SCG's 2023 Annual Conference - REIMAGINE Our Economy

Important Update Regarding SCG's 2023 Annual Conference (Updated 09/28/2023)

SCG’s Annual Conference Has Been Rescheduled to December 6, 2023!

The SCG team wants to share an important update regarding our 2023 Annual Conference, REIMAGINE Our Economy. A few days ago, we received word that due to a hotel scheduling error, our new venue could no longer host our conference on November 30 — the latest date we had secured after pivoting to support the largest multi-hotel workers' strike in California history. We have explored all possible options with the hotel, but unfortunately, we will have to move our conference date again.

SCG’s 2023 Annual Conference will now take place on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. We will still hold our event at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles. We have received contractual reassurance from the hotel that there will be no further changes to our schedule.

While this development is disappointing, we understand that the venue is experiencing an unprecedented level of event requests, given it is the first major hotel in the Los Angeles region to reach an agreement with its workers. SCG is proud to continue partnering with The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, and standing in solidarity with the thousands of workers in our city who — to this day — are still organizing, striking, and demanding liveable wages, better working conditions, and expanded benefits.

Thank you again for your understanding and support as we’ve continued to adapt to recent events. You can review more information regarding your conference registration below. We look forward to hosting all of you at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, on December 6, 2023, and advancing the conversation on building a more just economy.

Listening to Workers & Living into Our Values

When the strikes began in late June, the SCG team watched carefully, hoping that hotels would reach an agreement with their workers and meet the demands for their new four-year contract. In the following weeks, we connected with the general manager of the Intercontinental Hotel and with representatives of UNITE HERE Local 11 to keep a pulse on the state of the ongoing negotiations. We also kept in close contact with key conference advisors, who provided their perspectives on this economic moment and supported our decision to continue to host these timely conversations on economic justice in our region.

However, as the weeks progressed and it became clear that hotels—and our former conference venue specifically—would not reach an agreement with their workers before our event date, we moved quickly to secure a new venue. On short notice, the SCG team worked tirelessly to identify a new location that could accommodate the logistical needs of our largest member gathering of the year. Simultaneously, we explored transforming our event into a virtual or hybrid format, but ultimately, we felt it vital to preserve the in-person design of our conference, given our members’ interest in building community and connection. Above all, we wanted to find either a hotel venue that had reached an agreement with their union or a community space that was aligned with our organizational values and this year's conference theme.

Rescheduling & Relocating our Conference

Based on these considerations and venue availability, we are thrilled to host our annual conference at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. We applaud the speed at which they reached this historic agreement with their workers and the boldness required to lead their industry on matters concerning fair wages and worker benefits. Given our conference theme of reimagining our economy and centering the people and communities most affected by wealth inequality, we are proud of this partnership and decision.

SCG stands in solidarity with the thousands of workers and community members who are organizing and demanding liveable wages, better working conditions, and expanded benefits. The economic conditions we are experiencing today aren't inherent or fixed — they are collective agreements that we can influence and make beneficial for everyone. We believe we can build a new economy that generates prosperity for everybody.

We want to reiterate our gratitude to every member and partner who supported us as we made this difficult but ultimately value-aligned decision. We look forward to hosting all of you at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, and advancing the conversation on building a more just economy.

Updates to Your Registration

We look forward to your attendance at our annual conference. Your registration will automatically roll over to our new conference date on December 6, 2023, with no required actions on your behalf.

If you purchased a ticket and can no longer attend our conference, you may transfer your registration to another individual within your organization OR receive a credit to your account for next year's annual conference. All transfer and credit requests must be submitted via email to programsrsvp@socalgrantmakers.org.

If you claimed a complimentary sponsor ticket via your sponsorship package and can no longer attend our conference, you may only transfer your ticket to another person within your organization. All sponsor ticket transfer requests must be submitted via email to sponsorships@socalgrantmakers.org.

Ticket purchases like yours are the reason we could pivot and move forward with our signature event. In addition to the time our team has already invested in planning this conference, we are now facing a new set of costs to help our speakers and performers make another transition. We hope you will allow us to retain your ticket fee as an investment in SCG's crucial work. We truly appreciate our members who believe in this event's importance and have remained steadfast in their support.

Hotel Reservations