Dreamforce tips for first time visitors

Dreamforce, the biggest Salesforce event in the world - I did not expect it to be that big.. Good atmosphere (‘gezellig’) , well organised and above all fun and worth every dollar (euro ;-) we spent on it.

Below I described how I prepared and how it worked out. Intended to help all people who will visit Dreamforce for the first time- aka ‘First Timers’

My Dreamforce Context

“Could you please tell me how I can get to the Surf Motel at Lombard street?” I started becoming annoyed when I could not find the metro entrance which should bring me to Lombard street. It was already getting dark on Mission Street and I was exhausted. Not completely unexpected after 10 hours flight filled 4 movies, 2 hours of half sleep and noisy baby next to me. And, surprise, there was no metro entrance..

A couple of months ago I suggested that someone from Salesforce and Integration specialist KODIFY should go. I am responsible for business development within KODIFY and therefor it was decided that it should be me. Lucky me.

My visit to Dreamforce 2023

I set a goal for the visit: meet people and to know more about the Salesforce products and ecosystem. I am a user of Salesforce since 2006 but lost track a little about the current state of the products.

I booked my flights and hotel hotel 3 months in Advance. In My case I had a direct flight to SF and slept in the Surf Motel at Lombard Street 500 mtrs from the Bay and 5 km form the Golden gate bridge. Motels in this area are simple but good for the job. I had to get used to the room a little but it was clean, the bed was good (no lower back problems after a nigh sleep) You can also book a hotel near Dreamforce itself via the Dreamforce website but these are rather expensive

I started planning my sessions 4 weeks before the Dreamforce event. The biggest AI event in the world, with numerous sessions. There were so many sessions It overwhelmed me. But I booked some interesting ones and decide to keep time in between sessions in order to walk around and t meet people. I also enlisted in Braindate where you can book meetings with people and organise sessions yourself.

Dreamforce tips for ‘First Timers’.

Visa for the US!

Keep in mind that you might need a Visa (ESTA). (in order to be sure that you get the visa in time you should submit the request more that 3 days before departure. In my case I was late. I discovered a day before my departure that I needed it, when I wanted to get a boarding pass for my flight. I payed extra to make sure the administrative organization gave my request a higher prio, but they admitted that they are still dependant on US government officials who have to approve. If you are late, like me, submit the request anyway and immediately start a chat session with a GovAssist support employee ion order to make sure you submitted the request correctly.

Places to stay near Dreamforce.

The Surf Motel was perfect keeping in mind the relatively low costs. Disadvantage is that it took 30 minutes by bu or taxi s to get to the event. That is the advantage of the hotels near the Dreamforce location. You can walk to Dreamforce every morning. But prices of these hotels tend to go sky high during Dreamforce. Travel from Hotel to Dreamforce: keep in mind that traffic is busy at the daystart of Dreamforce. Uber, taxis and busses will be laten (NB Uber and taxi price explode when the event starts and ends everyday

Dreamforce pass:

Get it the evening before the event starts. In the morning at the started it is VERY crowded. You might miss sessions because of that.

Dreamforce Location:

Dreamforce 2023 has been held in the Moscone Center and the Marriott and Holiday inn Hotel. Take some time to know where all the locations are and notice that it will sometimes take you 20 minutes walking to go from one session to the other.

Dreamforce Catering

There is breakfast (doughnuts , yoghurt, fruit + coffee & tea) in the morning 9:00-10:00 Lunch from 11:30-13:00 and snacks in the late afternoon. Dinner you will have to arrange yourself. Drinks are available as well throughout the whole day. Nice to know: The coffee is excellent, brewed using Peet’s coffee.

Dreamforce tools.

I only brought my phone, power bank, credit card and 30 dollar pocket money. This kept me flexible, I could focus on the event instead of thinking about not forgetting my belongisch which I would not use anyway. The phone and power bank was literally a must have- The phone I used for basic communication and Linked-in access and the power bank was useful because there are almost no power outlets at the event. (NB Lots of Dreamforce visitors carry so much stuff that they look like backpackers visiting Nepal. Question yourself: Am I really going to use my Laptop at the event? Is It really needed to bring a backpack?)

Which Dreamforce Sessions should you attend

The keynote is really worth watching. You do not want not miss it :-) The session with Mathew MacConaughey was very popular but you better see him in a movie. (In my case it did not add much value to personal Dreamforce goals) Visiting the numerous booths might be a better Idea than just checking in with Sessions Keeping spare time was in my case a very very good idea, because of this I could meet a lot of people.

Sightseeing before or after Dreamforce

Reserving an extra day for some sightseeing in San Francisco is great. Besides the well known tourist places, the area where I stayed is great to just walk around. And if you like to run like I do, walking alongside the bay is a must and crossing the Golden gate bridge as well even though it is a bit noisy because of cars roaring at 2 meters next to you.

Networking at Dreamforce

• Everybody is open to connect, if you act like a normal person you will do great!
• Do not forget to ask for a linked-in connection and post after you.
• Do not only play with your phone but be brave and engage with people
• Posting on linked in will give you exposure in the SF community.

NB networking pro tip: stay away from sweet sugary food and too much coffee. This makes you feel tired and wanting to avoid conversations with other people.

The braindates (used in 2023) are only effective if you are not so much natural networker. Besides that in 2023 the supporting brainddate pages were a nightmare regarding UX

I hardly dare to say but I skipped the party. I decided to do so because I was completely exhausted, and wanted to be fresh the day after. It is also a personal thing: for me parties with loud music do not work as an environment to network. I must say that It is bit with regret I have to say it, because I liked the FOO fighters and would certainly have had a good time. Again free food and drinks available, and realy positive feedback from folks who did go. For me a reason to attend again so that I can fix this mistake..

Is Dreamforce worth it? :

The only thing I missed is some healthy Salesforce self critique. As Salesforce developers and integrators we know that a big Salesforce implementation goes not always that smooth as the brochure promised. For Us as Salesforce developers and integrators, this is our bread and butter and part of life. Being transparent about this @Salesforce makes you even more powerful.

But this is just a minor thing. Dreamforce is an absolute must if you are serious about growing you SF business of if you want to know more about the SF ecoystem and meet the people in it.

Hope this is of a help to you.

Happy Dreamforcing, Marten