Rumor: Apple might rent out new San Francisco space for iPhone event

Posted:
in General Discussion edited August 2015
Piecing together clues about a "mysterious" week-long trade show at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, a report on Monday suggests Apple might have rented out the massive space for its annual iPhone event.




While local publication Hoodline was unable find any hard evidence leading back to Apple, and could only confirm with staff on the ground that preparations were being made for a "private event," digging through San Francisco Planning Office documents did yield a few tantalizing clues that seemingly jibe with an upcoming iPhone announcement.

For example, the venue is being rented out from Sept. 4 through Sept. 13, ample time for Apple to make indoor and outdoor building preparations like installing product banners, demo tables, AV system improvements and more. In addition, documents show plans to replace or modify four building windows facing Grove Street with 15-foot logos shaped in what appears to be a warped star. Looking at mock-up drawings, an Apple logo would indeed fit well over a subframe shaped to support a five-pointed star.

As noted by the publication, the event's dates conflict with the Labor Day weekend, an unusual choice for a trade show. Whatever the case, logistical concessions for a large gathering are already underway, with power generators taking up a lane of parking spaces. SFPD and private security guards are also stationed outside the auditorium.

The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium can hold 7,000 people, much more than Apple's most recent venue selections at Yerba Buena Center and Flint Center, which seat a respective 1,470 and 2,400 people.

Apple traditionally unveils its annual iPhone refresh in early September, a date quickly approaching. Last year, for example, the company sent out invitations for a Sept. 9 iPhone 6 debut on Aug. 28. Held at Cupertino's Flint Center, the 2014 event was jam-packed with new product announcements, including the unveiling of Apple Watch, for which Apple built a special building annex to host attending media.

This year Apple is expected to debut next-generation 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' handsets, while reports suggest new Apple TV hardware might also make an appearance.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 64
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    There would be a certain appropriate symmetry to this, since Graham Auditorium is adjacent to the old Brooks Hall, home of the West Coast Computer Faire where the original Apple was introduced.
  • Reply 2 of 64
    dreyfus2dreyfus2 Posts: 1,072member
    No clue, but even for the iPhone 7,000 journalists sounds extremely rich. If this rumor has merit (and so far I only think it has some, because who else would rent a place this big at this time), there must be something else?
  • Reply 3 of 64
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dreyfus2 View Post



    No clue, but even for the iPhone 7,000 journalists sounds extremely rich. If this rumor has merit (and so far I only think it has some, because who else would rent a place this big at this time), there must be something else?

    Are you saying you think there'll be "one more thing"? Can't be, or they'll have to pay fees to Swatch!

  • Reply 4 of 64
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member
    Are you saying you think there'll be "one more thing"? Can't be, or they'll have to pay fees to Swatch!
    Lol
    Apple will not use the "one more thing" phrase this time ....

    I think they will go for "1 more thing"
  • Reply 5 of 64
    dreyfus2dreyfus2 Posts: 1,072member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by LighteningKid View Post

     

    Are you saying you think there'll be "one more thing"? Can't be, or they'll have to pay fees to Swatch!




    Whatever. Unless it is "Dre performs his new album front to back" and "Iovine reads Nietzsche"... I might be fine :-)

  • Reply 6 of 64
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dreyfus2 View Post

     



    Whatever. Unless it is "Dre performs his new album front to back" and "Iovine reads Nietzsche"... I might be fine :-)


    Oi... Iovine reads Nietzsche would be painful, I think. He's nice to listen to when he's relaxed, but when he starts speaking formally he seems to get this odd cadence to his speech and an almost Christopher Walken-like "emPHAsis" to his words.

  • Reply 7 of 64
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    dreyfus2 wrote: »
     
    Are you saying you think there'll be "one more thing"? Can't be, or they'll have to pay fees to Swatch!


    Whatever. Unless it is "Dre performs his new album front to back" and "Iovine reads Nietzsche"... I might be fine :-)

    simultaneously
  • Reply 8 of 64
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Maybe they need 7,000 journalists cause a huge game changing feature will be announced?
  • Reply 9 of 64
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dreyfus2 View Post



    No clue, but even for the iPhone 7,000 journalists sounds extremely rich. If this rumor has merit (and so far I only think it has some, because who else would rent a place this big at this time), there must be something else?

    yeah.. doesn't make sense. this is an off year for the phone. force touch isn't that big a deal.. it's a major change, but not worthy of +5000 seats. apple TV doesn't warrant extra seats either.. 

