CONNECT & SHARE 2024

We’re excited to see you in San Francisco March 25-28 for Connect & Share 2024, Block by Block’s bi-annual operational management meeting dedicated to fostering growth, development and collaboration within our organization’s operational landscape.

Reflecting on not only our growth of the past few years, but also on the opportunities that lie ahead, we proudly present this year’s theme:”Forward: It Starts With Us.” This theme emphasizes our collective responsibility to spearhead the next phase of our company’s evolution. As we embark on this transformative journey, we recognize that true progress and growth begins from within. By fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement, we aim to solidify our foundation, and propel our organization to new heights.

Why San Francisco?

The City of San Francisco couldn’t be a more fitting backdrop for our conference theme.

The city has long been associated with being on the front edge of change, whether it dates back to its role in welcoming millions of Asian immigrants, serving as the epicenter of the counter-culture movement in the 50s and 60s (which centered on North Beach and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods), being a leader in the gay rights movement of the last fifty years, or, most recently, serving as the hub of innovation that has changed how the world interacts with technology. Over the next few days during our conference, you’ll see firsthand that the city is still experiencing massive change as it helps the United States deal with challenges such as an exploding Opioid epidemic, an out-of-control cost of living, or the reimagining of retail, all of which you’ll see up close during our conference.

You’ll also find San Francisco is one of the few major cities in the United States that is a blend of unique neighborhoods, walkability, and good public transit. San Francisco is second only to New York City in population density, so you’ll find an unbelievable mix of residential, shopping, schools, and community.

Speakers

Chris Corgas

Deputy Director of Economic Development, City and County of SF

Jay Jones

CEO, Cuantico Coaching

Kate Robinson

Executive Director, Tenderloin Community Benefit District

Marisa Rodriguez

CEO, Union Square Alliance

Paul Frentsos

COO, San Francisco Travel

Steve Gibson

President, Urban Place Consulting

Event Details

Conference Details

Location & Logistics

Host Hotel – The Grand Hyatt Union Square will be our home away from home while we’re in San Francisco. You’ll find our meeting rooms on the lower level of the hotel.

Ground Transportation – There are a couple options available for you to get to the Host Hotel from the airport. You can take BART from the airport (get off at Powell Street followed by a 10-minute walk to the hotel) OR take a ride share. If taking a ride share, please put on your P-card. Also, please share rides if you see someone else from our group heading to the hotel.

Monday

Conference Kick Off - We’ll get things started with not only dinner, but a chance to experience some of San Francisco’s most famed attractions up close. Dinner will start at 6pm!

Tuesday & Wednesday Learning Sessions

Mornings - We’ll start each morning with sessions located in the hotel’s conference lower-level conference space.

Afternoons - Don’t’ worry, we didn’t bring everyone all the way to San Francisco to stay in the hotel. We’ll spend the afternoons out and about learning on the streets of San Francisco!

Thursday

Closing and Send Off - We’ll get the day started off right with a great breakfast before we give out regional and company-wide awards. We’ll also get a keynote from Jay Jones that will not only bring together his work with our larger group and our conference theme, but it will set the stage for our approach long after the meeting ends!

Must Know Info

Before you go

Pack Appropriately – San Francisco can be unpredictable with cool mornings and warmer afternoons. Rain is always a possibility. We will be outside, so make sure to pack things like pullovers, sweaters and definitely a rain jacket!

Dress for Success - Dress comfortably, but professionally. You will be walking, so make sure to bring appropriate footwear! There is no need for professional dress.

Hotel Bills – Our master bill covers your room cost, but you will need to supply a personal credit card upon check in for any incidentals.

Food and Beverage – All food and beverage during our programmed events will be covered by us (and we’ll eat well!). If you want anything beyond this, you’ll need to cover those expenses personally. The only exception to this is the following:

  • If you’re traveling more than two hours to the conference, you can put a meal up to $50 on your p-card for each way.
  • On Tuesday and Wednesday, you can grab breakfast on your own before conference sessions begin using your p-card for up to $30.

