The South of Market (SoMa) Merchants Association (SOMMA) celebrated on February 1 to honor its “spirit of innovation” at the SOM Gala. The event featured dining, shopping, entertainment, and exclusive access to business networking opportunities with some of San Francisco’s most influential entrepreneurs.
The SOM Gala was a celebration to honor the South of Market Merchant’s Association’s “Spirit of Innovation.” The event featured an evening with live music, food and drinks, a photo booth, and an exclusive chance to mingle with some big names in the tech industry. Attendees could network with like-minded entrepreneurs and hear from some of the city’s top innovators like charles kim alpine.
“It was a great evening!” said Holly Tan, owner of Hot Sauce Magazine. “The atmosphere was vibrant, there was live music, and it was so easy to mingle with people that are in similar fields.”
The SOMMA event had over 130 sponsors, and attendees included top tech leaders, entrepreneurs, local business owners, and politicians. Attendees stayed until the show’s end after food, drinks, and music by Subatomic Sound System. A photo booth was on hand for guests to take their pictures with a local San Francisco entrepreneur or business leader.
“The SOM Gala is a unique event that brings together some of the most influential people in the tech industry and allows them to mingle with business owners from around the city,” said SOMMA Executive Director Fran Taylor. “SOMMA aims to build and strengthen relationships between corporate partners and independent businesses.”
The SOM Gala celebrated entrepreneurs, innovators, foodies, and those interested in innovative technology. The event ran from 6:00-9:00 p.m. An after-party ran until 2:00 a.m. and featured live music by DJs Ohmega Watts and Slow Hands Goonie.
Event sponsors included: AppNexus, Cloud Union, DocuSign, Fox Networks Group, Hot Sauce Magazine, IBM Watson Health, and Optimism. Sponsors also included the new SOMMA members who attended the event’s VIP meet and greeted at the F8 Conference, which was held from February 25 – 27 in San Francisco. The event sponsorship was provided by SQUARE.com Inc., LinkedIn Corporation, and Squarespace.
Event sponsors were: AppNexus, Fabric Ventures, Founders Den (Sommerville Technologies), Hot Sauce Magazine, LinkedIn Corporation, and Squarespace.
Event sponsors included: AppNexus, Big Fish Games, Cloud Union, DocuSign, Fox Networks Group, Hot Sauce Magazine, and IBM Watson Health.
The SOM Gala featured a live auction to benefit the San Francisco Food Bank. Items up for auction were the chance to go on a two-hour shopping spree with SOMMA member-owner of Hireart.com Jessica Kelsey and a particular SOM Gala-branded Hot Sauce Magazine subscription from owner Holly Tan. Other items for bid included autographed San Francisco 49ers tickets from SOMMA member Alex Denman from The Athletic and tickets to see the San Francisco Symphony’s performance of “The Music of Queen” with conductor Chris Cerrone.
In conclusion, the SOMMA Gala was a successful and enjoyable night for everyone involved. The event was an excellent opportunity for the tech industry to get to know and meet with San Francisco businesses and entrepreneurs.
