Planning Safe Meetings

San Diego is among the safest cities in the United States for conventions and the tourism industry at-large. Recent public safety investments at the municipal level strike the appropriate balance of implementing direct public safety measures with programs and services aimed at preventing crime from occurring. As with traveling in any city, visitors are encouraged to be alert and aware of surroundings, especially when outside late at night.

The San Diego Convention Center is equally committed to making public safety a top priority for our guests. Our experienced public safety staff work hard to keep convention attendees safe by monitoring and securing the building 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our professional staff are responsible for providing basic first aid, CPR/AED, fire extinguisher use, and bleeding control. Convention Center staff work closely with other local, state, and federal agencies to identify potential threats.

SDCC strives to be an active member of the Downtown San Diego community and works closely with those providing maintenance, safety, beautification, and unsheltered outreach services. Through the Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Clean & Safe program, our downtown area benefited from the removal of more than 100,000 bags of trash, more than 45,000 blocks of power washing, and more than 131,000 security checks by the neighborhood’s safety ambassadors last year. These safety ambassadors—on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week—help to conduct wellness checks for those who may be in danger or at risk, assist with directions and hospitality for visitors and community members, provide safe walk services to accompany people to their destination, and maintain a network of communication among private and public safety entities downtown.

San Diego has among the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates of convention destinations. Our team implements industry-leading approaches to cleaning and disinfection, and maintains regular communication with county and state authorities regarding COVID-19 and other public health matters.

Individual meeting planners determine and communicate event-specific protocols, such as mask policies.