Microsoft Ignite 2026 takes place from November 17 to 20, 2026, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with an optional pre-day on November 16, according to the Microsoft Ignite site. The conference uses Moscone North, South and West, as listed on the Moscone Center event page, and the Hub, with booths, theatre sessions and lunch service, runs from November 17 to 19. It is Microsoft's flagship event for IT professionals, developers, business leaders and partners, and in-person registration closes at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 13.
Moscone sits in SoMa, a short walk from Union Square, and most attendees stay in the hotels between the two. That makes the conference itself walkable. The car plan is about getting in from the airports, moving partner and customer teams to meetings around the city and down the Peninsula, and evenings. Elly8.net books that at fixed, all-in San Francisco prices, from US$180 in a business sedan from SFO to Union Square.
What is the best way to get to Microsoft Ignite at Moscone?
Book a fixed transfer from SFO to your Union Square or SoMa hotel, from US$180 in a business sedan to US$470 in an Executive Sprinter, and walk to Moscone. For partner meetings, customer visits in Silicon Valley and evening events, keep a chauffeur by the hour from US$100 an hour, with a 3-hour minimum.
Moscone has no on-site parking, according to its directions and parking page, so a car is a drop-off and pickup tool here, not something you leave outside the halls. The chauffeur waits nearby and comes to the agreed corner when you message.
See San Francisco prices and reserve
The geography of Ignite week
Union Square, the centre point for San Francisco fares, is a few blocks from Moscone. The Moscone Center's address is 747 Howard Street at Third and Howard, and Moscone West is at 800 Howard Street at Fourth and Howard. Moscone says BART and Muni Metro riders use Montgomery station for Moscone North and South and Powell station for Moscone West, both a few minutes' walk away.
| Route | Distance | Clear-road time | Elly8.net fixed fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco International (SFO) to Union Square | about 15 mi (24 km) | about 24 min | from US$180 to US$470 |
| SFO round trip | from US$345 to US$895 | ||
| Oakland (OAK) to Union Square | about 20 mi (32 km) | about 32 min | from US$215 to US$560 |
| San Jose (SJC) to Union Square | about 46 mi (75 km) | about 59 min | from US$340 to US$885 |
| By the hour, as directed | from US$100 to US$200 an hour, 3-hour minimum |
The clear-road times hold only at quiet hours. On a weekday evening, or when US-101 northbound backs up toward the city, the SFO run can take 45 minutes or more, which is exactly when a fixed price matters: the fare does not move with traffic or demand.
Arriving at SFO, Oakland or San Jose
Most Ignite attendees fly into SFO. The chauffeur tracks the flight, meets you inside the terminal with a name board and allows complimentary waiting after a tracked landing; the flight number tells the chauffeur which terminal. Fixed transfers from SFO to Union Square run from US$180 in a business sedan and US$235 in a business SUV to US$470 in an Executive Sprinter, all-in with chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Round trips booked together run from US$345 to US$895.
Oakland (OAK) is a good alternative from some cities, about 20 miles (32 km) from Union Square across the Bay Bridge, with fixed fares from US$215 to US$560. Mineta San Jose (SJC) is about 46 miles (75 km) south, from US$340 to US$885, and makes sense if you combine Ignite with meetings in Silicon Valley. See airport transfers and meet and greet.
Executives flying privately give the desk the tail number and FBO, and the chauffeur meets the aircraft; see private jet and FBO transfers.
The Ignite plan: when a chauffeur makes sense
Partner and customer meetings. Ignite is a partner event as much as a learning event, and many meetings happen in hotel suites, restaurants and offices outside Moscone. An hourly chauffeur, from US$100 an hour in a business sedan to US$200 in an Executive Sprinter, keeps a car close for back-to-back meetings.
Silicon Valley the same week. Plenty of attendees add customer visits down the Peninsula or in San Jose. The 8-hour full-day chauffeur runs from US$740 to US$1,475, and the 10-hour corporate roadshow day from US$900 to US$1,800, which covers a morning keynote, a drive south, two customer meetings and a return for dinner. See roadshow chauffeur and our San Jose and Silicon Valley page.
Evening events. Partner parties and customer dinners fill the week, from SoMa and the Embarcadero to the Mission. The 5-hour evening out and event night package runs from US$500 in a business sedan to US$1,000 in an Executive Sprinter, with the chauffeur waiting through dinner. Chauffeurs follow local rules on alcohol in vehicles.
Teams and sponsors. Sponsors moving booth staff, kit and printed material use one Executive Sprinter instead of several app rides. See group transportation and conference transportation.
Executives and discretion. Senior leaders with keynotes and press have little room for a missed pickup. The desk handles side-entrance pickups at hotels and NDAs on request for confidential customer meetings. Elly8.net is a chauffeur service, not a security company; with a protection detail, we coordinate times and points with the security lead.
Drop-offs and pickups around Moscone
Howard Street, Third Street and Fourth Street get busy at session changes, and conference weeks bring extra traffic control around the halls. Moscone links its own on-site parking restrictions from the directions page; the chauffeur follows them and waits where permitted. Before each pickup the chauffeur sends the exact corner and vehicle details by message, and on an hourly booking you message when you leave the session.
