Questions
Where will Visual 1st be held?
Visual 1st’s venue is the state-of-the-art headquarters of public radio & TV station KQED, at 2601 Mariposa Street located in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District, featuring plenty of Latin cuisine, and a few blocks from OpenAI’s global headquarters – plus Tartine’s Manufactory Bakery and Dandelion Chocolate 😀 – and an eight-minute drive from the Warrior’s/Valkeries' Chase Center in the contemporary Mission Bay waterfront neighborhood (map).
How to get to our venue? Avoid last minute parking stress!
KQED is at 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco. We strongly suggest to use public transportation or rideshare if possible. Check out KQED’s public transportation options (Caltrains, Muni and BART).
If you do plan to drive, note that street parking near the venue is almost exclusively limited to 1 or 2 hours. For longer parking we suggest to book in advance a spot at a parking lot or garage through SpotHero and check out beforehand how long it would take you to get to our venue.
Book your hotel early!
San Francisco can be a busy town, and hotel prices tend to rise as we get closer to the conference dates. We highly recommend booking early!
The good news is that San Francisco is relatively compact. Many hotels are within a 10-to-15-minute rideshare distance of our venue, so you can comfortably consider a broad area.
If you are looking for budget-friendly options in particular, consider checking out Yotel, SoMa House, or Hotel Fiona, which all get solid user reviews for their balance of price and location. And don’t forget to check out their reviews!
If you have a bit more wiggle room in your budget and prefer staying in quieter, highly walkable areas, we’ve heard great feedback on The Hyatt Place (located in Mission Bay near the SF Giants stadium) and The Argonaut Hotel (located in Fisherman’s Wharf).
Have a great lodging recommendation? Drop us an email, and we’ll happily share it here with the rest of the attendees!
What if I won't be able to attend?
All sales are final, but we understand — sometimes schedules change. You may transfer your ticket to someone else or receive credit for our 2027 conference. In either case, please contact us at contact@suite48A.com to receive approval.
Will there be recordings made available?
No, there won’t. Visual 1st is very much a participatory, live conference. Our focus is to bring imaging industry thought leaders and peers together and enable them to freely express their views without needing to be concerned that each word could be tracked years into the future!
Pre-conference networking:
Will there be a Women in Imaging networking luncheon again?
Yes! This will be on the first day of the conference, prior to the start of the program, Sept. 29 at 11:30 am - 1:15 PM, held at our venue. We cordially invite all attendees who identify as women or nonbinary to attend! Free.
Pre-conference networking:
Will there be a Dead Pixels Society Meetup again?
Yes! This will be on the first day of the conference, prior to the start of the program, Sept. 29 at 9:30 am - 11:30 AM, at the Starbucks across from KQED. Free.
What are Show & Tell demo slots?
A Show & Tell is a 4-minute live demo of a photo or video (native phone, web or desktop) app, presented to the entire Visual 1st audience, including a panel of Judges who will select 4 Visual 1st Awards winners from the 30 presenters.
We have a proud history of featuring an impressive lineup of presenters each year. Please review last year’s Show & Tell presenters, last year’s Show & Tell Awards winners, and past presenters who have successfully exited through acquisition.
We offer a limited number of tickets that include the complimentary demo option for first-time Show & Tell presenters. Show & Tell demo slots provide registered attendees industry visibility and an extra networking opportunity during the 1.5-day conference, enabling interested parties to seek them out after their demo for any partnering opportunities.
How do we select apps for the Show & Tell slots?
Your app needs to be innovative and either launched in 2026 or have added major new features this year.
We select our Show & Tell presenters from companies who have not demoed their solutions before, in addition to those sponsors who have new or upgraded products to show.
We try to have a balance between apps that cater to a variety of use cases. We don’t want any particular category (such as camera apps, print apps, collage apps, etc.) to crowd out the other ones.
In addition, to promote diversity, we especially encourage female presenters to apply!
Is the Awards jury involved in selecting the Show & Tell slots?
No, the jury will only decide who receives the Visual 1st Awards from among the apps that will be presented in the Show & Tell sessions. Likewise, we as organizers are not involved in determining the Awards winners.
How can I request a Show & Tell demo slot for my app?
Please contact us and describe the app you’d like to present.
How can I get additional industry exposure?
Please contact us to discuss this year’s sponsorship options.
