Seasteading Conference Site Visit: This is Going to be an Epic Event!

Last Thursday I toured three of the venues we will be using for The Seasteading Conference in San Francisco, May 31-June 2, 2012. Senior Director Randolph Hencken and Operations Manager Eric Jacobus joined me for a visit to the main office of Commodore Cruises in Alameda, California. We met with representatives and discussed our catering options, and how we’re expecting to pamper attendees within the constraints of our budget. The highlight of our visit was getting to take a tour of each of the cruise ships in Commodore’s command. I’m happy to announce we decided to upgrade our chosen ship to another that features an additional outdoor patio that our previous ship did not. We know attendees of the cruise will appreciate this addition and the extra few moments of sunshine and fresh air we’ll get to enjoy throughout the evening. I was also delighted to find out that the sun will be setting around 8:30 that evening, giving us plenty of time to watch it disappear over the horizon before we head back to our dock at Pier 40 in San Francisco. The cruise will surely be a journey not to forget – the perfect way to close out the last day of the conference. After our visit to Commodore, I headed over to San Francisco to visit with Forbes Kiddoo over at Forbes Island, where our benefactor’s dinner will be taking place on Friday evening, June 1st. What a fantastic spot! I was carried over by a short ferry ride, past the famously rambunctious sea lions of Pier 39, to find myself on a small floating island, complete with palm trees and a lighthouse! The smell of freshly cooked fine food filled my nostrils as I walked downstairs to the main dining salon, complete with portholes and antiquated maritime iconography. Mr. Kiddoo graced me with stories of past gala events and fundraisers, encouraging my enthusiasm for our intimate event on the island following the first night of the conference I made this visit to verify my suspicions on our capacity for the event – it looks like we’ll have to maintain a small headcount for the dinner, so if you’re reading this and considering attending, I’d really recommend to reserve your space at the table in case we end up selling out! Following a short $12 cab ride, I found myself in the financial district at the luxurious Le Meriden hotel, being welcomed gracefully by the hotel staff. I visited our conference rooms and discussed our catering options with a food and beverage manager at the hotel, and walked away feeling satiated with the range of menu choices we’ll have available for attendees of the conference. All in all it was a fantastic day that left me optimistic about all we have in store for attendees of the conference – it’ll surely be a weekend to remember. Now back to work! Brian Wallace