It’s about that time again. Time to start preparing for Dreamforce, the biggest Salesforce event of the year. Although some may approach this week with the attitude of a curious tourist, going where the wind takes them, the most productive use of time is still to plan ahead. Thinking about the event and all it has to offer before arriving is crucial to finding success throughout your trip to Dreamforce.
We’ve put together six steps for you to follow before, during, and after to get the most out of your time at Dreamforce and bring your level of success up to an 11!
1.Stay Healthy
This goes for before and during the event. Beforehand, make sure you’re getting enough sleep as it can be a rare commodity throughout the week of Dreamforce. Consider doing some walking to warm up your legs – one of our members averaged 16,000 steps a day during the event, so be prepared!
During the event, wear comfortable shoes to prevent blisters and drink plenty of water. Also, make sure to eat! There are delicious lunches every day throughout the event, catering to a variety of diets. Try and get as much sleep as possible during the event too! You won’t be able to achieve a productive use of time at Dreamforce 2019 without your health.
2. Set goals ahead of time
You need to think about what’s the main reason you are attending Dreamforce. Are you working your company’s booth on the floor? Are you there to network? Find new technologies for your organization? Are you looking to fill your pipeline for 2019 or accelerate deals for 2020?
No matter what your goals are, take some time to write them down and internalize them. It’s important to go into an event as large as Dreamforce with a game plan. The sheer madness of the event can be overwhelming so having a clear picture of what your goals are is crucial to reach success and create a productive use of time.
3. Go in with a game plan
Develop a list of who you want to meet with
This goes for prospects, customers, possible business partners, and any interesting people in general. Make a list of the accounts and contacts you must see or talk to during Dreamforce and keep it close by. This can also help you plan ahead of time regarding what events and sessions you would like to attend.
What keynotes/sessions you want to attend
Speaking of sessions, is one of your favorite Salesforce gurus speaking? Go check them out and try to get some one-on-one time in after the session – people often take questions afterward.
If you don’t think you’ll find something that sparks your interest, don’t worry! There are endless sessions covering almost every topic under the sun. Check out the list of sessions and choose a few each day to attend. These sessions are chock full of the latest industry trends, tips, tricks, and success stories of companies and professionals. They are all a productive use of time at Dreamforce. The event is the perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge base around your industry and/or role.
4. Network, Network, Network
Look at it this way, Dreamforce brings thousands of like-minded people together that are coming from around the globe to learn and connect. A productive use of time at Dreamforce would be meeting as many people as you can and building quality relationships that will follow you long after the event. (Bonus – check out this guide to event networking from John Barrows.)
Network Online
Networking is no longer done strictly through in-person interactions: there is a digital aspect to it as well. This year, Salesforce is reporting they expect to get over 200,000 mentions on social channels – that provides plenty of opportunities to expand your network.
Keep tweeting and posting about your experiences as well as interacting with others doing the same. Try monitoring hashtags (such as #DF19) relating to the events as well as the accounts run by Salesforce and other people in the industry.
Salesforce live is another great option for networking, even if you’re not physically at the event!
Participate in Hands-on Training
Dreamforce offers opportunities for professional development before and during the conference. Before the event even kicks off, there are trainings for attendees. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, these sessions are a great way to take a deeper dive into the platform with a certified user.
5. Spend time giving back
Although all the things above are important to achieve productive use of time at Dreamforce 2019, giving back to others is never a waste. Luckily, Dreamforce offers its attendees plenty of opportunities to do so. Each year they partner with different nonprofits to bring attendees daily hands-on opportunities and activities to make an impact! This year there will be opportunities to make your Dreamforce experience a productive use of time by lending a hand to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, (RED), Girl Scouts of the USA, Children of Shelters, Bay Area Workforce Development, Larkin Street Youth Services, Hamilton Families, Oakland and San Francisco Unified School District.
6. Set yourself up for success after Dreamforce.
Now you know what to do before and during e the event to find success, and that’s great! But it doesn’t stop there – following up after the event is just as important of taking the actions above,it’s just as imperative to have a plan after Dreamforce as it is before.
Often, a lot of time and money goes into attending this event so it’s important to make a productive use of time out of your or your organization’s investment.
-
- Make sure to follow up with all the connections you made. This can be as simple as a quick messages on LinkedIn, or maybe even a follow up call or email if anything pressing was discussed.
- Continue the learning you started by completing Trailheads throughout the year. These bring you closer to a variety of Salesforce certifications, and might even get you to the level of a Salesforce guru.
- Keep your volunteering spirit alive and continue to give back after the event. Encourage your organization to take part in events around your city, maybe even consider pledging 1% next year at Dreamforce.
Dreamforce is a month away and you can never start preparing too early! Use this guide to get you started on prepping for the event and finding success.
