In case you haven’t heard, March Mingle is less than 2 weeks away!

For our 18th year, we’ll be Mingling at the iconic Bali Hai on Shelter Island, a San Diego institution since 1953.

It’s going to be an epic night! We’re gathering 600 local geeks and tech entrepreneurs for one night so that you can discover what’s new and cool in San Diego tech, while catching up with tech friends old and new over drinks and delectable finger foods. All while surrounded by the Bali Hai’s tiki vibes, outdoor bonfire, and the stunning view of downtown San Diego at night.

Come experience the beating heart of our local tech industry at the annual celebration of all things tech in San Diego!

…or you’ll have to wait another whole year, and you ain’t getting any younger.

Tickets are $35 until March 23rd 2024 and they always sell out.

Get Your Tickets

We are excited to announce an innovative update (better late than never) to our payment system for March Mingle, San Diego’s largest tech and startup networking event. In our continuous effort to support and promote technological advancement and inclusivity, March Mingle is now accepting Bitcoin as a payment method for sponsorships, exhibitor tables, as well as participation from startups, user groups, and non-profit organizations.

This move aligns with our mission to foster a forward-thinking community that embraces the future of commerce and digital transactions. By integrating Bitcoin, we are not only offering more flexibility and convenience to our participants but also setting a standard in the adoption of cryptocurrency within the tech and startup ecosystems.

For sponsors and exhibitors, this new payment option provides a seamless and secure way to secure your presence at one of the most anticipated tech events of the year. It opens the door to a wider range of innovative companies and organizations looking to showcase their latest advancements, products, and services to a vibrant and diverse audience.

Startups, user groups, and non-profits will also benefit from this addition, as it allows for easier access and participation in an event that prides itself on connecting the local tech community. This is your opportunity to be part of a group that leads the charge in adopting new technologies and payment methods.

We believe that accepting Bitcoin is a step towards a more inclusive, innovative, and integrated tech community. This is your chance to join us in making history, to showcase your commitment to innovation, and to connect with like-minded individuals and companies at the forefront of technological advancement.

Many thanks to our friends at Edge to make it easy to accept Bitcoin.

Update 2/15/2022

Well, it’s been 2 years without seeing your faces, and with much consideration have eventually decided that we’re going to proceed with a mini Mingle this year.

We’ve made this decision based on the statistics that we’ve been monitoring; infection rates have been steadily falling, and the number of vaccinated folk in San Diego is fairly high, at 85%.

Our venue has a large outdoor space, and the indoor hall is well ventilated with garage doors that open on both sides.

That being said, there is no question that attending an event such as March Mingle is a risky activity. Long covid is one emerging problem, and many of you have loved ones who are still at risk. Not all of our beloved community will be able to attend this year, but we’ve spoken with many who are eager to come together again.

You can trust us to strictly adhere to the rules set out by the CDC, state and local governments. In addition, attendance will be capped at 400 (venue capacity is 750), and we will be asking attendees to consider self-testing in advance.

In case of a new surge in cases, we are prepared to cancel, and all tickets will be fully refundable.

Update 2/9/2022

Due to omicron, we are considering all of our options on whether we should or shouldn’t put on March Mingle this year. We’ll make our decision on Feb 11th.

Update 3/9/2021

It is painfully clear that it would be irresponsible and overwhelmingly difficult for us to proceed with March Mingle 2021. Rather than making plans for yet another uncertain date later this year, we’ve decided that directing our efforts towards March 2022 will enable us to keep our branding, and allow us to confidently plan ahead. The new date is March 23rd, 2022.

Update 9/6/2020

In light of Covid-19, we have decided to move March Mingle out to March 24th, 2021. March Mingle has always been an in-person event that benefits both attendees and our sponsors to meet face to face so we’ve opted to not have a virtual event this year. Our hopes is that Covid will subside by then with vaccines. Only time will tell. We will continue to monitor the situation and update this post.

Update 3/12/2020

Governor Newsom has requested all gatherings of 250 or more people should be cancelled. In light of this request, we’ve moved March Mingle to September 16th 7-10 pm.

Update 3/6/2020

March Mingle 2020 will be held as planned, unless a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in San Diego. We are closely monitoring the news and recommendations from the local, state, and federal health organizations, and will postpone the event until October if necessary.

Our decision is based on the risk of infection being low, since March Mingle is a local event attended by local people. The cases reported in San Diego are few, and we trust that our attendees are well-informed and thoughtful enough to stay home if they’re sick, or have recently traveled to areas with outbreaks.

If we do need to cancel, March Mingle will be postponed and attendees will have the option of keeping their tickets for the later event, or of being refunded.

Here are the precautions we are planning:

1. We are capping attendance at 400 to ensure the event is not crowded (venue capacity is 750).
2. There will be alcohol handrub on every table.
3. All tickets are fully refundable so you can make your own decision up to the night before.
4. Shared surfaces (door handles, POS systems, tables) will be disinfected regularly.
5. A warning message will be sent to all attendees the day before the event advising:
   • Do not attend if you have a fever, dry cough, or unusual shortness of breath.
   • Do not attend if you have visited any of the countries identified by the CDC as Level 3 Travel Health Notice (currently China, Iran, Italy and South Korea).
   • Greet fellow attendees with a Vulcan salute instead of handshake.
   • If you happen to cough or sneeze, direct into left elbow or under shirt collar
   • Stay at least 6′ away from anyone coughing or sneezing openly
   • Disinfect hands: wash with soap when you can; use handrub in between
   • Try not to touch your face unless you’ve just disinfected your hands

Stay logical and safe out there!

