The 20-year celebration of Dreamforce kicks off next week in San Francisco. DemandBlue is excited to be back in the city and with our Trailblazer Community to celebrate the decades of community, connection, and collaboration on all things Salesforce. In anticipation of the greatest conference in tech, we’ve compiled 20 tips and tricks from our team to make the most of Dreamforce this year. Here’s to timeless Trailblazing!
- Mark your calendars! Dreamforce is filled with 1000s of sessions, workshops, and keynotes. Your schedule can get quickly filled to the brim with goodness. Don’t fret if you miss a session or two. Dreamforce is meant to be experienced with spontaneity, so we recommend marking your calendar with two or three must-catch items and spending the rest of your time going with the Apex flow. Need help selecting? Here are our selections of sessions of impact for Nonprofit and Educational Institutions at Dreamforce: Sessions to See
- Mark your routes! Dreamforce takes place in the heart of downtown San Francisco at the Moscone Center and surrounding venues. With so much to do and see, make sure you’re accounting for time to get to your next destination. Save time (and energy) by trying to attend sessions in the same building rather than sprinting across the Dreamforce campus between talks. This gives you time to network with others from the session you just attended or are about to hear, ask the presenters some follow-up questions, or catch that quick theatre presentation or demo in the common area nearby.
- Wear comfortable shoes! Moving between venues requires the comfiest footwear possible. Opt for your most supportive sneaker, or may we suggest wearing something a little more customized, such as Benioff’s ‘Dreamforce Shoes’.
- Wear layers with all the walking around and moving from indoors to outdoors; dressing to be comfortable is vital on warmer days and cooler nights. Bring your most authentic self to Dreamforce.
- Portable power – make sure to charge your devices at night and keep any mobile device on low-power mode whenever possible. While outlets are available, you compete with thousands of other Trailblazers to access them. You’ll be going all day and night, so making sure you stay charged prevents you from being tied to the wall outlet. P.S. if you have a small outlet splitter or mini-power strip, it’ll help you create even more space on that outlet and get powered up even faster.
- Get ready for swag! Leave some room in your luggage or pack a collapsible bag in your luggage to be able to bring home all the swagtastic goodies from Dreamforce. You’ll have a chance to grab FREE Salesforce swag all around Dreamforce and even from DemandBlue. If you spot our Head of Nonprofit, Arturo Ordoqui, around town, say hello, and you may be in for a little treat!
- Stickers! Grab your sticker collection and get ready to add new ones to your collection with the Official Ohana Sticker Swap
- Get your business cards ready! Dreamforce is an excellent time to network with Salesforce professionals worldwide. Perfect your elevator pitch and have your business card ready (digital is awesome, too) to connect with employers. P.S DemandBlue is hiring; check out our openings here: DemandBlue Careers
- Rock & Roll at Dreamfest! Our biggest tip for the concert is to travel lite. Don’t bring your backpack, do bring your ID and Badge. If you want to be on the field to see the show up close and personal, get there early because it reaches capacity quickly, and it may be faster to walk than take the bus because of all the traffic.
- Go to the Expo, especially the Salesforce.org area, to connect one-on-one with partners and solutions designed specifically for our industry. And shy away from asking the corporate apps how their solution could be used in education and nonprofit environments.
- Walk and utilize public transportation to get around Dreamforce Campus. San Francisco has a robust bus and train system for your time visiting the city. Be sure to make a note of the stops around Dreamforce robust bus and train system
- While the Dreamforce schedule is packed with goodness, many companies, partners, and trailblazers plan for other parties and events around Dreamforce. The Engagement Party for the nonprofit community is always my favorite time to visit with my peers. Nonprofit guests are free to attend, and all ticket sales benefit Amplify. SalesforceBen has compiled a list of some of the top gatherings – if you see a current or prospective solution or partner you are using or exploring – go to their activity and meet with them directly to get your questions answered but get on the invite list early. These fill up, and the walk-up lines can be long, so plan for external events.
- Vitamin C and Fisherman’s Friend lozenges. We know that every year, the excitement of Dreamforce, catching up with friends, talking nonstop over all the music and energy around us can strain your voice. Whatever your preferred remedy, boost your system, stay hydrated, and keep your voice.
- Do the Quests. Not only are they fun, and the swag prizes are great, but they help make sure that you explore all the different parts that Dreamforce offers.
- Attend a hands-on session. Some of the best instruction we’ve had at Dreamforce is from the longer hands-on sessions. Yes, they take a big chunk of time, but they are so worthwhile for engaged learning.
- Dreamforce is all about giving back; from raising money for charities to on-site volunteer activities, there is a way to connect and give back to the community at Dreamforce. If you’re getting there early, check out DF Gives Volunteer Day on Sept 19th and help maintain and beautify public parks around the city.
- Get Certified! I got my first certification at Dreamforce in 2011, and that knowledge and energy of all things Salesforce has really helped over time. Not only are certification exams discounted at Dreamforce, but you’ll be surrounded by fellow Trailblazers with whom you can celebrate when you pass!
- Headshots – often, at the Trailhead and other zones, there are scheduled headshots and photo booths. These professional photos are great for updating your Salesforce, Trailhead, or LinkedIn profiles; best of all, they’re FREE. But plan ahead. There’s usually much interest, and you want to check out the hours and locations so that you can make sure you are headshot ready!
- While Dreamforce is a great time to learn more and explore a feature you are already familiar with, it is also a rare opportunity to explore something new. Maybe you’re already a flownatic, but instead of another session on Flows, select a beginner’s session related to Experience Cloud and how portals can help you engage with your stakeholders and provide more self-service. Maybe your email marketing tool is working great for you. Still check out that Marketing Cloud Engagement session or demo at the Expo to see if there are some tips you can take back and apply to your current process, such as sending pre-filled form links instead of blank forms.
- Have Fun! Dreamforce is an inspiring and educational experience. Be open to unexpected discoveries and connections. Say hi to the Trailblazer next to you in line or at a session and stay for that demo or theatre talk even if it means missing your planned session (it’ll be available on Salesforce+ or you can reach out to the presenter directly for the content), and take that selfie with Astro, Codey, Einstein, Ruth, or the other mascots around Dreamforce Park.
