Since its inception in 2011, Microsoft Build has been the highlight of its annual developer conference. In 2017, Microsoft moved its conference from San Francisco to Seattle, where it was headquartered, allowing more engineers and executives to participate and create a deeper networking experience for attendees.
According to a report by foreign media Neowin today, Jonathan Choe disclosed on the social platform X that Microsoft has decided to move the Build conference out of Seattle. The news comes from an email sent to its members by Visit Seattle, a Seattle tourism promotion agency. Seattle’s hospitality industry is expected to lose about 9,314 rooms per year due to the convention move.
No longer “home games” in Seattle, the documents show that the Microsoft Build developer conference will be relocated
Visit Seattle also revealed in the email the reasons for Microsoft’s decision. Internally, Microsoft believes that Build’s influence has waned after the pandemic, and the timing has clashed with rival Google I/O, which has reduced the engagement of the developer community it would have been hoping to attract.
Microsoft executives believe that moving the convention out of Seattle would be a more effective option to revive the convention and attract more attendees. The email also mentions that Build could move to San Francisco or Las Vegas in 2026.
Urban environmental issues were also identified as another key consideration. IT House learned from the report that during last month’s meeting, Microsoft executives and guests walked back and forth between Hyatt Regency and the Arch building on Eighth Street, and many people reported that the neighborhoods along the way were dirty, there were people who were openly using drugs, and there were repeated tents of street sleepers in the Arch tunnel. According to Visit Seattle, these phenomena also influenced Microsoft’s decision.
Given Microsoft’s local prominence and the economic impact of the conference, the move could spark political pressure on the city of Seattle and invite criticism of the city’s poor management.
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