This year, along with sizzling street tacos from Tacos El Unico, delectable vegetarian and vegan munchies from The French Gourmet, and specially designed cocktails by Snake Oil, we also have fun activities for you to check out….

Explore the Museum
The Museum’s exhibits are included in your ticket so be sure to catch Cannibals (usually $16) and & Post-Secret (June’s favorite). You’re invited to take a moment to contribute your own deepest secret to the collection.

Perfect Your Pitch
Pitch your software company with Investment Group of Santa Barbara (IGSB) in our pitch tent! Maybe they can help you take your idea to the next level. Sign up for a 10 minute slot here. Yes, we have an actual tent 😮

Take a load off 💆
Let magic fingers work out the stress of your work day so that your super chill self can come out to play. Work Flow Massage will be giving free chair massages tailored to long hours of programming, or other computer-based activities.

Win at sports 🙌
Pilot your soccer playing robot to sweet victory using Busylabs’ open source, 3-D printed robots. Bringing affordable STEM education to schools is Busylabs’ gooooaaalll!

Explore the future of AI 🤖
Check out Brain Corp’s self-driving AI robot which will be cleaning up your beer spills.

Introvert a bit
Take a break from the hubbub and enjoy a starlit view of Balboa park from the Starlight patio 🌃

Take your new friends home with you 📸
Pose with your geeky buddies in our photo booth, and the lovely folks at DoWhop will print you a copy to take home with you.

So much to do and see! We’ll be sending you a map with all of these activities and with all of our awesome exhibitors so that you can make a plan before Wednesday.

March Minglers!

March Mingle is SOLD OUT once again! Tickets can no longer be purchased online. Limited tickets will be available at the door for $30 depending on venue capacity.

Just reminding you all that we will be kicking off March Mingle at 7pm 3/26/2017 at Total Combat Paintball.

The event will be chock-full of cool stuff to see, and people to meet. Thanks to your enthusiasm for San Diego’s technical and startup community, tickets are sold out.

Special thanks to our Gold Sponsor VIA Technical, and to our Silver Sponsors Veyo, MJD Interactive, Startup San Diego, and MindCentric for making March Mingle a reality.

This is the most geeky entertainment we’ve ever fit into a March Mingle…

• 4 virtual reality booths to play in, to the right of the registration table.
• Flying robots! See Robolink’s programmable drone platform next to the beer bar.
• Make your own LED glowie with the nice folks at the San Diego Maker’s Guild.
• Print a photo booth picture with your buddies thanks to the lovely ladies at VIA Technical.
• Check out Richard’s light painting demo.
• Hit up our sushi chefs for some fresh nigiri and rolls.

On the slightly more serious side…

If you’re looking for a job, VIA Technical is your one stop shop. Sponsors MJD Interactive, HouseCall, and Veyo are full of excellent people and are looking to hire more.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, talk to The Vine about office space, see what StartupSD has in store for Startup Week, and get the best hands-on start for your business idea by attending Startup Weekend in July.

If you’re considering embarking on a technical career, seek out Learn Academy who can train you to be a web developer in 4 months.

To learn new technical skills, talk to the Geek Girls about Geek Girl Tech Con in June. And ladies are invited to RailsBridge, a one-day workshop to learn Ruby on Rails.

…and that’s just for starters. Check out our venue layout and Twitter stream for more. There will be a lot to take in, so make a plan!

Drinks
We’re streamlining drink ordering this year. First, use cash or credit card to buy drink tickets. Then hit up the beer bar or the cocktail bar depending on your preference. Here’s a map. Craft beers are $7, cocktails are $8.

Paintball
We’re not all that sorry to say that March Mingle has nothing to do with paintballing, though you can pick up a coupon for Total Combat Paintball at one of the bars. It reduces the cost from $45 to $21.99 to play, so come back and check it out another time.

Transport
There is lots of street parking around the venue, but we strongly encourage that you leave your sweet ride at home and use Lyft or Uber Pool to pick up some geeky friends on the way.

Food
Your senses are unlikely to let you miss our fresh sushi bar. We’ll also have appetizers to suit other diets near the VR booths.

Social
Tweeps and sharers, please use hashtags #MM2017, #sdtech and #startupSD. We encourage you to upload photos of you and your new friends to Flickr or Instagram using #MarchMingle. Follow us on Twitter at @MarchMingle for live event updates.

Ticket
No need to print your ticket. We will scan the QR code from your phone, or look you up by name.

Dress Code
A dress code, there is not.

After Party
The good times will continue after 10pm a short ride away at El Dorado Cocktail Lounge.

And don’t forget…

This community belongs to all of you; March Mingle is a great opportunity to foster collaboration and find out where your community needs you. You are the people who make the San Diego tech scene something we can all be proud of.

We look forward to seeing you at March Mingle!

Your Organizers,

June & Phelan
SDTechScene.org