Start Times – We have a packed agenda! Please be prompt in getting to all sessions and please be seated or at your designated location by the posted start time.

Questions or Concerns – Find anyone with a green lanyard. They will be able to help you!

General Decorum – We want you to network and have fun. That said, this is mainly a conference for expanding your knowledge about managing in public spaces and advancing our business interests. Please be attentive!

Spending time in San Francisco before or after the conference? Check out SF Travel’s website for tons of things to see and do! https://www.sftravel.com/

Directory

Program

MONDAY, MARCH 25TH

Opening Dinner - 6pm

Boudin’s Bistro (160 Jefferson Street)

In your reception bag, you’ll find a roundtrip ticket for the world-famous San Francisco Cable Car. Get the full SF experience by taking the Cable Car to dinner! Get picked up at the Powell Street turnaround (about a 10-minute walk from hotel) and take it to Fisherman’s Wharf on either the Hyde Street line OR the Mason Street line. Once at the Wharf, it’s a beautiful 10-minute walk to Boudin’s Bistro. Consider heading over early to spend some time exploring the Wharf before dinner!

TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH

Breakfast on Your Own

Coffee and pastries will be served beginning at 7:15am. If you want a bigger breakfast, be sure to get that before you arrive. You are approved to put up to $30 on your p-card for breakfast per day.

Official Conference Kick Off - 8am

Grand Ballroom – Lower Level

Rotating Block by Block Sessions – Part I - 9am/10am/12:30pm

Fillmore Room, Sequoia Room and Cypress Room

Moving forward means adjusting how we do things, but we can’t expect you to do things without new tools! We have plenty to share with you!

Topics will include:

  • Operating Guidelines
    Speakers: Carin Cardone and Derreck Hughes
  • New Sharepoint Website and Microsoft Teams
    Speakers: Kori Parvin and Beverley Lawrence
  • Building Ideal Teams
    Speakers: Angela Grether and Jay Jones

You will move through these sessions with your DIVISION. We will provide instructions on where each division should start. Please move promptly between each session.

Defining the SF Challenges and Plotting Solutions - 11am

As you’ve heard and will see up close, the city is dealing with some incredible challenges of balancing an economy that’s been booming for more than 20 years while struggling to take care of the basic needs of its most vulnerable residents. We’ll have some thoughtful questions and answers in a panel discussion format with some key individuals who have been part of working through these challenges.

  • Moderator
    Chip - Division Vice President, Block by Block
  • Panelists:
    Steve Gibson - President, Urban Place Consulting
    Paul Frentsos - COO, San Francisco Travel
    Chris Corgas - Deputy Director of Economic Development, City and County of SF

Lunch & Learn - noon

Lunch will be served at the hotel beginning at noon. You will stay with your group and get lunch together in the designated area of the hotel. Please then head to the appropriate meeting room for Learning Session #3, which begins promptly at 12:30pm. You will enjoy your lunch during the session.

Afternoon Field Learning Rotation - 2pm – 5pm

We’re excited to get you into the field to learn more about San Francisco and how we’ve set ourselves up to operate in the city. Please refer to your group number on your conference badge to see where you start. You will visit all learning sites during the conference.

Market Street Track

   2:00pm 3:15pm 4:30pm
Not Your Ordinary Ambassador Program (Street Level of the Flood Bldg – 870 Market Street)   1 3 2
Moscone Info Center & Intro to BBB California (Moscone Center – Howard Street between 3rd & 4th Streets)   2 1 3
East Cut CBD and East Cut Crossings (Corner of Howard and Beale Street)   3 2 1


Tenderloin Track

   2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm
Dispatch & Stakeholder Relations (Flood Building 10th Floor – 870 Market Street)   4 6 5
Overview of the Tenderloin Neighborhood (Boeddeker Park – Corner of Eddy and Jones Street)   5 4 6
Homeless Support Services in San Francisco (Phoenix Hotel – 601 Eddy Street)   6 5 4


Regional Dinners - Time TBD

Each region will be dining together. Please refer to the instructions, locations and the start time of your region’s dinner from your RVP.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27TH

Breakfast on Your Own

Coffee and pastries will be served beginning at 7:15am. If you want a bigger breakfast, be sure to get that before you arrive. You are approved to put up to $30 on your p-card for breakfast per day.

