Are you heading to San Francisco for the Microsoft Ignite conference being held at the Moscone Center, November 18-21? You probably already have your hotel room – and you might even have (most of) your session agenda and your days planned. If not, here are ten (10) things we recommend doing while you are in the area (and maybe a teeny bit outside of it) that may be a little off the beaten path:
- You’re a tech person, right? A little outside of the city, in Mountain View, visit the Computer History Museum, for a deep dive into the history of technology. This renowned museum is a must-see for IT professionals, offering a comprehensive look at the evolution of computing. (Closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday-Friday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Admission: $21.50). Or, if you want to stay in town, try the Exploratorium After Dark. The daytime Exploratorium is a popular science museum, but on Thursday evenings this place is reserved for adults (18+). The After Dark series offers a more grown-up, experimental experience with cocktails and music. The exhibits cover a huge range of scientific principles, from physics to engineering, in an interactive and hands-on way.
- Don’t miss the conference’s Opening Keynote (11/18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am PST) featuring four of Microsoft’s leaders, Judson Althoff, CEO Microsoft commercial business, and senior Microsoft engineering leaders – Scott Guthrie, EVP, Cloud+AI; Jay Parikh, EVP, CoreAI; and Ryan Roslanksy, CEO, LinkedIn as they unveil the latest innovations driving the next wave of AI transformation—empowering every human and every organization across every industry to redefine what it means to become frontier.
- Head out to the Dogpatch Neighborhood. A quick ride (12–15 min on T-Third Muni from Yerba Buena/Moscone) southeast of the Moscone Center, this former industrial area is now a creative hub. You can find unique art galleries, local breweries, and some of the best barbecue in the city. It has a completely different feel from the rest of the city. Must-sees are:
- Minnesota Street Project — Tue–Sat 11:00 am–6:00 pm (building open; member galleries’ hours vary). Free entry to common areas. Booking: none for public spaces; some galleries by appointment. minnesotastreetproject.com
- Museum of Craft & Design (MCD) — generally Wed–Sun; Thu–Fri often 12:00 pm–5:00 pm; check exhibit calendar. Booking: tickets at door/online; monthly free days exist. Travel: 12–15 min T-Third to 23rd St + 5 min walk. Funcheap+1
- SF Center for the Book (SFCB) — Wed–Sun 10:00 am–5:00 pm; see presses and artists’ books; occasional pop-ups. Booking: none to browse; classes require registration. Travel: ~15 min Muni (T or 30 + short walk). San Francisco Center for the Book
- Crane Cove Park (waterfront) — scenic piers & cranes, great views. Booking: none. Travel: add 10 min walk from Dogpatch.
- Be sure to visit the CrashPlan Booth #5652L to see live demonstrations and learn more about our latest integrations with Microsoft technologies. Play the Vault game or earn a CrashPlan llama! And be sure to attend the joint speaking session on Wednesday (11/19), 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm, Optimize Backup Costs with Azure & Zero-cost OneDrive Storage, where CrashPlan’s Randy De Meno and Microsoft’s Vamshidhar Kommineni will demonstrate how organizations can reduce storage costs, accelerate recovery, and simplify data resilience across Microsoft 365 environments.
- You gotta eat, right? Here are a few spots not far from Moscone that are worth trying (and may not be as crowded):
- Garaje – A lively, casual spot at 475 3rd St, with a garage-themed decor and a Mexican-American menu featuring burgers and tacos in a unique, informal atmosphere. It can be busy. Note: Some recent reviews indicate it may only accept cash.
- The House of Shields – A beautifully restored, historic bar with an old-school vibe that’s an after-work standard. It is located in the Financial District and offers handcrafted cocktails and an authentic atmosphere. It is open in the evenings from 2:00 p.m.
- Joyride Pizza – Yerba Buena Gardens – Tucked away with a view of Yerba Buena Gardens, this spot at 730 Howard St offers small bites, brunch, and Detroit-style pizza in a serene lounge setting. It’s a great option for a quieter meal with a view of the gardens.
- Speaking of pizza, consider attending the Ignite lab session, Build a Pizza Ordering Agent with Azure AI Foundry and MCP, from 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm on Wednesday, November 19. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn to build domain-specific AI agents with Azure AI Foundry Agent Service. Starting from a simple agent, you’ll add system prompts, custom instructions, and knowledge with RAG. You’ll extend it with tool calling (like a pizza calculator) and connect external services via MCP for live menu and order handling. By the end, you’ll have a working Contoso PizzaBot that can answer questions, recommend pizzas, and manage orders. Please RSVP and arrive at least 5 minutes before the start time.
- Quick outside breathers in between sessions:
- Salesforce Park & Yerba Buena (5–10 min walk)
- Salesforce Park (roof garden, free) — open daily ~6am – 9pm; gondola at Mission & Fremont. (8-10 min walk).
- MLK Memorial @ Yerba Buena Gardens (free) — outdoor waterfall monument; open daily. (8-10 min walk)
- South Park (Victorian oval park) — quiet, historic loop just south of Moscone. (12-15 min walk).
A note about San Francisco weather: November is typically mild and pleasant, but pack layers as temperatures can change quickly. It’s also a good idea to have a rain jacket, as showers are possible.
- Don’t miss Tuesday’s 9:00 am – 9:45 am Breakout session, Accelerate Impact in Every Industry with Agentic AI and Shared Learnings, featuring Kathleen Mitford, Corporate Vice President of Industry Marketing at Microsoft. She will lead a conversation with industry leaders, including Mark Austin, Vice President at AT&T; Oliver Ganschar, Head of Digital Product Management and Innovation at The KraftHeinz Company; and Nallan Sriraman (Sri), Chief Technology Officer at Mass General Brigham, who are transforming their organizations with agentic AI. Hear how they started, what’s driving results, and how ideas and learnings from one industry can inspire another—helping you move from experimentation to impact and become Frontier with AI.
- Head to Sutro Baths and Lands End. Explore the ruins of the Sutro Baths, a massive 19th-century public bathhouse overlooking the Pacific. From here, you can hike the Lands End trail for stunning, windswept views of the Golden Gate Bridge from a perspective few tourists see.
- On Wednesday, November 19, 9:00 am – 9:45 am, don’t miss the session, Premier League’s data-driven fan engagement at scale. What soccer (football) fan would not want to learn how the Premier League transformed decades of match data, editorial content, and video into a real-time, intelligent, personalized fan experience? Data strategy, AI orchestration, and scalable architecture elevated engagement across global audiences of the world’s most-watched league. Learn actionable lessons from Microsoft and Premier League leaders to apply in your own organization.
Here’s hoping Ignite offers you a great opportunity to learn, with many lead scans and numerous networking opportunities. Want to learn more about CrashPlan and Microsoft’s partnership? Visit https://www.crashplan.com/products/saas/m365/.
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