/Mick Fleetwood.
According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, hundreds of residents -- some of whom reside up to three miles from the Cow Palace -- called police to complain about the excessive noise generated by the concert, but were informed that there was nothing they could do, since Oracle had obtained a permit to allow the event to run until 1 a.m.