     

    this is invite only, right - who's getting the other invitations... entertainment press?

  • Reply 10 of 64
    Mmm ... Bill Graham conducted Woz's [B][I] Us festivals [/I][/B] in the 1980s -- and boy could they spend money!

    ... Two more things ...

    Boom, Boom!
  • Reply 11 of 64
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    dreyfus2 wrote: »
    No clue, but even for the iPhone 7,000 journalists sounds extremely rich. If this rumor has merit (and so far I only think it has some, because who else would rent a place this big at this time), there must be something else?

    Don't forget that the SEC and senators like Al Franken need to be there so they make sure Apple isn't doing anything illegal¡
  • Reply 12 of 64
    I think they are going to announce the Apple Car!!????
  • Reply 13 of 64
    jakebjakeb Posts: 563member

    There's a good chance the AppleTv does a lot more than TV. 

  • Reply 14 of 64
    FD
    solipsismy wrote: »
    dreyfus2 wrote: »
    No clue, but even for the iPhone 7,000 journalists sounds extremely rich. If this rumor has merit (and so far I only think it has some, because who else would rent a place this big at this time), there must be something else?

    Don't forget that the SEC and senators like Al Franken need to be there so they make sure Apple isn't doing anything illegal¡


    Yeah ... But even if Apple does something illegal -- it doesn't matter because SF doesn't enforce Federal laws!
  • Reply 15 of 64
    Of POSSIBLE interest...

    John C. Dvorak was on This Week In Tech with Leo Laporte on Sunday. He said he went to dinner with Burt Monroy (sp?) an Apple old timer, who still works there, and Monroy's wife told John that "later this year you're gonna have plenty to write about and it's gonna be hilarious".... referring to some upcoming Apple product announcement. Dvorak interpreted the comment as being that Apple would announce a product that he would be able to [B]ridicule[/B].

    This I find intriguing.
  • Reply 16 of 64
    They're removing most of the seats and installing an indoor track to demo the Apple Car.
  • Reply 17 of 64
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    My problem with the Apple Car will be the NYTimes inevitable headline: Apple finally adopts [I]windows[/I]¡
  • Reply 18 of 64

    What about a 'spoiler' event put on by the Competition? Just to take the press away from the iPhone launch.

    Any reduction in press coverage could hit Apple hard in the pocket and depress the share price even more.

    A 'Meh', 'so what' event from Apple is just what the others in the market want. Because of the time we are in the product cycle then most of the tech press already know that. Besides many of them just take the press release and put a wrapper around it. They really don't need to be there.

    Having an alternative shindig to attend would give them something new to write about.

     

    Just a thought.

  • Reply 19 of 64
    What about a 'spoiler' event put on by the Competition? Just to take the press away from the iPhone launch.

    Any reduction in press coverage could hit Apple hard in the pocket and depress the share price even more.
    A 'Meh', 'so what' event from Apple is just what the others in the market want. Because of the time we are in the product cycle then most of the tech press already know that. Besides many of them just take the press release and put a wrapper around it. They really don't need to be there.
    Having an alternative shindig to attend would give them something new to write about.

    Just a thought.

    Take press away from an Apple event? Good luck. :D

    A company would have to be crazy to have an event on the same day as an iPhone event.

    It's even crazier to think anyone from the media would cover that instead of an iPhone event.

    I see what you're saying... but Apple events have their own gravity. It's a press phenomenon. So it would be wise to not have an announcement anywhere near an Apple event.

    Unless you're announcing bad news.. in which case you do want it to be forgotten.
  • Reply 20 of 64
    Of POSSIBLE interest...

    John C. Dvorak was on This Week In Tech with Leo Laporte on Sunday. He said he went to dinner with Burt Monroy (sp?) an Apple old timer, who still works there, and Monroy's wife told John that "later this year you're gonna have plenty to write about and it's gonna be hilarious".... referring to some upcoming Apple product announcement. Dvorak interpreted the comment as being that Apple would announce a product that he would be able to ridicule.

    This I find intriguing.

    He's still alive and spreading his "journalism"?
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