San Jose Hosted Inaugural WeAreDevelopers Convention
The city welcomed tech experts to boost downtown commerce as regular office foot traffic remains below historical levels.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Remote Work
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San Jose has hosted the inaugural North American WeAreDevelopers convention, drawing international tech talent to the heart of Silicon Valley. The event serves as a critical effort to drive economic activity in a downtown area still adjusting to post-pandemic remote work trends.
Why it matters
Local businesses continue to struggle as fewer employees commute to downtown offices, making major conventions vital to sustaining regular customer traffic. The city hopes these gatherings will offset the decline in consistent daily patronage from the tech workforce.
Visit San Jose projects a 10% increase in economic impact from conventions this year, with hotel bookings expected to rise further next year. Meanwhile, local establishments like those run by Adolfo Gomez report that lunchtime traffic has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The players
WeAreDevelopers
This organization is a major international community for software developers that coordinates professional gatherings and networking events.
Visit San Jose
This is the official destination marketing organization responsible for driving tourism and convention business to the city.
Adolfo Gomez
He is a local restaurant owner in downtown San Jose who has adjusted his business operations in response to shifting post-pandemic work patterns.
The details
Downtown businesses are actively courting event attendees, including groups of developers, to stabilize their revenue streams. The city is concurrently pursuing a long-term strategy that prioritizes local housing development to create a more consistent customer base.
Timeline
September 2026 marked the debut of the North American WeAreDevelopers convention in San Jose.
Lunchtime business traffic decreased following the start of the pandemic.
Hotel room bookings are projected to increase next year.
Market Landscape
San Jose is leveraging its status as a premier technology hub to secure major conventions, directly countering the loss of daily foot traffic from remote work. This shift represents a broader pivot for urban centers seeking to replace the reliable income of office commuters with high-impact, short-term tourism.
Downtown visitors may encounter larger crowds and more vibrant lunch service during major convention weeks as local shops aggressively target these new customers. Residents and commuters should anticipate that business hours for some downtown restaurants will remain adjusted due to the lack of consistent daily office traffic.
The takeaway
Cities reliant on tech-sector commuters are increasingly turning to event-based tourism to sustain their local service economies. Business owners in similar markets may find success by tailoring their services to the influx of temporary convention guests.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of Remote Work and its effect on urban economic development.
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Do you believe your local economy should rely primarily on major events to drive business growth?