If your next meeting is at a hotel two blocks away, walk; the desk will tell you so. The car is for the legs where walking or a ride app would cost you time: the airport, the Peninsula, the dinner across town, the group.
Corporate accounts for Ignite teams
Microsoft partners and customers sending a team can open a corporate account: every traveller's rides on one monthly invoice, itemised by passenger and cost centre, with one contact at the desk. Assistants and event managers can book and change cars for the team. Agencies managing travel for the week can use a travel agent account. For year-round business travel, see corporate car service.
Elly8.net vs BART, taxis and ride apps
BART is genuinely good value from SFO. The SFO station is on the Departures/Ticketing level of the International Terminal, AirTrain connects it to every terminal free of charge, and the adult fare to Powell Street or Montgomery Street is US$11.80 according to BART. For a solo traveller with a carry-on staying near Moscone, it is hard to beat.
San Francisco taxis run on a regulated meter: US$4.15 for the first fifth of a mile, US$0.65 for each additional fifth of a mile and US$0.65 per minute of waiting or traffic delay, plus a US$6 SFO pick-up fee, per the SFMTA taxi fare schedule. At SFO, app rides for the domestic terminals pick up on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, and at the International Terminal on the Departures/Ticketing level centre island, zones 12 to 17, according to SFO.
| Option | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| BART from SFO to Powell or Montgomery | US$11.80 | solo travellers with light bags |
| Taxi from SFO | metered, plus US$6 SFO fee | two travellers at short notice |
| App ride | changes with demand | flexible travellers, off-peak arrivals |
| Elly8.net business sedan from SFO | from US$180, fixed and all-in | executives, late flights, fixed budgets |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter from SFO | from US$470, fixed and all-in | teams with luggage and kit |
The honest reading: one developer with a backpack does well on BART. A pre-booked car wins for late flights, for teams with luggage, for executives with a meeting soon after landing, and for the evening when a session ends and ride-app prices rise across SoMa. See Uber Black vs a chauffeur, chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft and chauffeur vs taxi.
Prices in San Francisco
San Francisco prices are fixed, all-in per vehicle, and include chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Bridge tolls and parking are billed at cost, and the price list does not change for Ignite.
- SFO to Union Square: from US$180 to US$470; round trip from US$345 to US$895.
- Oakland to Union Square: from US$215 to US$560. San Jose: from US$340 to US$885.
- By the hour: from US$100 to US$200 an hour, 3-hour minimum.
- Evening out and event night (5 hours): from US$500 to US$1,000.
- Full-day chauffeur (8 hours): from US$740 to US$1,475.
- Corporate roadshow day (10 hours): from US$900 to US$1,800.
Conference weeks at Moscone push up hotel rates and ride demand together, and partner capacity is the first thing to go. Reserve as soon as your flights are fixed.
How to book
- Enter your pickup and drop-off, with your flight number for airport pickups. Union Square fares are on the San Francisco page; for offices, restaurants or Peninsula addresses, use the web booker.
- Choose the vehicle: business or First Class sedan, SUV, or an Executive Sprinter for teams.
- Select Reserve now and pay by card, or book on a corporate account. Confirmation comes by email, and chauffeur details follow before pickup.
Rides in San Francisco are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. For flights and hotels, our travel partner is BookingWorldwide.net.
Before or after Ignite
The signature San Francisco day trip is a 10-hour visit to Napa Valley wine country, from US$920 in a business sedan to US$1,840 in an Executive Sprinter; see Napa Valley. Elly8.net also covers Sacramento, Los Angeles and, for travellers coming from Redmond, the home-airport run in Seattle.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is Microsoft Ignite 2026?
From November 17 to 20, 2026, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, using Moscone North, South and West, with an optional pre-day on November 16. The Hub runs from November 17 to 19, and in-person registration closes at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on November 13.
How much is a car from SFO to Moscone Center?
Fixed transfers from SFO to Union Square, a short walk from Moscone, run from US$180 in a business sedan and US$235 in a business SUV to US$470 in an Executive Sprinter, all-in with chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Is BART a better option from SFO?
For one traveller with light luggage, often yes: the fare to Powell or Montgomery is US$11.80, and both stations are a few minutes' walk from Moscone. A car makes more sense for teams, late flights, executives on a schedule and anyone who wants a fixed price.
Can the chauffeur wait outside Moscone?
Moscone has no on-site parking, so the chauffeur waits nearby where permitted and comes to an agreed corner when you message. On hourly bookings the car stays close all day. Waiting time is part of the hourly rate.
Can I combine Ignite with meetings in Silicon Valley?
Yes. The 10-hour corporate roadshow day, from US$900, covers a morning in the city, customer meetings down the Peninsula or in San Jose and a return for dinner. The 8-hour full-day chauffeur runs from US$740.
Can our company put the whole Ignite team on one account?
Yes. A corporate account puts every traveller's rides on one monthly invoice, itemised by passenger, and lets assistants book and change cars for the team. NDAs are available on request.
What is the cancellation policy?
More than 72 hours before pickup, cancellation is free; 72 hours or less costs 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100%. Refunds go to the original card.
