More than 1,000 members of San Francisco's tourism industry are expected to attend.  Tourism is the City of San Francisco's largest revenue-generating industry.

The Annual Luncheon marks the change in elected leadership at the SFCVB.  Louis Meunier, executive vice president, external affairs at Macy's, will be chairman for the 2003/2004 fiscal year. Jon Handlery, senior vice president and general manager at Handlery Union Square, and Rick Swig, president RSBA & Associates, are the 2003-04 Bureau's vice chairs.  Susie McCormick, executive publisher 7x7 Magazine, will be Secretary/Treasurer.   The event will also recognize the positive influences of outgoing Board Chairman Hank Biddle, market vice president Marriott Lodging of Northern California, and other officers.

The Bureau's Silver Cable Car award honors an individual organization that has made significant contributions to San Francisco's visitor industry. This year's recipient is Robert Begley.  As the executive director of the Hotel Council of San Francisco, since the association was established in 1987, Begley has exemplified community involvement and leadership. His involvement in the development of the Moscone Center dates back to its inception in the 1970's.  A native San Franciscan, and graduate of the University of San Francisco, Begley is a past chairman of the California Hotel & Motel Association, the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Hotel Employers Association. 

Attendees at the Annual Luncheon Meeting will be among the first to see Moscone West's 300,000 square feet of new meeting and exhibit space.  The new building brings the Moscone Center's inventory of usable function space to 900,000 square feet.  At the heart of Moscone West's appeal is flexibility, with state-of-the-art airwalls on the second and third floors that can be positioned to create up to 19 meeting rooms on each floor - allowing meeting planners to create the right balance of exhibit space and meeting rooms. 

Designed as a free-standing component for use by mid-sized groups previously turned away for lack of available space and dates, Moscone West will also help the City retain some of the groups that have outgrown Moscone North and South.

The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit membership organization whose mission is to market The City as a leisure, convention and business travel destination.  With more than 2,000 member businesses, the Bureau is one of the City's largest business membership organization, promoting San Francisco's $6.5 billion tourism and convention industry.