Rotating Block by Block Sessions – Part II - 8:00am

Fillmore Room, Sequoia and Cypress Rooms

But wait! There’s more... More tools and new parts of our infrastructure.

Topics will include:

  • KPIs
    Speakers: Blair McBride, Derreck Hughes
  • Safety – Stop. Think. Act.
    Speakers: John Koch, Carin Cardone
  • SMART 2.0
    Speakers: Tina Durbin, Beverley Lawrence, Manny Singh

You will move through each session with your DIVISION. We will provide instructions on where each division should start. Please move promptly between each session.

A Tale of Two Neighborhoods - 11am

To demonstrate the stark differences in neighborhoods in San Francisco, we’ll hear from leaders of two CBDs regarding the unique challenges of their districts, which are contiguous but have vastly different challenges. Similar to yesterday’s session, we’ll have some thoughtful questions and answers in a panel discussion format.

  • Moderator
    Chip - Division Vice President, Block by Block
  • Panelists:
    Kate Robinson - Executive Director, Tenderloin Community Benefit District
    Marisa Rodriguez - CEO, Union Square Alliance

Lunch - 12:30pm

  • Groups 1 – 3: Chambers @ the Phoenix Hotel 601 Eddy Street (~20-minute walk from hotel)
  • Group 4: Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen 75 Yerba Buena Ln (~10-minute walk from hotel)
  • Groups 5 & 6: Pie Punk 145 2nd Street (~10-minite walk from hotel)

Afternoon Field Learning Rotation - 2pm – 5pm

We’re excited to get you into the field to learn more about San Francisco and how we’ve set ourselves up to operate in the city. Please refer to your group number on your conference badge to see where you start. You will visit all learning sites during the conference.

Market Street Track

   2:00pm 3:15pm 4:30pm
Not Your Ordinary Ambassador Program (Street Level of the Flood Bldg – 870 Market Street)   4 6 5
Moscone Info Center & Intro to BBB California (Moscone Center – Howard Street between 3rd & 4th Streets)   5 4 6
East Cut CBD and East Cut Crossings (Corner of Howard and Beale Street)   6 5 4


Tenderloin Track

   2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm
Dispatch & Stakeholder Relations (Flood Building 10th Floor – 870 Market Street)   1 3 2
Overview of the Tenderloin Neighborhood (Boeddeker Park – Corner of Eddy and Jones Street)   2 1 3
Homeless Support Services in San Francisco (Phoenix Hotel – 601 Eddy Street)   3 2 1


Happy Hour - 5:30pm – 6:30 pm

Grand Hyatt Lower Level

Before you depart for the evening on your own, join us on the Lower Level for Happy Hour.

Free Time & Dinner on Your Own!

As always, we would like to provide you with some time on your own to relax and enjoy our host city. The only thing we ask is that you get out of your hotel room and do some exploring!

You’re authorized to spend up to $100 on your p-card for your dinner and drink expenses.

Thursday, March 28th

Awards Breakfast and Closing - 8:15am – 10:15 am

Grand Ballroom

Breakfast - 7:00am

Buffet breakfast will be provided beginning at 7am.

Awards Presentation - 8:15am

It’s hard to believe we’re winding down two full days of learning! Before we head our separate ways, we’ll enjoy a hearty breakfast together and hold our Awards Ceremony to acknowledge some outstanding performers in each region.

Keynote Address - 9:15am

We’ll wrap up with a Keynote from our friend Jay Jones who will give us some things to consider as we move forward together following the meeting.

If you are directly departing the meeting to head to the airport, please bring your luggage to the lower-level meeting area, where we’ll have a luggage staging area.