“We have a lot to look forward to”: Mayor Lurie welcomes J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference back for 2026

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today welcomed plans for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to return to San Francisco in 2026. The conference’s 2025 edition was a success, with tens of thousands of visitors coming to San Francisco and nearly $100 million in economic impact for the city — all supported by effective security coordination to ensure public safety.

“What the world and the country needs to know is … San Francisco is open for business,” Mayor Lurie told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It's really important that people hear that message… We have a lot to look forward to, and I want to make sure that San Francisco is thriving and vibrant again.”

Below is a statement from Mayor Lurie:

“We are thrilled that the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is coming back next year. While we still have work to do, this is a huge vote of confidence in our city and everything we're doing to make San Francisco a safe and welcoming place for residents, businesses, and visitors.”

SF Chronicle: How Mayor Daniel Lurie plans to revive downtown S.F. amid retail exodus

[J.D. Morris, 1/23/2025]

Lurie told the Chronicle on Wednesday that the revival of downtown would be boosted by his plans to reduce open-air drug scenes, increase police staffing and cut down on property crime.

“We have historic challenges, and I am not suggesting that we're going to fix things overnight,” Lurie said. “What the world and the country needs to know is … San Francisco is open for business. It's really important that people hear that message. And one of the ways that we’ll be open for business is making sure that businesses can run without fear of being broken into constantly.”

Lurie emphasized that message last week when he appeared on CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” as the JPMorgan conference was underway, drawing thousands of visitors to the city. He told Cramer that moving more people off the streets and into treatment for addiction or mental illness would help “create the conditions for business leaders to want to come back here.”

There are some early signs that certain executives are responding positively to Lurie.

During the healthcare conference, he met with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon at City Hall. Dimon’s company confirmed to the Chronicle that it will bring the conference back to San Francisco next year after working well with police to ensure attendees’ safety this year.

“I enjoyed meeting with Mayor Lurie during our healthcare conference last week and let him know we’re committed to San Francisco and eager to work with him and his team to help ensure the city grows,” Dimon said in a statement to the Chronicle. “I felt a real sense of optimism in the city during my visit.”

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Asked by CNBC’s Cramer last week about companies continuing to pull up their roots in San Francisco, Lurie said he planned to visit New York City, Miami and Austin with a simple message to companies based there: “You know you want to be back in San Francisco.”

It’s a message that local business leaders hope will resonate as the city tries to bring back jobs, companies and tourists.

“We need to get into the business of attraction and retention, which we have had the pleasure of not having to do over the last decade — but we are in a different position now,” said Rodney Fong, CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “We also want to make sure that we are attracting the most innovative companies … (and) businesses that will have the capacity for large employment down the road.”

While the appetite among large companies in returning to San Francisco or expanding here remains to be seen, Lurie got a favorable reaction from one executive he reached out to: Jonathan Gray, president of the giant investment firm Blackstone. Lurie met with Gray last week to impress his “open for business” message, and Gray shared a bullish view on the city in a statement to the Chronicle.

“San Francisco is a great American city at the epicenter of innovation, particularly AI,” Gray said. “We’re optimistic about its recovery potential under Mayor Lurie's leadership.”

The city will find itself in another big spotlight next month, when the NBA All-Star Game will be held at Chase Center on Feb. 16. Related events are planned throughout the weekend, and the annual Chinese New Year Parade is also set for Feb. 15.

Lurie said he wants to “invite the world back to San Francisco” as he works to lessen the city’s problems.

“We have a lot to look forward to, and I want to make sure that San Francisco is thriving and vibrant again,” he said.