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SAN FRANCISCO AUTO SHOW TO PROVIDE BAY AREA RESIDENTS FIRST LOOK AT NEW AND IMPROVED MOSCONE CENTER

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – November 7, 2017 — Moscone Convention Center has risen to new heights this year.

The expanded South Hall, now 108 feet tall and 255 feet long, was officially opened when Mayor Ed Lee, Supervisor Jane Kim and Board of Supervisors President London Breed cut the ribbon on Sept. 11, 2017, but the first opportunity for the general public to get inside the addition is the San Francisco International Auto Show, which opens Nov. 18.

“The San Francisco Auto Show will be the first opportunity to take a peek inside the expanding Moscone Center,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and chief executive officer of San Francisco Travel. “Although the entire building won’t open until January of 2019, this year’s auto show will give the public the chance to see what the beautiful new building will look like.”

The partnerships with the city and convention center began with the 1982 auto show, which introduced the general public to the new South Hall and was cemented when the public was introduced to the North Hall at the 1992 show.

“The auto show is the only event at Moscone Center that invites the entire Bay Area to enjoy the complex,” said Building Manager Bob Sauter. “And it is a great show.”

More than 200,000 square feet have been added to the South Hall with the completion of Phase Two of the expansion project.

Access between the North and South Halls are underground. The North Hall is the only entrance to the auto show.

Test Drives, one of the most popular features of the auto show, will be located on Howard St., at the front of both halls.

Major manufacturers 2018 models will be displayed in the South Hall, sharing space with classic cars from the San Francisco Academy of Arts University collection and an exhibit by Pacific Gas and Electric. Ferrari and Aston Martin clubs will also be located in the South Hall.

The North Hall will feature manufacturer displays as well as exhibits by: the San Francisco Chronicle and Golden1 Credit Union.
A new entrance to the Esplanade Ballroom above and behind the South Hall is part of the recently competed expansion.

Modified vehicles have been exhibited in the San Francisco Auto Salon located in the Esplanade Ballroom, under the guidance of John Liwanag, since the exhibit outgrew the After-Market Alley.

“Our plan was to give a younger demographic something special they would relate to, different from the manufacturers’ production vehicles or the Academy of Art exhibit of beautiful classic cars,” said Scott Diamond, assistant show manager.

The center was named for late Mayor George Moscone, who successfully shepherded the project through a successful vote of the people. The center is owned by the City and County of San Francisco—the taxpayers.

From its modest beginning, the center has stood the test of time, with still more to come. The final phase of construction is expected to be finished in December 2018.

“We have held our show at the Moscone Center since it was just a hole in the ground,” said Kevin Diamond, auto show director. “It just gets better and better.”

The San Francisco Chronicle 60th Annual International Auto Show opens Saturday, Nov. 18 and runs through the Thanksgiving weekend concluding on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017 at Moscone Convention Center.
The show is presented by Golden1 Credit Union and supported by the California New Car Dealers Association. It will feature the 2018 model cars, trucks, SUV’s and crossover vehicles representing the work of 37 global manufacturers. The San Francisco Auto Show is the Bay Area’s largest and most prestigious auto exposition and is the only auto show held regionally that lures the dazzling high-tech manufacturer displays.

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