Develop Your Game Plan
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Develop a Dreamforce strategy.
- Decide which keynotes to attend.
- List the benefits of Agenda Builder.
Develop a Strategy for Dreamforce
So you’re excited, and we don’t blame you. So much to do, see, learn, and experience, and so little time. When you go to Dreamforce, you have two choices: Clone yourself, or create a Dreamforce strategy. This unit covers only the second strategy—cloning is for a future unit.
When you’re planning your strategy for Dreamforce, here are a few questions to ask yourself.
- What is my role and experience level?
- How big is my company?
- What industry am I in?
- Which products and features do I want to learn about most?
- How do I prefer to learn?
That last question is super important because it helps you determine the types of experiences to sign up for. Dreamforce features something for everyone, including breakout and theater sessions, hands-on training, keynotes, roundtable discussions, dedicated areas for special roles, and, of course, the Customer Success Expo.Knowing your preference for how you learn helps you sign up for the right types of sessions.
Pro tip: As you’re filling up your schedule, remember to allow time for breaks.
Map Out Your Dream Dreamforce
All the information you need to build a fantastic Dreamforce experience is on the Dreamforce website. There, you’ll find Agenda Builder, your key tool for building your perfect week and registering for breakout sessions and events.
But first, let’s talk about two ways to get oriented to the goings-on at Dreamforce.
Agenda Builder
Agenda Builder has all the details you need to sign up for the perfect sessions. (Agenda Builder is a feature of the Salesforce Events app. More on that in the next unit.) To help you plan your week, we organize our sessions into themes. Each theme is tailored to a specific audience, like sales, marketers, admins, developers, small and medium businesses (SMB), nonprofits, and more. Filter by theme within the Agenda Builder to view breakout sessions that match what you’re looking for.
With such an array of sessions to choose from, Agenda Builder has other filters to narrow down your list, such as product, role, and industry. You can also search by keyword to find specific sessions of interest.
So. Many. Sessions.
Use Agenda Builder to plan out your week and register for your sessions. Registered Dreamforce attendees receive an email alert when Agenda Builder is live. The sooner you start using Agenda Builder, the better chance you have of getting the sessions you really want to attend. But don’t despair if your session of choice is full. As with last year, 25% of the seats for each breakout session are reserved for walk-ins. No guarantee you’ll get in, but if you line up early, you’ve got a shot.
An exception for walk-ins are the extremely popular hands-on training sessions and the Circles of Success, where you can get your actual handson Salesforce technology with an expert instructor taking you through a set of exercises. You need to preregister for these sessions. No space is saved for walk-ins. But you can line up and possibly get in if someone is a no-show.
Beyond breakout sessions, there are super-sized, ginormous sessions called keynotes.
What’s the Deal with Keynotes and Special Sessions?
Keynote sessions typically draw the largest crowds and are held in the largest halls in Moscone. For the biggest keynotes, the other breakout session venues also have overflow rooms, so don’t worry if you can’t get into the main room.
If you’ve never attended a Dreamforce keynote, you’re in for a treat. You’ll hear exciting announcements and get inspired by visionary thought leaders. Keynotes are always motivating and fun and sometimes feel like a party.
Can’t make it to every keynote? Don’t forget, you can tune in live at Salesforce+, where keynotes, sessions, and all kinds of good stuff is streaming throughout the conference.
