Microsoft Build conference to leave Seattle after years in the city

Microsoft Build is a flagship annual developer conference held by Microsoft since 2011. In 2017, Microsoft relocated Build from San Francisco to its home turf in Seattle. The proximity to its main campus allowed greater participation from its own engineers and executives, offering attendees a more integrated experience.

Today, Jonathan Choe revealed on X that Microsoft has decided to move its Build developer conference out of Seattle. He discovered this information via an email sent by Visit Seattle to its members. Visit Seattle is a private, non-profit destination marketing organization that promotes travel to Seattle and King County. As a result of the move, Seattle-based hotels could lose approximately 9,314 room nights annually.

Surprisingly, Visit Seattle’s message included several details about Microsoft’s reasons for the change. The primary reason appears to have come from within Microsoft itself. The company feels that Build lost momentum post-COVID, and the scheduling conflict with Google I/O, a competing event, has made it harder to attract the intended audience.

Microsoft’s leadership believes they can better re-energize the program and boost attendance by moving it out of Seattle. The note even suggests that Build will likely be relocated to San Francisco or Las Vegas in 2026.

#BREAKING: Seattle restauranteur David Meinert says the massive Microsoft Build (@Microsoft) developer conference won't be returning to Seattle next year after attendees complained about urban decay, open-air drug use, and numerous tents lining the streets.
🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/PJs9VYT1TK

— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 6, 2025

Another factor contributing to the decision is the condition of the city. Last month, during the conference, Microsoft leadership and attendees walked between the Hyatt Regency and the Arch building on 8th Street. Reportedly, there were complaints about the general uncleanliness of the area, the visible presence of individuals using drugs, and unhoused individuals in a recurring tent in the Arch Tunnel. Visit Seattle believes these concerns also played a role in Microsoft’s final decision to relocate Build.

Given Microsoft's high-profile presence and the economic impact of the event, this relocation may spark a political storm within the Seattle mayor’s office, drawing criticism over the city’s handling of downtown conditions.